Iron selenide film reveals clues about superconductivityThrough their study of two-dimensional iron

Iron selenide film reveals clues about superconductivity

Through their study of two-dimensional iron selenide (FeSe) films, a research team has unlocked some intriguing clues about superconductivity.

Superconductors—materials that can transport electrons with no resistance—are a quantum phenomenon with numerous applications. They have fascinated physicists and engineers since their discovery more than 100 years ago, but the mechanisms of modern superconductors are still not fully understood and remain one of the most active areas of research in quantum materials.

Since it was discovered in 2012, FeSe in its three-atoms-thick monolayer form has received much attention from researchers for its unusual superconductive properties. In bulk form, it becomes a superconductor at 8 Kelvin, or -265 Celsius. As a monolayer, though, it starts superconducting at about 70 Kelvin, or 203 degrees below zero—still very chilly, but moving in the right direction. In a collaboration with the University of British Columbia, Yale researchers shed some light on behavior of electrons in this system, which could prove to be key to understanding superconductivity itself. The results are published in Nature Communications.

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