stable superconductivity ambient pressure

Physicists Achieve Stable Superconductivity at Ambient Pressure

Breakthrough in Ambient-Pressure Superconductivity

Researchers at the University of Houston's Texas Center for Superconductivity have reached another groundbreaking milestone in their pursuit of ambient-pressure high-temperature superconductivity, advancing the quest for superconductors that function in real-world conditions and paving the way for next-generation energy-efficient technologies.

Investigating Superconductivity in Bi₀.₅Sb₁.₅Te₃ (BST)

Research by Liangzi Deng and Paul Ching-Wu Chu

Professors Liangzi Deng and Paul Ching-Chu of the UH Department of Physics investigated the induction of superconductivity in Bi₀.₅Sb₁.₅Te₃ (BST) under pressure while preserving its chemical and structural properties, as detailed in their study, "Creation, stabilization, and investigation at ambient pressure of pressure-induced superconductivity in Bi₀.₅Sb₁.₅Te₃" published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences.

Link Between Pressure, Topology, and Superconductivity

"The idea that high-pressure treatment of BST might reconfigure its Fermi surface topology and enhance thermoelectric performance emerged in 2001," Deng stated. "That intricate relationship between pressure, topology and superconductivity drew our interest."

Challenges in High-Pressure Superconductors

Metastable States and Practical Limitations

"As materials scientist Pol Duwez once observed, most industrially significant solids exist in a metastable state," Chu explained. "The challenge lies in the fat that many of the most intriguing superconductors require high pressure to function, making them difficult to analyze and even more challenging to implement in real-world applications."

Deng and Chu's innovation offers a solution to this pressing issue.

The Pressure-Quench Protocol (PQP) - A Key Innovation

Deng and Chu pioneered the pressure-quench protocol (PQP), a method introduced in an October UH news release, to stabilize BST's superconducting states at ambient pressure—removing the necessity for high-pressure environments.

Significance of This Discovery

A Novel Approach to Material Phases

Why is this significant? It introduces a novel approach to preserving valuable material phases that typically require high-pressure conditions, enabling both fundamental research and practical applications.

Evidence of High-Pressure Phase Stability

"This experiment provides clear evidence that high-pressure-induced phases can be stabilized at ambient pressure through a delicate electronic transition, without altering symmetry," Chu stated. "This breakthrough opens new possibilities for preserving valuable material phases typically confined to high-pressure conditions and could aid in the quest for superconductors with higher transition temperatures."

Exploring New States of Matter

"Remarkably, this experiment unveiled a groundbreaking method for identigying new states of matter that neither naturally exist at ambient pressure nor emerge under high-pressure conditions," Deng noted. "It underscores PQP's potential as a powerful tool for mapping and expanding material phase diagrams."

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Physicists at the University of Houston have unlocked a new path to stable superconductivity at ambient pressure, paving the way for next-generation energy-efficient technologies. This revolutionary advancement could transform materials science, energy storage, and beyond.

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