Physicists Identify New Route to Exotic Forms of Superconductivity
Superconductors have the potential to revolutionize various industries, including power grids and consumer electronics. However, finding room-temperature, atmospheric-pressure superconductors has proven to be extremely challenging. In a recent breakthrough, physicists have discovered a new pathway to exotic forms of superconductivity that could overcome this obstacle.
Traditional superconductivity involves two electrons bonded together in what is known as Cooper pairs. These pairs can move through a material without losing energy in the form of heat. Scientists compare these electrons to soldiers, explaining that when they are aligned, they form a collective state that allows the pairs to carry current efficiently.
The scientific community has previously identified types of superconductivity that occur at relatively high temperatures, such as oscillatory superconductivity called pair-density wave (PDW). In PDW, electrons change amplitude as they move like waves, making them attractive to researchers who want to improve the critical temperature of superconductivity.
Physicists from Emory University and Stanford University in the United States have recently discovered a new mechanism for the formation of oscillating superconducting “pair density waves.” They found that special structures called Van Hove singularities, which cause unusual changes in energy for electrons in certain materials, have the potential to create oscillating superconductivity states. This finding may open up new possibilities for inducing superconductivity.
Earlier this year, a team at the Brookhaven National Laboratory also made progress in understanding pair density waves. They demonstrated that this exotic state of superconducting matter can exist in iron-based superconductors without the need for a magnetic field, contrary to previous beliefs.
Although the debate about achieving superconductivity at room temperature is still ongoing, it is clear that current methods are limited to laboratory settings or expensive equipment. The prospect of more efficient and affordable electricity delivery remains distant.
The research findings by physicists at Emory University and Stanford University have been published in Physical Review Letters. While the journey towards practical superconductivity continues, these discoveries bring scientists one step closer to finding new and innovative ways to harness and utilize this groundbreaking phenomenon.
(Note: The image used in this article is for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the correct structure. Source: pixabay)