Electric current in a superconductor is like a crowd running down a frictionless corridor. But in type-II superconductors there are obstacles, tiny vortices of magnetic field, that the current shoves out of place. Once a vortex moves, resistance appears and the current drops. That's why ordinary measurements show a current noticeably below the limit at which superconductivity breaks down.

Scientists came up with a clever way to dodge the vortices: instead of applying a steady current, they send very short pulses — picoseconds long (millionths of a microsecond). In that time, the vortices simply don't have a chance to move; they're too sluggish. The current slips through like a courier darting through a door before it closes.

The other tested material — yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO)—behaved differently: superconductivity broke down gradually rather than abruptly. This is because in YBCO, electrons pair up unevenly in different directions, unlike in niobium nitride. This difference helps us peer into the very nature of superconductivity.

The result promises not only new knowledge but also practical benefits: if superconductors can carry more current, even in short pulses, it could be useful for high-power electronics and energy systems.