Phys.org March 4, 2019
Under normal electron band theory, Mott insulators ought to conduct electricity, but they do not due to interactions among their electrons. An international team of researchers (Japan, Italy) used numerical methods to show that pulses of light could be used to turn these materials beyond simple conductors to superconductors due to an unconventional type of superconductivity known as “eta pairing” which is thought to involve repulsive interactions between certain electrons within the structure. The research provides new insights not only into the phenomenon of non-equilibrium dynamics but could lead to the development of new high-temperature superconductors…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Schematic of eta-pairing. Credit: RIKEN