image: From left to right, research scientist Sanu Mishra, graduate student Rose Albu Mustaf, and Emilia Morosan.
Credit: Rice University.
Rice University physicist Emilia Morosan is part of an international research collaboration that has been awarded multimillion-dollar funding from The Kavli Foundation to develop and test next-generation superconductors through artificial intelligence and quantum geometry. This global initiative, spearheaded by Päivi Törmä of Aalto University in Finland, seeks to push the boundaries of quantum materials science and superconductivity.
The project includes funding from the Klaus Tschira Foundation and philanthropist Kevin Wells, fueling this ambitious effort to achieve new breakthroughs in quantum geometry in 3D materials. The researchers aim to develop superconductors capable of functioning at unprecedentedly high temperatures while advancing our understanding of the role quantum geometry plays in material design.
Morosan’s team at Rice, including graduate student Rose Albu Mustaf, research scientist Sanu Mishra and postdoctoral student Sajilesh Kunhiparambath, will focus on synthesizing and characterizing new materials as part of the SuperC consortium dedicated to the goal of achieving room-temperature superconductivity by the year 2033.
The promise of room-temperature superconductors
Superconductors hold the potential to revolutionize energy efficiency by transmitting electrical energy without resistance, minimizing energy loss. Current superconductors, however, require extreme cooling to temperatures between minus 150 C and minus 270 C, which offsets their energy efficiency benefits. Room-temperature superconductors could eliminate this hurdle, significantly enhancing energy efficiency in computing and beyond.
Superconductors work by forming Cooper pairs of electrons, enabling resistance-free current flow that contrasts with traditional conductors, where electrical resistance generates heat. Innovations in superconductivity could be transformative, especially as the energy demands of information and communication technologies continue to grow, contributing to global carbon dioxide emissions.
SuperC is addressing the challenge of advancing superconductivity through two groundbreaking approaches. The first, known as flat band superconductivity, involves investigating materials in which electrons are nearly immobile, a condition that enhances electron pairing and has the potential to increase superconducting temperatures — a phenomenon first observed in 2018 in twisted layers of graphene. The second approach employs AI-driven material discovery using machine learning to analyze vast combinations of materials and efficiently predicting those most likely to exhibit high-temperature superconductivity, streamlining the discovery process.
Morosan’s expertise in quantum materials
At the heart of this effort is Morosan’s work on materials design, synthesis and characterization. Her research explores the interplay between crystal structure, magnetism and superconductivity. Her lab employs advanced materials synthesis techniques such as crystal growth from molten fluxes, vapor transport and solid-state reactions coupled with detailed structural and physical property measurements.
“The design of high-temperature superconductors has been slow, primarily due to the extreme conditions — for example, pressure — required to stabilize some of these candidate materials,” said Morosan. “Using quantum geometry in 3D materials is a paradigm shift in the search for practical superconductors which not only have the high critical parameters — temperature, field, current — but also could be fashioned into wires or devices to enable applications.”
Morosan added that magnetism and superconductivity were traditionally thought to be mutually exclusive, but over the past 25 years, evidence has suggested that magnetic interactions could actually promote superconductivity, particularly in certain high-temperature superconductors like those containing copper or iron compounds.
“This research addresses three critical challenges in quantum geometry,” said Jeff Miller, nanoscience program officer at The Kavli Foundation. “We need more theoretical work to guide quantum geometry research, continued experiments in 2D materials like graphene and the discovery and synthesis of 3D materials exhibiting quantum geometry effects.”
Amy Bernard, vice president of science at The Kavli Foundation, emphasized the potential practical implications.
“The concept of quantum geometry could lead to significant advancements in superconductivity and other quantum effects,” Bernard said. “This research could uncover materials that dramatically reduce energy consumption in computationally intensive processes, which have far-reaching implications for addressing sustainability in the long term.”
The collaborative research team includes:
Milan Allan at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
Dmitri Efetov at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
Claudia Felser at Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden, Germany
Harold Hwang at Stanford University, USA
Miguel Marques at Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
Emilia Morosan at Rice University, USA
Priscila Rosa at Los Alamos National Lab, USA
Päivi Törmä at Aalto University, Finland
The Klaus Tschira Foundation
The German foundation Klaus Tschira Stiftung supports natural sciences, mathematics and computer science and the appreciation of these subjects. It was founded in 1995 by physicist and SAP co-founder Klaus Tschira (1940-2015) by private means. Its three priorities are: research, education and science communication. This commitment begins in kindergarten and continues in schools, universities and research institutions throughout Germany. The foundation advocates the dialogue between science and society. Further information at: www.klaus-tschira-stiftung.de
The Kavli Foundation
The Kavli Foundation was established in 2000 by Fred Kavli, a Norwegian-American entrepreneur, to stimulate fundamental research in astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience and theoretical physics and to honor scientific discoveries with The Kavli Prize. Further information at: www.kavlifoundation.org
Kevin Wells
Kevin Wells is a committed environmental leader and science philanthropist. His recent science philanthropy is focused on providing seed funding to incubate new directions in scientific research and includes research projects in fundamental physics, quantum science and condensed matter physics. Wells also serves as executive chair of Environment Now, an activist foundation focused on safeguarding California’s natural environment.