Quantum researcher take next step towards superconductors
Superconductors can make computers significantly faster and green energy technology even more environmentally friendly. But first, we need a deeper understanding of how superconducting materials actually work. Oscar Tjernberg, professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, has now received funding from the ERC to investigate properties and mechanisms using a new method.
Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity without resistance and are already used today in electromagnets, antennas and power lines, among other things. The problem is that at normal pressure, they only work at extremely low temperatures.
However, at the end of the 1980s, new materials were discovered that become superconducting at much higher temperatures – up to 100 degrees above absolute zero. But how these work and whether it is possible to create superconducting materials that function at room temperature remains an unsolved mystery.
“If we can create superconductors that can be used at room temperature, it could revolutionise many areas, including electronics, electrical power and medical diagnostics,” says Oscar Tjernberg, Professor of Quantum Materials at the Department of Applied Physics.
Special quantum fluid
In his research project, he wants to investigate in depth how superconductivity occurs – when electrons in the material begin to pair up in twos. These pairs form a special quantum fluid that can conduct electricity without any resistance.
“We don’t really know how this works today, so we need better tools to study when and how the electron pairs are formed", he says.
To move forward, the researchers will develop a new type of electron spectroscopy facility at KTH. With the new technology, they hope to be able to study exactly when the electron pairs arise and what properties they have. By understanding how pairing works, the researchers can take a step closer to designing superconductors that work at room temperature.
Experimental challenge
The new technologically advanced experimental equipment is expected to be installed and ready for use within 1.5 to 2 years.
The research project is an experimental challenge that no one has succeeded in before, but Oscar Tjernberg believes it is possible with the facility that is now being planned.
What does the funding from the ERC mean for you and your research?
“An ERC grant is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious grants a researcher can receive in Europe, so it feels really fantastic.”
Text: Christer Gummeson ( gummeson@kth.se )