Air-stable, ultrathin superconductors developed for more scalable quantum devices
Super-thin superconducting materials, which are only one or a few atoms thick, have unique properties scientists can leverage to produce more compact, scalable, and efficient quantum devices. But these fragile materials degrade so rapidly in air that they are difficult to study or manufacture.
Scientists have developed a method to create large, stable areas of ultrathin superconductors that can operate in air. These one-atom thick materials, such as niobium diselenide, have promising applications in quantum devices due to their high kinetic inductance, which allows them to store significant energy in a small space. However, conventional methods for manufacturing these superconductors degrade the material when exposed to air, making it difficult to produce them on a large scale.
MIT researchers discovered a way to grow niobium diselenide underneath a layer of graphene, which protects the material from oxidation while guiding its growth into a smooth, wafer-sized layer. This innovation enables the creation of large-area, air-stable superconductors that maintain their superconducting properties even when tested in circuits.
The researchers envision that this breakthrough could lead to more compact and efficient quantum computing hardware and advanced quantum detectors for various applications, such as communications and cosmology.
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