Strontium Ruthenate (IMAGE)
Caption
Scientists patterned thin films of strontium ruthenate -- a metallic superconductor containing strontium, ruthenium, and oxygen -- into the 'sunbeam' configuration seen above. They arranged a total of 36 lines radially in 10-degree increments to cover the entire range from 0 to 360 degrees. On each bar, electrical current flows from I+ to I-. They measured the voltages vertically along the lines (between gold contacts 1-3, 2-4, 3-5, and 4-6) and horizontally across them (1-2, 3-4, 5-6). Their measurements revealed that electrons in strontium ruthenate flow in a preferred direction unexpected from the crystal lattice structure.
Credit
Brookhaven National Laboratory
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