Xinyu Liu

A magnetic field of 8 tesla is 200 times stronger than Earth's field. Under such a field, superconductivity in a thin film of palladium ditelluride not only survives but persists down to 20 millikelvin, which is a hundred times colder than outer space. For comparison, a thick film of the same material has a critical field 80 times smaller.

Data zips through optical fibers at the speed of light, but the path isn't perfect: the signal gets muddled, like a voice echoing down a long hallway. The faster the speed and the longer the distance, the worse the distortion. Usually, electronics fix this, but they can't keep up with light.