superconducting

An illustration showing superconducting Cooper pairs in magic-angle multilayer graphene family. The adjacent layers are twisted in an alternating fashion. Credit: Ella Maru StudioThe discovery could inform the design of practical superconducting devices.When it comes to <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>graphene</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Graphene is an allotrope of carbon in the form of a single layer of atoms…

A particle accelerator that slams electrons together here on Earth has achieved temperatures colder than those of outer space.Using the X-ray free-electron laser at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory  –  part of an upgrade project to the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), called LCLS II  – scientists chilled liquid helium to minus 456 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 271 degrees Celsius), or 2 kelvins.  That is just 2 kelvins above absolute zero, the coldest possible temperature at which all…

There's a key aspect of quantum computing you may not have thought about before. Called 'quantum non-​demolition measurements', they refer to observing certain quantum states without destroying them in the process.  If we want to put together a functioning quantum computer, not having it break down every second while calculations are made would obviously be helpful. Now, scientists have described a new technique for recording quantum non-demolition measurements that shows a lot of promise.In this case, the research…

Credit: SLAC National Accelerator LaboratoryThe new facility, LCLS-II, will soon sharpen our view of how nature works on ultrasmall, ultrafast scales, impacting everything from quantum devices to clean energy.Nestled 30 feet underground in Menlo Park, California, a half-mile-long stretch of tunnel is now colder than most of the universe. It houses a new superconducting particle accelerator, part of an upgrade project to the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) X-ray free-electron laser at the Department of Energy (DOE)’s…

A TU Delft team has demonstrated a one-way superconductor that gives zero resistance in one direction, but blocks current completely in the other. The discovery, long thought impossible, heralds a 400x leap in computing speed and huge energy savings.Superconductors can make electronic devices hundreds of times faster, and completely eliminate energy loss, but they've only been useful for certain applications, since it's been impossible to prevent them from conducting in all directions without the use of magnetic fields.…