Enhanced superconductivity in nanowires
Superconducting wires are used in modern devices ranging from magnetic resonance imaging machines, high-speed magnetic-levitation trains, and microwave filters for cell-phone base stations. Eventually, ultra-narrow superconducting wires might be used in the nation's power grid to carry electricity long distances with minimal loss.
Now, researchers in Alexey's Bezryadin's group, including former group members Tony Bollinger (BNL) and Andrey Rogachev (U. Utah), have discovered an unusual phenomenon in which ultra-narrow wires show enhanced superconductivity when exposed to strong magnetic fields. Paul Goldbart's group has taken the experimental data and developed a theory to explain it. Read more...