https://phys.org/physics-news/superconductivity/ en-us The latest news on superconductivity Superconductors have long been considered a promising technology for the energy systems of the future. They can conduct electricity without resistance, thus eliminating both conduction losses and waste heat. Up to now, however, superconductors have only been applied in special cases, as in the immensely powerful magnet coils of particle accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. This is because superconductors must be well cooled, down to extremely low temperatures for some materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-pressure-3d-superconductivity-tantalum-disulfide.html Superconductivity Tue, 07 Jul 2026 14:40:03 EDT news702646997 The ordinary graphite in pencil lead is proving to be surprisingly multifaceted at the microscale. In a study published in the journal Nature, MIT researchers report that a certain microscopic structure found in natural graphite can host multiple superconducting states. Superconductivity is an electronic state of matter in which electrons pair up and glide through a material with zero resistance. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-graphene-multiple-states-superconductivity.html Condensed Matter Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:40:01 EDT news701961484 An international team of quantum researchers has shown how machine learning can be used to filter a practically infinite number of possible material combinations to identify candidates for superconductivity. Thanks to the breakthrough, new superconductors can now be found much faster, says Aalto University Professor Päivi Törmä, who leads the SuperC consortium behind the research. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-superconductors-yield-thousands.html Condensed Matter Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:20:09 EDT news701954709 A research team led by Prof. Zhang Jinglei from Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, found that the trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10-δ exhibits a nearly isotropic upper critical field under high pressure. This finding provides important experimental insight into the superconducting mechanism of nickel-based materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-isotropic-superconducting-property-revealed-trilayer.html Condensed Matter Thu, 25 Jun 2026 20:20:01 EDT news701622961 Strongly interacting quantum particles are key to some of the most fascinating phenomena in modern physics—from magnetism and superconductivity to topological states. Yet the complexity of such systems makes many of their properties difficult to understand even today. A research team from Innsbruck and Turin has now proposed a new theoretical framework for generating and studying these exotic states of matter in ultracold magnetic atoms in a one-dimensional lattice. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-exotic-quantum-phases-ultracold-magnetic.html Superconductivity Thu, 25 Jun 2026 14:20:09 EDT news701607901 Magnetic fields are generally known to destroy superconductivity in a material. However, in exceptional cases, they can lead to what is known as "re-entrant superconductivity"—where superconductivity disappears as expected, but then unexpectedly returns when the magnetic field is increased further. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-magnetic-field-superconductivity.html Condensed Matter Wed, 24 Jun 2026 19:00:02 EDT news701532785 Physicists have long suspected that a peculiar quantum state lurks inside a class of materials known as kagome metals, but proving its existence has been elusive. Now, a team led by Yeongkwan Kim at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has performed experiments on a kagome metal that provide the strongest evidence yet for this exotic state. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-broken-reversal-symmetry-phase-kagome.html Superconductivity Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:40:10 EDT news701352617 Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have developed a practical, comprehensive noise-modeling framework for a popular class of superconducting quantum processors. Their work, published in the journal PRX Quantum, offers a sevenfold improvement in predictive accuracy over existing approaches. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cloud-quantum-noise-superconducting-qubit.html Superconductivity Mon, 08 Jun 2026 19:00:02 EDT news700147742 Florida State University physicists are part of a team that has discovered unusual superconducting states in parts of graphene, with the potential to drive unexpected quantum technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-uncovers-electronic-properties-quantum-material.html Superconductivity Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:00:02 EDT news700148352 Superconductors, materials that conduct electricity with zero electrical resistance at specific temperature ranges, have proved very promising for the development of quantum computers and other cutting-edge technologies. While most of these materials become superconducting at very low temperatures, others exhibit superconductivity at higher temperatures. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nickelate-superconductors-common-electronic-fingerprint.html Condensed Matter Mon, 08 Jun 2026 06:20:01 EDT news699873254 Topological phases are unusual states of matter that give rise to properties protected by a material's overall structure (i.e., "topology"), as opposed to microscopic details. These phases are of great interest for the development of quantum technologies, as they can yield desirable electronic properties that are robust against defects and disturbances. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-topological-states-emerge-quantum-hall.html Superconductivity Fri, 29 May 2026 07:00:01 EDT news698933871 A growing number of quantum engineers worldwide have been trying to realize large-scale quantum networks, which consist of several connected quantum computers or devices that share information with each other. The successful realization of these networks could potentially pave the way for the realization of new high-speed and secure communication systems, or even of a quantum version of the internet. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-quantum-teleportation-microwave-states-temperatures.html Superconductivity Wed, 27 May 2026 10:00:01 EDT news698939510 The mechanism of high-temperature (TC) superconductivity is a key challenge in condensed matter physics. Recently, Chinese scientists made significant progress in the study of high-TC nickelate superconductors. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-nickelate-reveals-nodeless-gap-key.html Condensed Matter Fri, 22 May 2026 16:40:02 EDT news698673481 Diamond is extremely valuable to science and technology not for its sparkle but for its extreme hardness, high thermal conductivity, transparency to a large fraction of the light spectrum, and a host of other exceptional properties. Two decades ago, scientists discovered another advantage: under the right conditions, diamond can become a superconductor—allowing electricity to flow through it with zero resistance. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-superconducting-diamond-uncover-path-multi.html Superconductivity Fri, 22 May 2026 14:46:44 EDT news698679858 Vortices in superconductors have so far been considered a disruption, as they can impair the superconducting properties. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have proved in experiments that magnetic vortices can be used as controllable quantum systems in certain materials. This means that a previously unwanted phenomenon is becoming a potential resource in quantum technologies, opening up new avenues for the development of quantum computers, highly sensitive sensor systems, and innovative approaches in materials research. These results are published in Nature. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-superconducting-vortices-moonlight-qubits-disruption.html Superconductivity Fri, 22 May 2026 09:20:01 EDT news698658817 Quantum computers could someday solve pressing problems that are too convoluted for classical computers, such as modeling complex molecular interactions to streamline drug discovery and materials development. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-quantum-circuit-exposes-warping.html Superconductivity Tue, 12 May 2026 12:40:04 EDT news697799460 In a process analogous to how solids melt into liquids, the electrons in many different metals form crystal-like patterns that can deform and melt, opening new pathways for neuromorphic computing and superconductors, University of Michigan Engineering researchers have found. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-quantum-metallurgy-electron-crystals-deform.html Superconductivity Thu, 07 May 2026 16:20:02 EDT news697389121 An international research team, including scientists from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), has achieved a methodological breakthrough in the study of superhydrides, a promising class of superconductors. For the first time, the team succeeded in analyzing lanthanum superhydrides under extreme pressure using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-magnetic-super-lenses-window-high.html Condensed Matter Wed, 06 May 2026 19:40:03 EDT news697296601 Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity with a resistance of zero. In so-called conventional superconductors, this occurs at low temperatures when electrons become bound into pairs, known as Cooper pairs. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-bilayer-graphene-superconducting-high-dielectric.html Condensed Matter Wed, 06 May 2026 16:30:01 EDT news697210079 A research team led by Professor Denver Li Danfeng, Associate Dean (Research and Postgraduate Education) of the College of Science and Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), has achieved a significant advance in superconducting materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-magnetic-fields-revive-superconductivity-nickelates.html Condensed Matter Tue, 05 May 2026 11:40:09 EDT news697194061 With a carefully designed experiment and a handful of tin atoms, University of Tennessee, Knoxville's physicists have found a long-sought form of superconductivity, taking one more step toward creating custom quantum materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-pattern-exposes-chiral-superconductivity-sought.html Superconductivity Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:00:03 EDT news696691381 A research team led by Prof. Hao Ning of the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Anhui University and the University of Science and Technology of China, has identified two distinct types of unusual low-energy quasiparticle states in the kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5 using single-atom impurities as local "quantum probes" combined with scanning tunneling spectroscopy. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-exotic-quasiparticle-states-kagome-superconductor.html Superconductivity Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:00:03 EDT news696681301 Discovered in 2019, the material known as nickelates has intrigued researchers for its potential to become a superconductor at elevated temperatures—a property that could significantly advance such fields as quantum science and energy transmission. However, it's a very unstable material and difficult to work with. But the lab of Professor Charles Ahn has developed a method that could enhance superconductivity in these materials. The results are published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-fragile-nickelates-superconductivity.html Superconductivity Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:40:01 EDT news696514141 A new method developed at LMU overcomes fundamental resolution limits and may provide insights into high-temperature superconductivity. Physicist Dr. Sebastian Paeckel has developed a method that can be used to calculate spectral functions of complex quantum systems much more precisely than was possible previously. His approach reconstructs precise energy spectra without requiring lengthy calculations. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-quantum-simulations-bypass-resolution-limits.html Superconductivity Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:00:08 EDT news696079081 Superconductors, materials that can conduct electricity with a resistance of zero, have proved to be highly promising for the development of quantum technologies, medical imaging devices, particle accelerators and other advanced technologies. These materials can be divided into two broad categories: conventional and unconventional superconductors. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-alternating-atomic-layers-enable-rare.html Superconductivity Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:20:01 EDT news695985154 Last year, tungsten diselenide (WSe2) had its magic moment. Two independent research groups discovered "magic angles" at which two atom-thin layers of the unique semiconductor, when twisted relative to one another into what's known as a moire pattern, can superconduct electricity. Cory Dean and his colleagues at Columbia documented superconductivity at a 5° twist angle; upstate at Cornell, Jie Shan and Kin Fai Mak's team saw it at around 3.5°. Until then, graphene was the only other moire material capable of the feat. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-range-magic-angles-superconductivity-2d.html Superconductivity Sun, 19 Apr 2026 08:00:04 EDT news695572951 Superconductivity is a state of matter characterized by an electrical resistance of zero, typically at very low temperatures. Past studies have found that in various materials, this unique state is accompanied by unusual electron arrangements. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-link-metallicity-superconductivity-uncovered-trilayer.html Condensed Matter Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:00:04 EDT news695304845 Thin films might not come up in conversation every day, but they are all around us. Take the metallic plastic films of chip bags, for example, or the anti-reflective coatings on eyeglasses. Even the coatings on pills that make them easier to swallow are thin films. Depositing extremely thin layers of materials in a consistent and uniform way is also crucial to the production of semiconductors, which are the foundation of modern electronics. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-laser-method-kelvin-thin-synthesis.html Superconductivity Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:20:02 EDT news695573468 For the first time, scientists have directly imaged the quantum process underlying superconductivity, a phenomenon in which paired electrons cause electric current to flow without resistance at sufficiently low temperatures. The results weren't quite what they expected. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-capture-superconductivity-pairs-revealing.html Condensed Matter Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:50:01 EDT news695487661 Superconductors—materials that can conduct electricity without energy loss—are crucial for next-generation high-efficiency, ultrafast electronics. However, most superconductors share a critical limitation: they lose their superconducting properties in strong magnetic fields. In contrast, a class of superconductors containing heavy elements can sustain an unusual type of superconductivity in magnetic fields beyond the conventional limit. Now, new research has demonstrated that this limitation can be overcome by sandwiching atomically thin films of a lightweight element called gallium between two other materials to engineer quantum interactions at the interfaces between the layers. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-unusual-superconductivity-lightweight-element.html Superconductivity Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:00:03 EDT news695304894