Research offers new insights, and a new angle, on high-temperature superconductivity

A Princeton-led research team has revealed surprising information about how electron behavior influences the conduction of electricity in a class of high-temperature superconductors. An increased understanding of this mechanism could one day transform a number of technologies, including the transmission of electrical power. The pairing of electrons, which normally repel one another, is a known prerequisite for superconductivity - the ability of certain materials to conduct electricity with no resistance. In 1986, scientists discovered high-temperature ceramic superconductors, often called cuprates for the copper-oxide layers they contain. These ceramics exhibit superconductivity at practically applicable temperatures, around 165 Kelvin (-162 F, -108 C), which can be reached with liquid nitrogen. Since then, scientists have struggled to understand this phenomenon, often invoking explanations used for more than 50 years to explain the behavior of elements, such as lead, that behave as superconductors at temperatures near absolute zero. A common conception is that stronger electron pairing enables superconductivity to occur at higher temperatures.