Superconductors could one day help power a new generation of ultra-efficient electronics, but major technical hurdles have kept the technology largely confined to research laboratories. Now, scientists at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a new approach that addresses one of the biggest challenges in the field: maintaining superconductivity at higher temperatures while also resisting strong magnetic fields.
This advance could help bring superconductivity technologies closer to practical use in electronics, power systems and quantum devices.
Modern digital devices, data centers and information and communications technology (ICT) networks are responsible for an estimated 6 to 12 percent of global electricity consumption. As energy demand continues to rise, researchers are looking for ways to make electronics more efficient.
Superconductors are particularly attractive because they can carry an electrical current without losing energy. Unlike traditional electronic systems, which waste energy in the form of heat, superconductors can transmit electricity without resistance. In theory, this could make power grids, electronics, and quantum technologies hundreds of times more efficient.
Why are superconductors so difficult to use?
Despite their promising potential, superconductors face several obstacles that limit their real-world applications.
One challenge is temperature. Many superconductors operate only at very low temperatures, often around minus 200 degrees Celsius. Reaching and maintaining these temperatures requires complex and energy-intensive cooling systems.
Magnetic fields represent another major problem. Strong magnetic fields can weaken or even eliminate superconductivity. This is especially important because many advanced electronic systems and quantum technologies either generate or rely on magnetic fields.
For superconducting materials to become practical for widespread use, they must be able to operate at higher temperatures (ideally close to room temperature) while remaining stable in strong magnetic environments.
A different strategy to obtain stronger superconductivity
Researchers have spent years trying to improve superconductors by changing their chemical composition, but progress has been limited. Chalmers’ team decided to take a different approach.
“By sculpting the surface on which the superconductor rests, we were able to induce superconductivity at much higher temperatures than was previously possible,” explains Floriana Lombardi, professor of quantum device physics at Chalmers University and lead author of a study published in the journal Science. “We also found that the material remained superconducting even when exposed to strong magnetic fields.” Nature Communications.
How a small superficial change made a big difference
The researchers worked with copper oxide from the cuprate family. Cuprates are already known to exhibit superconductivity at relatively high temperatures, but their chemical composition is difficult to modify once manufactured.
The superconducting layer used in the study was only a few nanometers thick, less than a millionth the thickness of a human hair. Such ultra-thin materials must be grown on a supporting foundation called a substrate, which acts as a mold during manufacturing.
This breakthrough came about by making nanoscale modifications to the substrate itself.
“Because the atoms in the substrate are arranged in a certain pattern, they can ‘direct’ how the atoms settle in the superconducting layer. By changing the surface design of the substrate, we were able to influence the superconducting properties and ensure that they are maintained, even at higher temperatures and when high magnetic fields are applied,” explains Erik Wahlberg, a researcher at the RISE Research Institutes in Sweden.
Before adding the superconducting film, the team cured the substrate in a vacuum at a high temperature. This process created an organized pattern of small ridges and valleys across the surface.
These microscopic features changed the electronic environment where the substrate and superconducting layer meet, creating conditions that favored stronger superconductivity.
“We can see how the properties of the electrons begin to take a preferential orientation in this interfacial region and behave in a way that stabilizes and strengthens the superconducting state,” says Lombardi.
A new design principle for future superconductors
The results offer a new way of thinking about superconducting materials. Instead of focusing solely on discovering new materials or changing their chemistry, researchers may be able to improve performance by carefully engineering the surfaces on which those materials grow.
“Rather than searching for completely new materials or manipulating the chemical properties of existing materials, we now show how superconductivity can be enhanced by sculpting the substrate,” says Lombardi.
The researchers believe this strategy could eventually help superconductors operate at much higher temperatures, perhaps even approaching room temperature.
The work also points to future applications in energy-efficient electronics, advanced quantum components, and technologies that must operate in strong magnetic fields.
“This shows that very small changes at the nanoscale can have critical effects, and may unleash the full potential of superconductivity in future electronics,” says Lombardi.
Study details
The study “Enhanced superconductivity in Samsung YBa2Copper3Hey7−δ films across nanosubstrates,” was published in the journal Nature Communications.
The authors are Eric Wahlberg, Riccardo Arbia, Dimbalia Chakraborty, Alexei Kalabukhov, David Vignole, Cyril Proust, Annika M. Blackschafer, Thilo Bausch, Götz Siebold, and Floriana Lombardi.
The researchers involved in the project belong to Chalmers University of Technology, RISE Research Institutes in Sweden, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science – Pilani, KK Birla Goa Campus, India, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), India, Uppsala University, Sweden, University of Grenoble Alpes, University of Toulouse, INSA-T, France, and the Institute of Sciences. Physic, British Thermal Unit, Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany.
Part of the research was conducted at Myfab Chalmers, a clean room facility.
Funding was provided by the Swedish Research Council (VR), the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the European Union through an EIC Pathfinder grant, and the German Research Foundation.
