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Updated: Feb 4, 2026
10:26
Fabrication and Characterization of Superconducting Resonators
Published on: May 21, 2016
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Kinetic approach to superconductivity hidden behind a competing order
Hiroshi Oike1,2, Manabu Kamitani1, Yoshinori Tokura1,2
1RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science, Wako 351-0198, Japan.
Science Advances
|October 13, 2018
Summary
Researchers developed a new kinetic method to achieve superconductivity by rapidly cooling materials. This approach avoids competing orders, enabling persistent and switchable superconductivity in iridium ditelluride (IrTe2).
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Materials science
- Superconductivity research
Background:
- Superconductivity is a key research area in condensed matter physics.
- In strongly correlated electron systems, superconductivity is often suppressed by magnetic or charge order.
- Conventional methods to achieve superconductivity involve manipulating thermodynamic parameters like pressure and carrier density.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel kinetic approach for inducing superconductivity.
- To circumvent the formation of competing orders that inhibit superconductivity.
- To explore the potential of metastable superconductivity in transition-metal dichalcogenides.
Main Methods:
- Utilized current pulse-based rapid cooling (up to ~10^7 K s^-1) in iridium ditelluride (IrTe2).
- Kinetically avoided a first-order phase transition to a competing charge order.
- Investigated the history-dependent electronic states induced by rapid thermal quenching.
Main Results:
- Successfully induced persistent superconductivity by kinetically suppressing competing charge order.
- Uncovered metastable superconductivity in IrTe2 that is hidden behind the charge ordered state.
- Demonstrated nonvolatile and reversible switching of metastable superconductivity using electric pulse applications.
Conclusions:
- The kinetic approach offers a new pathway for developing and manipulating superconductivity.
- This method provides an alternative to traditional thermodynamic control of superconductivity.
- The ability to switch metastable superconductivity opens new avenues for electronic applications.
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