Researchers have discovered how pressure can unlock hidden superconducting properties in a complex quantum material.

Applying intense pressure to an unusual quantum material can transform how it conducts electricity, allowing superconductivity to spread throughout its three-dimensional structure at temperatures roughly three times higher than normal. Researchers also found a sevenfold increase in the number of electrons participating in superconductivity.

The discovery comes from a team led by Zurab Guguchia at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, provide new insight into how superconductivity might be strengthened and eventually achieved under more practical conditions.