For decades, scientists have chased a revolutionary breakthrough: superconductivity at room temperature.
This phenomenon—where an electrical current flows without resistance—could transform everything from power grids to quantum computing.
But there’s been one major problem: Superconductors only work at extreme cold temperatures, close to absolute zero (-273°C).
Until recently, researchers believed high-temperature superconductivity (above -135°C) was just beyond reach due to physical limitations.
However, a groundbreaking discovery suggests that a mysterious phase of matter called the pseudogap might be actively preventing superconductivity.
And if we can understand and control it, we may be able to achieve superconductivity at far higher temperatures—possibly even room temperature.
A Hidden Competitor to Superconductivity
For 20 years, scientists at Stanford University and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have been investigating the role of the pseudogap.
Was it helping or hindering superconductivity?
Their latest research provides the clearest evidence yet: The pseudogap is actively competing with superconductivity and stealing electrons that should be forming the crucial Cooper pairs needed for zero-resistance conductivity.
“Now we have clear, smoking-gun evidence that the pseudogap phase competes with and suppresses superconductivity,” lead author Makoto Hashimoto explained.
“If we can somehow remove this competition, or handle it better, we may be able to raise the operating temperatures of these superconductors.”
This discovery, published in Nature Materials, could finally explain why scientists have struggled for decades to push superconductivity into more practical temperature ranges.
How Superconductivity Works—and Why It Fails at Higher Temperatures
Superconductors rely on an elegant quantum dance: electrons pair up into what’s known as Cooper pairs.
This pairing allows them to move through a material without resistance, making superconductors extraordinarily efficient.
Copper oxides are among the few materials that exhibit superconductivity at relatively high temperatures (around -135°C).
But decades ago, researchers noticed something strange when analyzing these materials: a second energy gap, appearing at much higher temperatures than superconductivity itself.
This was the pseudogap, and for years, its role in the process remained unclear. Was it a stepping stone toward superconductivity—or a roadblock?
Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), a technique that knocks electrons out of a material to analyze their behavior, the researchers were able to see exactly what was happening inside copper oxides.
A Complicated Tug-of-War Between Superconductivity and the Pseudogap
What they found was remarkable: At around -135°C, the pseudogap and superconductivity states are locked in a competition for electrons.
“The pseudogap tends to eat away the electrons that want to go into the superconducting state,” said physicist Thomas Devereaux.
“The electrons are busy doing the dance of the pseudogap, and superconductivity is trying to cut in, but the electrons are not letting that happen.”
Then, as the material transitions into its superconducting state, the pseudogap appears to surrender, releasing the electrons back into the system.
This, the researchers believe, is why superconductivity is limited to such low temperatures—because the pseudogap consumes the very electrons needed to sustain it.
Where Does the Pseudogap Come From?
Now that we know the pseudogap is an obstacle, the next critical question is: what causes it?
Despite decades of research, scientists still don’t know the exact origin of the pseudogap.
But now that they can model its interactions with superconductivity, they have a new tool for solving the puzzle.
“Now we can model the competition between the pseudogap and superconductivity from the theoretical side,” Hashimoto said.
“We can use simulations to reproduce the kinds of features we have seen and change the variables to try to pin down what the pseudogap is.”
Room Temperature Possibilities?
The implications of this discovery are enormous.
If scientists can find a way to suppress or manipulate the pseudogap, superconductors might work at much higher temperatures—potentially even at room temperature.
Right now, practical superconductors require extreme cooling, making them expensive and difficult to implement.
But if researchers can break through this temperature barrier, we could see superconductors revolutionize:
- Power grids, dramatically reducing energy loss and improving efficiency.
- Magnetic levitation, enabling ultra-fast, frictionless transportation.
- Quantum computing, unlocking unprecedented computational power.
- Medical imaging, making technologies like MRI scans more effective and accessible.
A New Era for Superconductivity?
While we’re not there yet, this research gives scientists a clear target—understanding and controlling the pseudogap.
It’s a rare moment where a frustrating obstacle may actually hold the key to unlocking one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of the century.
“Competition may be only one aspect of the relationship between the two states,” Hashimoto noted.
“There may be more profound questions—such as whether the pseudogap is actually necessary for superconductivity to occur.”
If scientists can crack this mystery, superconductivity at practical temperatures could become a reality—and with it, a revolution in energy, computing, and transportation.
Source: ScienceDaily
