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Electron spin could be the key to high-temperature superconductivity

MarcoGroni2_creditAlainHerzog_EPFL
photo credit Alain Herzog, EPFL

Cuprates are materials with great promise for achieving superconductivity at higher temperatures (-120oC). This could mean low-cost electricity without energy loss. Intense research has focused on understanding the physics of cuprates in the hope that we can develop room-temperature superconductors. EPFL scientists have now used a cutting-edge technique to uncover the way cuprates become superconductors. Their work is published in Nature Communications. 

The popularity of cuprates comes from the fact that they become superconductors at much higher temperatures than other materials: just over -123.15°C (150 Kelvin). This makes cuprates an excellent way towards everyday superconductivity. However, previous studies have suggested that cuprates do not become superconducting like other materials, which poses the question: how does superconductivity arise in cuprates?

A team of researchers led by Marco Grioni at EPFL, member of MaNEP Network, has used a cutting-edge spectroscopic technique to explore the unique superconductivity of cuprates. The scientists used a technique called Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering, which is used to investigate the electronic structure of materials. This high-resolution method was able to monitor what happens to the electrons of a cuprate sample as it turned into a superconductor.

Read the article in Nature Communications

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