Revealing the superconducting limit of twisted bilayer graphene
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Graphene is a simple material containing only a single layer of carbon atoms, but when two sheets of it are stacked together and offset at a slight angle, this twisted bilayer material produces numerous intriguing effects, notably superconductivity.
Now Cornell researchers are making headway into understanding how the material achieves this state by identifying its highest achievable superconducting temperature—60 Kelvin. The finding is mathematically exact, a rare feat in the field, and is spurring new insights into the factors that fundamentally control superconductivity.
"Looking ahead, this paves the way for understanding what are the possible degrees of freedom that one should try to control and optimize in order to enhance the tendency towards superconductivity in these two-dimensional material platforms," said Debanjan Chowdhury, the Joyce A. Yelencsics Rosevear '65 and Frederick M. Rosevear '64 Assistant Professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S).
