Widely held notions about why so-called high- transition temperatures superconductivity occurs may not be accurate after all, according to a team of researchers whose paper was published in the June 3 issue of Nature. At the heart of the issue is the observation of new excitations that scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee and elsewhere have observed using a time-of-flight neutron scattering technique. These excitations, which may provide the "glue" that enables superconducting material to operate at temperatures five times higher than is possible with other superconductors, are observed for the first time because of improved instrumentation. With this new knowledge, scientists hope to be able to design new materials with even higher transition temperatures, which will make superconductors less expensive. Superconductors have many applications, including in power transmission, medical imaging and electronics. ORNL authors are Herb Mook and Pengcheng Dai, who holds a joint appointment at UT.
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