Physicists are one step closer to developing the world's first room-temperature superconductor thanks to a new theory from the University of Waterloo, Harvard and Perimeter Institute.
The theory explains the transition phase to superconductivity, or "pseudogap" phase, which is one of the last obstacles to developing the next generation of superconductors and one of the major unsolved problems of theoretical condensed matter physics.
Their work was published in this week's issue of the prestigious journal Science.
Superconductivity is the phenomenon where electricity flows with no resistance and no energy loss. Most materials need to be cooled to ultra-low temperatures with liquid helium in order to achieve a superconductive state.
The team includes Professor Roger Melko, Professor David Hawthorn and doctoral student Lauren Hayward from Waterloo's Physics and Astronomy Department, and Harvard Physics Professor Subir Sachev. Roger Melko also holds a Canada Research Chair in Computational Quantum Many-Body Physics.
"This amazing scientific collaboration actually came about by chance over lunch at the Perimeter Institute between Subir and myself," said Hawthorn.
The theory explains the transition phase to superconductivity, or "pseudogap" phase, which is one of the last obstacles to developing the next generation of superconductors and one of the major unsolved problems of theoretical condensed matter physics.
Their work was published in this week's issue of the prestigious journal Science.
Superconductivity is the phenomenon where electricity flows with no resistance and no energy loss. Most materials need to be cooled to ultra-low temperatures with liquid helium in order to achieve a superconductive state.
The team includes Professor Roger Melko, Professor David Hawthorn and doctoral student Lauren Hayward from Waterloo's Physics and Astronomy Department, and Harvard Physics Professor Subir Sachev. Roger Melko also holds a Canada Research Chair in Computational Quantum Many-Body Physics.
"This amazing scientific collaboration actually came about by chance over lunch at the Perimeter Institute between Subir and myself," said Hawthorn.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-03-pseudogap-theory-physicists-closer-high.html#jCp
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-03-pseudogap-theory-physicists-closer-high.html#jCp