Researchers at Waseda University in Japan have made a significant breakthrough in the quest for room-temperature superconductivity, a technology that could revolutionize energy transmission, medical imaging, and transportation.
Led by Professor Toru Asahi, Researcher Kenta Nakagawa, and master’s student Keigo Tokita, the team has been studying the properties of Bi-based copper-oxide superconductors. Their findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, reveal the origin of strong optical anisotropy in these materials, a crucial step towards understanding the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity.
The research was conducted in collaboration with scientists from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Tohoku University, and has implications for developing new high-temperature superconductors. With potential applications in fields such as energy and medicine, this breakthrough could have a major impact on various industries, including those involved in medical imaging and transportation systems.
Research Background: The study investigates the optical anisotropy of lead-doped Bi2212 crystals to understand the origin of strong optical anisotropy in these materials.
Methodology: The researchers fabricated single cylindrical crystals of Bi2212 with varying lead content using the floating zone method and obtained ultrathin plate specimens by exfoliation with water-soluble tape. They then measured the linear birefringence (LB) and linear dichroism (LD) spectra of these specimens.
Key Findings: The study reveals that the large peaks in the LB and LD spectra reduce considerably with increasing lead content, consistent with the suppression of incommensurate modulation. This reduction is crucial for accurate measurement of optical activity (OA) and circular dichroism (CD) in future experiments.
Implications: The findings enable investigation into the presence or absence of symmetry breaking in the pseudo-gap and superconducting phases, a critical issue in understanding the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity. This study contributes to the development of new high-temperature superconductors, which could revolutionize technologies such as energy transmission, medical imaging, and transportation.
Researchers Involved: The study was conducted by a team of researchers from Waseda University, Japan, including Professor Toru Asahi, Assistant Professor Kenta Nakagawa, and master’s student Keigo Tokita, among others.
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