MIT News  November 15, 2021
An international team of researchers (USA – MIT, Rutgers University, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Harvard University, Japan) synthesized layered superconductor Ba6Nb11S28. Instead of via one electron a superconductor carries charge by two electrons bound together in a Cooper pair. By applying an in-plane magnetic field, they observed an abrupt, partial suppression of diamagnetism below the upper critical magnetic field, which is suggestive of an emergent phase within the superconducting state. It turns out this kind of superconductor can be manipulated to form a variety of unusual patterns as Cooper pairs move between Landau levels. Further, they realized that their material also has the ingredients for topological superconductivity which involves the movement of charge along edges or boundaries. In this case, that charge could travel along the edges of each internal superconducting pattern. They are working to confirm if the material is indeed capable of topological superconductivity – if they can combine both types of superconductivity?… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Evidence of an emergent superconducting state. Credit: Nature volume 599, pages51–56 (2021)Â