Germanium

Germanium (Ge), element 32. A silicon-like metalloid semiconductor recovered from ores of other minerals, such as lead. Useful in high-efficiency solar panels and superconducting alloys.

Though largely excluded from electronics since the 20th century, high-purity germanium crystals are an important component of the axion detectors in modern dark matter ion drives. Germanium also has applications in spintronics, a branch of computer design that was abandoned in favor of quantum optics.