Guang-Yu Guo

In NaAlSi, as it cools, electrons form fleeting ripples — stripes that appear and vanish, like patterns on water stirred by wind. These stripes intertwine with superconductivity, a state where current flows without resistance. Typically, for this, electrons pair up with uniform binding energy.

Lossless current is the dream of energy technology. Some materials become superconductors, but usually only at extreme cold. Recently, in the family of nickelates, compounds based on nickel, candidates were found that work at higher temperatures.