Plate Nº 37 · recorded November 5, 2026
PhysicsReported finding
Pressure extends superconductivity through a layered crystal in 3D
High pressure made layered tantalum disulfide superconducting in three dimensions, raised its transition temperature about threefold and increased participating electrons sevenfold.
By Elena Vasquez4 min read816 words
In brief
- High pressure raised the 3D transition temperature to about three times the unpressurized level.
- The number of electrons participating in superconductivity increased sevenfold under pressure.
- At just over 1 kelvin (about −458°F), cooling made the entire crystal superconducting.
- Muons used in the study are about 200 times heavier than electrons and live only a few millionths of a second.
- The Nature Communications paper appeared on 30 April 2026; the planned IMPACT upgrade targets muon beams hundreds of times more powerful.
By Elena Vasquez
High pressure raised tantalum disulfide’s three-dimensional superconducting transition temperature to about three times the level reached without pressure and produced a sevenfold increase in participating electrons, a Paul Scherrer Institute team led by Zurab Guguchia reported.
The study identifies a way to strengthen a layered superconductor, but it does not bring superconductivity close to everyday operating conditions.
Why do the layers behave in opposite ways?
Tantalum disulfide has a simple formula, with one tantalum atom for every two sulfur atoms. Its simple chemistry masks an enormously complex electronic structure. When produced in a particular way, it forms alternating layers with two distinct atomic arrangements.
Both types of layer conduct electricity at higher temperatures. On cooling, however, one becomes an insulator, which blocks electrical current, while the other becomes superconducting, meaning it carries current without resistance. “This means that the electronic properties of these two layers behave in completely opposite ways,” Guguchia explained.
At just over 1 kelvin, or about −458 degrees Fahrenheit, another abrupt change occurs. The insulating layers become conductive and join the superconducting state. “Suddenly the entire material becomes superconducting, so the insulating layers also become conductive and take part in superconductivity,” Guguchia said.
Superconductivity then extends through the whole crystal in three dimensions rather than remaining confined to separate planes.
Takeaway: At the lowest temperatures, opposing layers can superconduct together; pressure makes that shared state stronger and raises its temperature.
What does pressure change?
Scientists already knew that pressure could raise the transition temperature—the point at which a material enters its resistance-free state—but the mechanism behind the effect remained unclear.
The PSI team compressed tantalum disulfide at pressures several hundred times greater than those inside a typical car tire. Compression brought the superconducting layers closer together, reducing the disruptive effect of the insulating layers between them.
Pressure also allowed previously localized electrons within the insulating layers to participate in superconductivity. Measurements found three-dimensional superconductivity at temperatures approximately three times higher, along with a sevenfold increase in the number of participating electrons.
The effect went beyond a simple rise in temperature. Guguchia said pressure altered how electrons paired up and moved together, producing what the team described as a more robust form of superconductivity.
Takeaway: Pressure did more than shift a threshold; it changed how electrons behave throughout the crystal.
How did the researchers see the effect?
The team used muon spin spectroscopy, a method that detects magnetic conditions inside materials. Muons are elementary particles similar to electrons but approximately 200 times heavier. Although they survive for only a few millionths of a second, their sensitivity to local magnetic fields makes them useful for studying superconductors.
PSI operates the Swiss Muon Source SμS, which the institute calls the world’s most powerful muon source. The researchers combined muon measurements with other techniques to examine how pressure changes electron behavior at extremely low temperatures.
Guguchia said muons give the team a way to obtain unique information about magnetic and superconducting properties in quantum materials.
Takeaway: Muons provided a direct probe of the local electronic changes caused by pressure inside the crystal.
Could this make superconductors more practical?
Superconductors carry electricity without resistance, avoiding conduction losses and the waste heat associated with resistive flow. Most still require extreme cooling, which has limited their use in specialized systems, including the powerful magnets at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.
Researchers worldwide are studying novel, unconventional superconductors that remain robust at higher temperatures or in strong external magnetic fields. Tantalum disulfide itself still requires extremely low temperatures.
The findings could help researchers develop other materials that operate closer to room temperature and at ordinary atmospheric pressure. Guguchia said the broader goal is to uncover the basic mechanisms behind superconductivity and optimize the temperatures at which it occurs.
Takeaway: The study shows what pressure can strengthen, but it does not remove the extreme cooling requirement.
What comes next?
Future experiments at PSI could provide more detailed measurements of the pressure-dependent state. The planned IMPACT project—Isotope and Muon Production using Advanced Cyclotron and Target technologies—is expected to produce muon beams hundreds of times more powerful than those currently available.
Together with PSI’s Muoniverse research initiative, the upgrade should expand opportunities for studying superconducting quantum materials. Guguchia said the developments could open new experimental possibilities for the field.
The paper, “Competing quantum orders in 6R-TaS2 revealed by pressure,” appeared in Nature Communications on 30 April 2026. Its authors are V. Sazgari, J. N. Graham, S. S. Islam, A. Achari, P. Král, O. Gerguri, J. N. Tangermann, J. A. Krieger, H. Gopakumar, G. Simutis, M. Janoschek, M. Bartkowiak, J.-X. Yin, R. Khasanov, H. Luetkens, F. O. von Rohr, R. R. Nair and Z. Guguchia. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-72136-x.
Takeaway: Stronger muon beams will give researchers a sharper view of how pressure changes superconducting quantum materials.
via google.com (Original)
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Correspondent covering money, funding and market shifts around general science news at SciBeat.
292 articles
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