So what exactly has to be done to a material so that it becomes one of these mysterious superconductors? Of course one might say that you just have to cool it down enough so it becomes superconductive. But how exactly does that relate to the actual physical properties of the material? One of the main aspects of how a certain material can become superconductive is closely tied with at which point said material can actually start exhibiting these special properties that we have come to know as superconductivity. This point is known as the quantum critical point of the material, the point at which the properties of superconductivity start to appear.
The quantum critical point of a superconductive material is similar to the phase changes of ordinary matter. Materials such as water exhibit different thermodynamic phases according to what pressure and temperature is exerted on it, and switches to the appropriate phase accordingly, such as ice or vapor. But these physical phase changes rely on the ordering and position of atoms. The quantum critical point however relies on the interactions that exist between the different electron carriers that exist within the material. As the material reaches the quantum critical point, which it normally does at very low temperatures, its physical properties start to change very rapidly according to different quantum fluctuations that arise from the rapid scattering of electrons within the material. This quantum fluctuation causes the electrons of the material to allow magnetic fields to pass through the superconductor, effectively making the material what we consider to be superconductive.
By studying the different levels at which different materials exhibit their quantum critical point, researchers may be able to come up with a way of fixing this quantum critical point to higher temperatures by somehow separating the different superpositions, or physical stages, to effectively create higher-temperature superconductors. Alas, we still do not know enough of to actually separate these stages and be able to control the defining factor of superconductivity: the quantum critical point.
The quantum critical point of a superconductive material is similar to the phase changes of ordinary matter. Materials such as water exhibit different thermodynamic phases according to what pressure and temperature is exerted on it, and switches to the appropriate phase accordingly, such as ice or vapor. But these physical phase changes rely on the ordering and position of atoms. The quantum critical point however relies on the interactions that exist between the different electron carriers that exist within the material. As the material reaches the quantum critical point, which it normally does at very low temperatures, its physical properties start to change very rapidly according to different quantum fluctuations that arise from the rapid scattering of electrons within the material. This quantum fluctuation causes the electrons of the material to allow magnetic fields to pass through the superconductor, effectively making the material what we consider to be superconductive.
By studying the different levels at which different materials exhibit their quantum critical point, researchers may be able to come up with a way of fixing this quantum critical point to higher temperatures by somehow separating the different superpositions, or physical stages, to effectively create higher-temperature superconductors. Alas, we still do not know enough of to actually separate these stages and be able to control the defining factor of superconductivity: the quantum critical point.
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