Precision superconductors created using ‘Etch a Sketch’ method
1 min read
An international consortium of researchers has discovered a technique to 'draw' superconducting shapes using an X ray beam - a breakthrough they believe could have implications for a new generation of electronic devices.
The London Centre for Nanotechnology and the Sapienza University of Rome team successfully manipulated regions of high temperature superconductivity in a material that combined oxygen, copper and a heavier, 'rare earth' element called lanthanum.
Illuminating with X rays was said to cause a small scale rearrangement of the oxygen atoms in the material, resulting in high temperature superconductivity. The X ray beam was then used like a pen to draw shapes in two dimensions.
"Our validation of a one step, chemical free technique to generate superconductors opens up exciting new possibilities for electronic devices, particularly in rewriting superconducting logic circuits," said Professor Aeppli, director of the London Centre for Nanotechnology. "A discovery like this means a paradigm shift in computing technology is one step closer."
Prof Aeppli believes the team now has the tools to write and erase with high precision and without the chemicals ordinarily used in device fabrication. ""It is amazing that in a few simple steps, we can now add superconducting 'intelligence' directly to a material consisting mainly of the common elements copper and oxygen," he concluded.