Imaging the Meissner effect in hydride superconductors using quantum sensors. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38418887/)

These scientists wanted to study how materials behave under very high pressure, which can help us understand things like superconductors and other geophysical phenomena. They used a special tool called a diamond anvil cell to apply really high pressure to a material called CeH, which is a type of superconductor. Inside the diamond anvil cell, they implanted tiny color centers made of nitrogen-vacancy to help them measure the magnetic properties of the material at these extreme pressures.

By using this technique, they were able to see that the CeH material showed signs of superconductivity, which means it can conduct electricity without any resistance. They were also able to see the patterns of magnetic response and how the superconducting regions were distributed within the material. This study helps us understand how superconductors work under such high pressures and can help scientists improve the way they make these materials in the future.

Bhattacharyya P., Chen W., Huang X., Chatterjee S., Huang B., Kobrin B., Lyu Y., Smart TJ., Block M., Wang E., Wang Z., Wu W., Hsieh S., Ma H., Mandyam S., Chen B., Davis E., Geballe ZM., Zu C., Struzhkin V., Jeanloz R., Moore JE., Cui T., Galli G., Halperin BI., Laumann CR., Yao NY. Imaging the Meissner effect in hydride superconductors using quantum sensors. Nature. 2024 Feb 28. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07026-7.