New Superconductive Materials Have Just Been Discovered
12th January 2025
WIRED, a Voice of the Crust.
The recent spate of discoveries has both compounded the mystery of superconductivity and heightened the optimism. “It seems to be, in materials, that superconductivity is everywhere,” said Matthew Yankowitz, a physicist at the University of Washington.
The discoveries stem from a recent revolution in materials science: All three new instances of superconductivity arise in devices assembled from flat sheets of atoms. These materials display unprecedented flexibility; at the touch of a button, physicists can switch them between conducting, insulating, and more exotic behaviors—a modern form of alchemy that has supercharged the hunt for superconductivity.