PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

'Universal ripple' could hold the secret to high-temperature superconductivity

2013-12-20
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Andrea Damascelli
damascelli@physics.ubc.ca
604-822-4551
University of British Columbia
'Universal ripple' could hold the secret to high-temperature superconductivity

UBC researchers have discovered a universal electronic state that controls the behavior of high-temperature superconducting copper-oxide ceramics.

The work, published this week in the journal Science, reveals the universal existence of so-called 'charge-density-waves' -- static ripples formed by the self-organization of electrons in the material's normal state. These ripples carry the seeds out of which superconductivity emerges.

"Our understanding of superconductivity in the cuprate family has been hindered by the diversity of intertwining electronic orders," says UBC PhD student Riccardo Comin, lead author on the paper with colleagues at UBC's Quantum Matter Institute, the Max-Planck-UBC Centre for Quantum Materials, and a consortium of research institutions in Canada, the United States and Japan.

Image: Copper-oxide superconducting pellet levitating over a magnetic track. Source: UBC Science

"These new findings suggest the existence of a universal charge-ordering that is common to all cuprate materials, and uncover its connection to the emergence of superconducting behavior."

The work also proves that researchers can interchangeably use two techniques -- resonant X-ray scattering or scanning tunnelling microscopy -- to probe the mysteries of charge-density-waves.

"These are fundamental, but very subtle, features which leave only a faint spectroscopic fingerprint," says UBC professor Andrea Damascelli, leader of the research team. "The success in detecting these tiny ripples in the electron distribution demonstrates the far-reaching power of these complementary techniques, and their pivotal role in advancing our understanding of quantum materials."



INFORMATION:

Background

Superconductivity -- the phenomenon of electricity flowing with no resistance--occurs in some materials at very low temperatures. High-temperature cuprate superconductors are capable of conducting electricity without resistance at record temperatures, higher than the boiling point of liquid nitrogen. Because of their unrivaled characteristics, they represent the best candidates to advance current superconductor technology, which includes a broad range of applications such as: quantum computers, MRI, high-precision magnetometry, levitating high-speed trains, and lossless power lines.

The breakthrough was propelled by a partnership between UBC and the German Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, recently established under the joint Max-Planck-UBC Centre for Quantum Materials, and by the ongoing collaboration with the UBC-affiliated X-ray Scattering Beamline 'REIXS' at the Canadian Light Source. The UBC-Max Planck partnership is co-directed by UBC Professor George Sawatzky and MPI Director Bernhard Keimer, also coauthors of the work.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Protein links liver cancer with obesity, alcoholism, and hepatitis

2013-12-20
Protein links liver cancer with obesity, alcoholism, and hepatitis A new study identifies an unexpected molecular link between liver cancer, cellular stress, and risk factors for developing this cancer – obesity, alcoholism, and viral hepatitis. In the study by University ...

Inadequate pregnancy weight gain a risk factor for infant mortality

2013-12-20
Inadequate pregnancy weight gain a risk factor for infant mortality One-quarter of US women gain an inadequate amount of weight during pregnancy, University of Maryland School of Public Health study shows Women who do not gain enough weight during pregnancy are at increased ...

Lactation consultant visits spur breastfeeding among women who usually resist it

2013-12-20
Lactation consultant visits spur breastfeeding among women who usually resist it December 19, 2013—(BRONX, NY)—In two separate clinical trials, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have found that periodic meetings ...

Researchers show the power of mirror neuron system in learning and language understanding

2013-12-20
Researchers show the power of mirror neuron system in learning and language understanding TEMPE, Ariz. – Anyone who has tried to learn a second language knows how difficult it is to absorb new words and use them to accurately express ideas in a completely new cultural ...

How cells remodel after UV radiation

2013-12-20
How cells remodel after UV radiation Researchers map cell's complex genetic interactions to fix damaged DNA Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues in The Netherlands and United Kingdom, have produced the ...

NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Bruce still wide-eyed

2013-12-20
NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Bruce still wide-eyed Tropical Cyclone Bruce was still maintaining hurricane-force in the Southern Indian Ocean when NASA's Terra satellite passed over the eye of the storm. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument ...

Greek economic crisis leads to air pollution crisis

2013-12-20
Greek economic crisis leads to air pollution crisis Levels of dangerous air particulates jump 30 percent as people turn to burning cheaper fuel sources In the midst of a winter cold snap, a study from researchers in the United States and Greece reveals an ...

NASA sees heavy rain continue in Tropical Cyclone Amara

2013-12-20
NASA sees heavy rain continue in Tropical Cyclone Amara

TB bacteria mask their identity to intrude into deeper regions of lungs

2013-12-20
TB bacteria mask their identity to intrude into deeper regions of lungs Cell surface lipids hide molecular patterns that infection-killing cells might recognize as dangerous TB-causing bacteria appear to mask their identity to avoid recognition by infection-killing ...

H. pylori vaccine shows promise in mouse studies

2013-12-20
H. pylori vaccine shows promise in mouse studies Researchers from Southern Medical University in Guangdong, Guangzhou, China, have developed an oral vaccine against Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria responsible for peptic ulcers and some forms of gastric cancer, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

QUT scientists create material to turn waste heat into clean power

Major new report sets out how to tackle the ‘profound and lasting impact’ of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health

Cosmic crime scene: White dwarf found devouring Pluto-like icy world

Major report tackles Covid’s cardiovascular crisis head-on

A third of licensed GPs in England not working in NHS general practice

ChatGPT “thought on the fly” when put through Ancient Greek maths puzzle

Engineers uncover why tiny particles form clusters in turbulent air

GLP-1RA drugs dramatically reduce death and cardiovascular risk in psoriasis patients

Psoriasis linked to increased risk of vision-threatening eye disease, study finds

Reprogramming obesity: New drug from Italian biotech aims to treat the underlying causes of obesity

Type 2 diabetes may accelerate development of multiple chronic diseases, particularly in the early stages, UK Biobank study suggests

Resistance training may improve nerve health, slow aging process, study shows

Common and inexpensive medicine halves the risk of recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer

SwRI-built instruments to monitor, provide advanced warning of space weather events

Breakthrough advances sodium-based battery design

New targeted radiation therapy shows near-complete response in rare sarcoma patients

Does physical frailty contribute to dementia?

Soccer headers and brain health: Study finds changes within folds of the brain

Decoding plants’ language of light

UNC Greensboro study finds ticks carrying Lyme disease moving into western NC

New implant restores blood pressure balance after spinal cord injury

New York City's medical specialist advantage may be an illusion, new NYU Tandon research shows

Could a local anesthetic that doesn’t impair motor function be within reach?

1 in 8 Italian cetacean strandings show evidence of fishery interactions, with bottlenose and striped dolphins most commonly affected, according to analysis across four decades of data and more than 5

In the wild, chimpanzees likely ingest the equivalent of several alcoholic drinks every day

Warming of 2°C intensifies Arctic carbon sink but weakens Alpine sink, study finds

Bronze and Iron Age cultures in the Middle East were committed to wine production

Indian adolescents are mostly starting their periods at an earlier age than 25 years ago

Temporary medical centers in Gaza known as "Medical Points" (MPs) treat an average of 117 people daily with only about 7 staff per MP

Rates of alcohol-induced deaths among the general population nearly doubled from 1999 to 2024

[Press-News.org] 'Universal ripple' could hold the secret to high-temperature superconductivity