Indian Scientists Find Rule-Breaking Superconductor

Scientists at IISER Bhopal have discovered a superconductor that breaks the rules of physics. The material, called YbSb2, is a type-I superconductor that breaks time-reversal symmetry. That behaviour was thought impossible in type-I materials. The findings were published in Physical Review Letters. The team was led by researcher Anshu Kataria. They grew pure crystals of YbSb2 and cooled them near absolute zero. Using muon probes, they detected tiny magnetic fields appearing inside the material. Those fields should not exist if time-reversal symmetry held. The discovery could open new paths in quantum computing research. Time-reversal symmetry breaking is linked to exotic quantum states. The research involved IIT Kanpur and the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source in the UK. It is a major moment for Indian physics on the world stage. The team now plans follow-up experiments to probe the material’s quantum properties in more depth. The paper is open access for other researchers.
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