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4w ago

MIT Reveals Nodal Superconducting Gap in Magic-Angle Graphene With New Probe

The new probe directly linking a V-shaped gap to superconductivity indicates correlation-driven pairing.

MIT researchers observed clear signatures of unconventional superconductivity in magic-angle twisted trilayer graphene (MATTG). The image illustrates pairs of superconducting electrons (yellow spheres) traveling through MATTG, as the team’s new method (represented by magnifying glass) probes the material’s unconventional superconducting gap (represented by the V-shaped beam).
This research paves the way for designing new superconductors and materials to power more efficient quantum computers.
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Overview

  • Published on November 6 in Science, the study delivers the most direct evidence yet of unconventional superconductivity in magic-angle twisted tri-layer graphene.
  • A platform that combines tunneling spectroscopy with electrical transport tied the observed gap to the superconducting state by appearing only at zero resistance.
  • The superconducting gap exhibits a sharp V-shaped, or nodal, profile unlike the flat gaps typical of phonon-mediated superconductors.
  • Comments from the MIT team indicate the data favor pairing driven by strong electronic interactions over lattice vibrations, constraining theories for this system.
  • Researchers will use the same measurement approach to probe other twisted 2D materials in the search for new superconducting candidates.