Electron (or 'hole') pairs may survive effort to kill superconductivity
Published Date: 6/14/2019
Source: phys.org
Scientists seeking to understand the mechanism underlying superconductivity in "stripe-ordered" cuprates—copper-oxide materials with alternating areas of electric charge and magnetism—discovered an unusual metallic state when attempting to turn superconductivity off. They found that under the conditions of their experiment, even after the material loses its ability to carry electrical current with no energy loss, it retains some conductivity—and possibly the electron (or hole) pairs required for its superconducting superpower.