Superconductors, as physical systems, are materials that, below a critical temperature, exhibit exactly zero DC electrical resistance and expel interior magnetic fields via the Meissner effect, indicating a thermodynamic phase distinct from ordinary conductors. Their behavior is described microscopically by Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer (BCS) theory for conventional superconductors, where electrons form Cooper pairs that condense into a macroscopic quantum state with a complex order parameter and an energy gap in the excitation spectrum. Superconductors also display quantization of magnetic flux, support dissipationless supercurrents, and exhibit rich phase diagrams influenced by temperature, magnetic field, and material structure.
Using muon spin rotation at the Swiss Muon Source SmS, researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) have discovered that a quantum phenomenon known as time-reversal symmetry breaking occurs at the surface of the Kagome ...
Condensed Matter
Nov 6, 2024
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New materials designed by a University of Illinois Chicago graduate student may help scientists meet one of today's biggest challenges: building superconductors that operate at normal temperatures and pressures.
Condensed Matter
Nov 5, 2024
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Quantum computers hold the promise to emulate complex materials, helping researchers better understand the physical properties that arise from interacting atoms and electrons. This may one day lead to the discovery or design ...
Condensed Matter
Oct 30, 2024
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High-temperature superconductivity is one of the great mysteries of modern physics: Some materials conduct electrical current without any resistance—but only at very low temperatures. Finding a material that remains superconducting ...
Condensed Matter
Oct 24, 2024
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For the first time since the discovery of the material MnBi2Te4 (MBT), researchers at the University of Twente have successfully made it behave like a superconductor. This marks an important step in understanding MBT and ...
Superconductivity
Oct 23, 2024
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A team of computer engineers from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, NTT Corporation and Nagoya University have developed what they claim is the world's first superconducting flux qubit that ...
A new study has uncovered important behavior in the flow of electric current through quantum superconductors, potentially advancing the development of future technologies like quantum computing.
Superconductivity
Oct 14, 2024
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An impressive operation recently took place in CERN's magnet test hall. The innovative cold powering system has been successfully installed in the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) Inner Triplet (IT) String test stand.
General Physics
Oct 9, 2024
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Scientists are finding ways to use quantum effects to create groundbreaking thermal devices that can help cool electronic systems. The quantum thermal transistor is one of the most exciting innovations in this field. While ...
Researchers from Berkeley Lab's Accelerator Technology & Applied Physics (ATAP) Division have teamed up with colleagues from Michigan State University's Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), the world's most powerful heavy-ion ...
Superconductivity
Oct 4, 2024
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