Today in Science Express: Charge carriers in cuprate high-Tc
superconductors form nanostripes that suppress superconductivity, as shown by
guest researchers from Princeton and Vancouver using synchrotron radiation at
BESSY II
Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity
without any loss of energy. In order to exhibit this property, however,
classical superconductors need to be cooled almost to absolute zero (minus 273
degrees centigrade). Even the so-called high-Tc superconductors still require
very low temperatures of minus 200 degrees centigrade. While cooling down to
these temperatures involves substantial effort, superconductors are already
employed in many areas, e.g., for magnetic resonance tomography in medical
applications. Despite extensive research, materials providing lossless
conduction of electricity at room temperature are missing up to now.