2024’s Superconductivity Revolution: Breaking the Rules of Physics

In a groundbreaking year for physics, 2024 brought the discovery of superconductivity in three distinct materials, with one revelation defying long-held scientific assumptions. Harvard physicist Ashvin Vishwanath, who was not involved in the research, described the third discovery as “an extremely unusual form of superconductivity that a lot of people would have said is not possible.”

Since its initial discovery in 1911 by Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, superconductivity—the frictionless flow of electric current—has perplexed and inspired scientists. The phenomenon typically emerges when electrons pair up, a feat seemingly at odds with their natural tendency to repel one another. These pairs, known as Cooper pairs, move without resistance, enabling technologies like MRI machines and particle accelerators.

This year’s discoveries all stemmed from the manipulation of two-dimensional materials—atomic-thin sheets with unprecedented tunability. At the University of Washington, physicist Matthew Yankowitz remarked, “It seems to be, in materials, that superconductivity is everywhere.”

Columbia researchers confirmed superconductivity in a twisted 2D material, a feat hinted at in 2020. Meanwhile, Cornell scientists unveiled a completely novel type of superconductivity using a different approach, starting with an insulating material. But perhaps the most astonishing finding came from MIT: a form of superconductivity that strengthens in the presence of a magnetic field—a scenario previously deemed impossible.

Physicists now believe that electrons pair in diverse ways, reshaping our understanding of superconductivity and hinting at transformative technologies like lossless power grids and magnetic levitation. As researchers forge ahead, one thing is clear: the science of superconductivity is entering an exhilarating new era.