Tech Beat

A unique superconductor
Ytterbium exhibits a special property known as quantum criticality in its natural state.

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Key concepts A new superconductor known as YBAL exhibits a special property known as quantum criticality. YBAL displays quantum criticality in its natural state which is unusual for superconductors. The researchers used experimental data to pinpoint the position of the quantum critical point in YBALs phase diagram.

s those in the lubricant industry struggle to minimize friction, there is one class of materials that has already reached this goal known as superconductors. They are generally metallic alloys that conduct electricity without the dissipation of any heat. This phenomenon occurs at low temperatures as electrons move through the material without friction. The result is that power loss is effectively eliminated. Piers Coleman, professor of physics and astronomy at Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J., says, Classic metals form a Fermi liquid named after the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi. It is a kind of incompressible quantum mechanical fluid in which the electrons are very individualistic, and none of them like to move at the same velocity or occupy the same space as others. Coleman continues, Superconductivity was first discovered 100 years ago when mercury was cooled to a critical temperature at which friction-to-electron motion vanished altogether. In a superconductor, electrons develop a new type of behavior, where they all move together in the same direction in a similar manner to a flock of birds. When they move collectively, they do so without dissipation (friction). Another important feature is that the collective flow of electrons in a superconducting material leads to the expulsion of magnetic fields from its interior. It is this property that leads to the levitation of superconductors in a magnetic fielda property of vital importance in the development of the Maglev train. Coleman indicates that many low-temperature superconductors were discovered in the past century, but in the late 1980s a new class of superconductors that develop the property at higher temperatures was discovered. These materials, of the copper oxide family, hold the current record of the superconducting transition temperature of 135 K at ambient pressure. Recently, a new class of iron-based, hightemperature superconductors was discovered, and the search for novel superconducting materials continues.

The collective flow of electrons in a superconducting material can lead to the expulsion of magnetic fields from its interior.
A previous TLT article focuses on opportunities for these high-temperature superconductors (HTS).1 Included is the use of HTS in such applications as military power systems, electric vehicles and generation systems.

Quantum Critical Point

One of the issues facing researchers is to explain how materials can be made superconducting. A recent study of a new superconductor based on the element ytterbium (Yb) has led to better understanding of these materials and may also reveal an exotic new phase of matter realized at low temperatures.
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Most metals need to be tuned in order to reach a quantum critical point.

From their analysis, Coleman and Nevidomskyy conSuperconductivity in this material, known as beta-YbAlB4 cluded that the quantum critical point in YBAL must lie (YBAL), occurs at very low temperature (below 0.1 K), yet it within a hairs breadth of zero magnetic field. This critical is hoped that understanding the mechanism of superconducpoint cannot be observed directly since it is obscured by the tivity will help shed light on the origin of this phenomenon superconductivity but is reflected in the magnetic properties in technologically important HTS materials. of this superconductor. Coleman and his associate, AnNevidomskyy likens this finding driy Nevidomskyy (now assistant to determining the location of a black professor of physics and astronomy hole in space. He says, A black hole at Rice University in Houston), in space cannot be observed by direct working with colleagues from the means because light cannot escape University of Tokyo, have deterfrom it. But its location can be determined that YBAL exhibits a special mined due to the gravitational pull it property known as quantum criticalexerts on neighboring stars. Just as ity. At a quantum critical point, elecblack holes form a singulatory in trons no longer follow the classic space-time, YBAL exhibits a singular Fermi liquid rules but instead exhibbehavior at a quantum critical point it a new type of strange metal bein its phase diagram. havior that is not well understood at The finding of an intrinsic quanpresent. Quantum critical metals tum criticality in YBAL may be sugshow a marked tendency to develop gestive of a new phase of matter superconductivity and, for this reaknown as the critical strange metal son, they are of great interest. phase. The existence of a critical At the heart of the teams finding, phase rather than a critical point has is the unconventional quantum critibeen debated for years by physicists, cality in YBAL at ambient pressure Figure 2 | BAL, a new superconductor which according to Coleman. and zero magnetic field. Nevidomdisplays a special property known as quanFuture work that may shed light skyy explains, Most metals need to tum criticality at ambient pressure and zero on this issue will involve learning be tuned in order to reach a quantum magnetic field. (Courtesy of Science/AAAS) more about the properties of YBAL critical point. Typically, this step is through analysis of this material unachieved by exposure to high magder applied pressure. Additional information can be obtained netic fields and pressures or adding chemical impurities. in a recent article2 or by contacting Carl Blesch of Rutgers YBAL is unusual because this superconductors quantum critical point occurs in its natural state without any tuning. University at cblesch@ur.rutgers.edu. The structure of YBAL is furnished in Figure 2. Ytterbium atoms are shown in purple, aluminum atoms are in green, and boron atoms are gray. Coleman and Nevidomskyy are very surprised by their References finding. Coleman says, We have found a material that is in1. Kohanloo, B. (2009), Why Superconductivity=Super Optrinsically quantum critical with very simple behavior. This portunity, TLT, 65 (9), pp. 3438. is puzzling because there is nothing simple about the materials structure. Nevidomskyy adds, Typically, one would 2. Matsumoto, Y., Nakatsuji, S., Kuga, K., Karaki, Y., Horie, N., need to turn an experimental knob in order to reach quanShimura, Y., Sakakibara, T., Nevidomskyy, A. and Coleman, P. tum criticality in a material. For YBAL, we did not need to do (2011), Quantum Criticality Without Tuning in the Mixed Valence Compound Beta-YbAlB4, Science, 331 (6015), pp. anything. 316319. YBAL was synthesized by the University of Tokyo researchers, who also generated a considerable amount of data measuring the materials response to the magnetic field. Theoretical physicists Coleman and Neivodmskyy took this data and conducted computational analyses over a wide range of Neil Canter heads his own consulting company, temperatures and magnetic field strengths to pinpoint the Chemical Solutions, in Willow Grove, Pa. position of the quantum critical point in the materials phase Ideas for Tech Beat items can be submitted to diagram. him at neilcanter@comcast.net.
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