Researchers find evidence of 'quantum critical point' in high temperature superconductivity material
(Phys.org) -- In the seemingly never ending search for a superconductor that can operate at or near room temperature, researchers have discovered a lot of things about superconductors in general. One of these is that there appears to be two classes of them - those materials that only take on their superconductive properties when exposed to an environment just a few degrees above absolute zero, and those that do the same at somewhat higher temperatures. Those in the latter group are said to have high critical-temperature superconductivity (Tc). Unfortunately, researchers have made little progress in understanding how such materials are able to do what they do. Now, new research by a team of Japanese, British and American researchers has found that at least one of these Tc materials likely has a quantum critical point (QCP), which if true, would go a long way towards explaining why some materials are able...