Superconducting technology has given us highly-detailed medical imaging, particle accelerators, and high-speed trains, but exactly what gives rise to this property is still a mystery. To help answer that question, Steve Johnston, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and colleagues have used sophisticated calculations to learn more about the intrinsic physics of superconducting cuprates, which are compounds comprising copper and oxygen.
The results are published in the December 1, 2017 issue of Science magazine.
Scientists have known for more than a century that in certain materials electric current can travel with no resistance. Superconductivity, as this is known, typically only shows itself at extremely low temperatures. Continue reading on the Department of Physics and Astronomy’s website.