To examine the atomic structure of the cuprate material, scientists shone ultraviolet light onto samples. BlackJack3D/iStock
Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery that may lead to the creation of superconductors capable of operating at higher temperatures.
They have detected electron pairing, a crucial feature of superconductivity, occurring at temperatures previously considered too high for this phenomenon.
Surprisingly, this was observed in an antiferromagnetic insulator, a type of material that was least expected to exhibit such behavior.
Even though the material did not demonstrate zero resistance, which is a defining characteristic of superconductivity, this discovery opens up new possibilities for developing similar materials into superconductors that can function at higher temperatures.
The research team, comprising members from the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, and other institutions, has shared their findings in the journal Science.
The dance of electrons
Over the past century, scientists have learned a lot about how superconductors work. They know that for a material to superconduct, electrons must pair off, and these pairs must be coherent – their movements must be synchronized.
Ke-Jun Xu, a Stanford graduate student and paper co-author, used an analogy to explain the phenomenon.
“The electron pairs are telling us that they are ready to be superconducting, but something is stopping them,” he said.
“If we can find a new method to synchronize the pairs, we could apply that to possibly building higher temperature superconductors.”
Conventional vs. unconventional superconductors
Conventional superconductors, which are well understood, work at temperatures typically close to absolute zero.
In these materials, lattice vibrations cause electrons to pair up and “dance” in a synchronized manner.
Unconventional superconductors, on the other hand, work at significantly higher temperatures.
In these materials, it is believed that something beyond lattice vibrations helps pair up electrons. Although researchers are not sure exactly what is behind it, the leading candidate is fluctuating electron spins.
The current study
In the current study, the researchers focused on a cuprate family that had not been studied in depth because its maximum superconducting temperature was relatively low compared to other cuprates.
Researchers used ultraviolet light on cuprate material samples to investigate their atomic structure. This process causes electrons to be emitted from the material.
When these electrons are in a paired state, they are somewhat more difficult to eject, creating an “energy gap.”
This gap remained present up to 150 Kelvin, indicating that electron pairing occurs at significantly higher temperatures than the zero resistance state, which appears at about 25 Kelvin.
The path forward
While the cuprate in the study might not be the material to reach superconductivity at room temperature, the findings open a potentially new path forward.
“Our findings open a potentially rich new path forward. We plan to study this pairing gap in the future to help engineer superconductors using new methods,” concluded Zhi-Xun Shen, a Stanford professor who supervised the research.
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The researchers plan to study this incoherent pairing state further and find ways to manipulate these materials to perhaps coerce these incoherent pairs into synchronization.
If successful, this could lead to the development of superconductors that operate at higher temperatures, revolutionizing modern technology.
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Aman Tripathi An active and versatile journalist and news editor. He has covered regular and breaking news for several leading publications and news media, including The Hindu, Economic Times, Tomorrow Makers, and many more. Aman holds expertise in politics, travel, and tech news, especially in AI, advanced algorithms, and blockchain, with a strong curiosity about all things that fall under science and tech.
