Scientists want to learn more about the quantum characteristics of superconductors that can carry electricity without losing energy. To achieve that, the researcher took the first steps in the field of superconductivity by connecting a set of tools named OASIS at the US Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory to find out more about the so-called “phase diagram” of the most common studies “high-temperature” superconductors, Phys.Org reported.
“In terms of superconductivity, this may sound bad, but if you study some phenomenon, it is always good to be able to approach it from its origin. If you have a chance to see how superconductivity disappears, that, in turn, might give insight into what causes superconductivity in the first place,” said Brookhaven physicist Tonica Valla, the leading author of the study which was published recently in the journal Nature Communications.
Superconductivity can tackle the many energy challenges humanity faces now, so the scientists’ research is of great importance for the world.
Scientists Take The First Steps In The Field Of Superconductivity
Using heated samples of ozone (O3), the researchers accessed and analyzed previously unexplored portions of the “phase diaphragm” of the high-temperature superconductor which is made of layers that include bismuth-oxide, strontium-oxide, calcium, and copper oxide.
“For this material, if you start with the crystal of ‘parent’ compound, which is an insulator (meaning no conductivity), the introduction of holes results in superconductivity. As more holes are added, the superconductivity gets stronger and at higher temperatures up to a maximum at 94 Kelvin. Then, with more holes, the material becomes ‘over-doped,’ and Tc goes down, for this material, to 50 K,” explained Valla.
“Until this study, nothing past that point was known because we couldn’t get crystals doped above that level. But our new data takes us to the point of doping way beyond the previous limit, to a point where Tc is not measurable. That means we can now explore the entire dome-shaped curve of superconductivity in this material, which is something that nobody has been able to do before,” added the researcher.
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