Picosecond Current Pulses Expose the Hidden Depairing Limit in Superconductors
Probing picosecond depairing currents in type-II superconductors
Physicists have long sought to measure the depairing current density Jc*, the fundamental limit where Cooper pairs break, but vortex motion and heating obscure it. Using picosecond electrical pulses, researchers froze vortices and directly observed depairing in both s-wave NbN and d-wave YBCO. At 6.5 times the conventional critical current, the superconducting response vanished, revealing an intrinsic material limit that could guide faster superconducting electronics.
The core idea is that, within picosecond timescales, the penetration of vortices is inertially frozen near the edges, as their speed is intrinsically limited to tens of nanometres per picosecond.
- hakken306
Found a much more readable summary for people who aren't already physics grad students, but have some minor knowledge of superconductors.
https://www.cui-advanced.uni-hamburg.de/en/research/wissensc...
- pixelpoet
I use mathematical jargon all the time, but I gotta admit, getting major Turbo Encabulator[0] vibes here :D
- oliculipolicula
"Insiders" (ahem why does OP think this is interesting ) chip in on the following and others? They could also be standard, but I an likely much more wrong about how interesting they are?
1) frequency upconverted light with BBO generates photocurrents (But it doesn't seem like the measurement itself is "quantum-enhanced"? As I understand it the process generates entangled photon pairs?)
2)etching gold with very mild chemicals (KI would be a health supplement after your nuclear apocalypse. YBCO in your cup of phosphoric acid doesn't seem so bad either)