A group of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter in Germany have made a groundbreaking discovery in the manipulation of quantum materials using laser drives. By tuning the light source to 10 THz, they were able to create a long-lived superconducting-like state in a fullerene-based material (K3C60) using laser light, while reducing the pulse intensity by a factor of 100.
The researchers were able to directly observe this light-induced state at room temperature for 100 picoseconds, and predict that it has a lifetime of at least 0.5 nanoseconds. This discovery has significant implications for understanding the underlying microscopic mechanism of photo-induced superconductivity and could provide insight into the amplification of electronic properties in materials.
Andrea Cavalleri, founding director of the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter and physics professor at both the University of Hamburg and Oxford, explained why researchers are interested in nonlinear responses in materials and how they can be used to amplify electronic properties like superconductivity. The resonance frequency identified in this study is crucial for understanding which excitations are important for photo-induced superconductivity in K3C60.
Edward Rowe, a Ph.D. student working with Cavalleri, also noted that using a higher repetition rate at the 10 THz frequency could help sustain the metastable state longer, potentially leading to continuous sustenance of superconducting-like states in materials. This research has tremendous potential to advance our understanding of quantum materials and their properties.
In summary, researchers at Max Planck Institute have discovered that by tuning laser drives to 10 THz, they can create long-lived superconducting-like states in fullerene-based materials like K3C60 while reducing pulse intensity by a factor of 100. Their findings have implications for understanding photo-induced superconductivity and amplifying electronic properties like superconductivity in materials.