Superconductors are special materials that can conduct electricity without any resistance, meaning no energy is lost as heat.
This incredible property was first discovered in 1911, but at that time, superconductors only worked at extremely cold temperatures near absolute zero. That made them impractical for everyday use.
A breakthrough came in 1986 when scientists discovered that cuprates—materials made of copper oxides—could become superconductors at a much warmer temperature of -225°F, which is above the temperature of liquid nitrogen.
This was a huge step forward because a superconductor that works at or near room temperature could lead to major advancements, such as energy-efficient power grids, levitating trains, and better quantum computers.
However, there’s a big challenge. Cuprates are ceramics, which means they are brittle and difficult to use in large-scale applications.
Scientists still don’t fully understand how these materials achieve superconductivity at such high temperatures. Without this knowledge, it’s hard to develop better materials that could be more practical.
For decades, researchers have tried to crack this mystery, but they haven’t reached a clear agreement. “People have been studying them for over 30 years, but there’s still no consensus on how they work at a microscopic level,” said Sohrab Ismail-Beigi, a professor of applied physics at Yale University.
Now, a new study led by graduate student Zheting Jin, in collaboration with Ismail-Beigi, is bringing scientists closer to solving this puzzle. Their research, published in Physical Review X, uses advanced computational methods to analyze the structure of cuprates in detail.
One of the biggest difficulties in understanding cuprates is their complex structure. Previous models used simplified versions of these materials, but those models often failed to give useful insights. To get a clearer picture, Jin and Ismail-Beigi used a powerful tool called density functional theory, which allowed them to study the atomic structure, electronic behavior, and magnetic properties of cuprates with greater accuracy.
“Can we use this theory to predict the properties of cuprates? The answer is yes,” said Ismail-Beigi. “The key is to include the real complexity of these materials, because it matters.”
Cuprates are fascinating to both engineers and physicists. Engineers want to find ways to increase their superconducting temperature to make them more useful, while physicists want to understand why these materials work so well.
“The structure is complicated, but if we can describe it well, we might finally figure out what makes cuprates tick,” Ismail-Beigi explained.
To move forward, scientists need to combine theoretical studies with hands-on experiments. Ismail-Beigi and his team are collaborating with researchers at Yale and the University of California, Irvine, to test and refine their theories.
“This will be a long-term effort,” he said. “By working together, theorists and experimentalists can slowly uncover the secrets of high-temperature superconductors.”
