Superconductivity's Halo: Mapping a Rare High-Field Phase in UTe₂

Posted by Quantum Server Networks • August 2025

Superconductivity Halo in UTe₂

In a rare reversal of physics norms, researchers have uncovered a superconducting "halo" that forms only under extreme magnetic fields—challenging long-held assumptions about how superconductors behave. At the heart of this discovery is uranium ditelluride (UTe₂), a material already known for its unconventional superconductivity, but now revealed to host a mysterious “Lazarus” phase where superconductivity dies and then reemerges at even higher magnetic field strengths.

This fascinating work, published in Science, was led by theoretical physicist Andriy Nevidomskyy from Rice University, in collaboration with experimental teams from the University of Maryland (UMD) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

A Resurrection Under Pressure

In most superconductors, applying a magnetic field suppresses superconductivity, and eventually destroys it entirely beyond a known critical field. But UTe₂ is no ordinary material. Experiments first showed that superconductivity disappears below 10 Tesla, as expected, but then reemerges beyond 40 Tesla—a phenomenon researchers dubbed the Lazarus phase.

This revival happens only when the magnetic field is applied at specific angles relative to the crystal structure, revealing a strange angular dependency. In visual terms, the superconductivity doesn’t just return—it forms a toroidal, donut-shaped “halo” that wraps around the crystal’s b-axis.

Charting the Halo: Theory Meets Experiment

The research team mapped this high-field superconducting state with remarkable precision, revealing that the superconducting phase boundaries shift in 3D depending on the angle and strength of the applied field. Nevidomskyy then constructed a theoretical model that elegantly explained these observations without needing to rely on contentious microscopic assumptions.

Instead, his phenomenological model accounted for the angular dependence by focusing on the intrinsic angular momentum of Cooper pairs—the paired electrons responsible for superconductivity. In UTe₂, these pairs behave like tiny spinning tops, and their orientation with respect to the magnetic field creates the observed halo effect.

The Role of Metamagnetism

A surprising link was also found between the halo and a phenomenon known as the metamagnetic transition—a sudden jump in magnetization that occurs at a critical field strength. The team discovered that superconductivity in the Lazarus phase only appears after this metamagnetic threshold is crossed, and its presence is highly dependent on angle.

This suggests a deep interplay between magnetism and superconductivity in UTe₂. While the exact origin of the metamagnetic behavior remains under debate, Nevidomskyy’s model offers a compelling roadmap for future exploration of strongly anisotropic superconductors.

Why This Matters: A New Quantum Frontier

The findings not only deepen our understanding of high-field superconductivity but also push the boundaries of how materials behave under extreme conditions. The toroidal halo challenges the conventional wisdom that superconductivity and magnetism are mutually exclusive. Instead, it suggests a nuanced relationship—one where direction, symmetry, and intrinsic spin all play critical roles.

These insights could be vital for designing future quantum technologies that require high-field stability, such as next-generation magnets, quantum sensors, or fault-tolerant qubits.

🔗 Read the full article:
https://phys.org/news/2025-08-superconductivity-halo-theoretical-physicist-rare.html

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#Superconductivity #QuantumMaterials #UraniumDitelluride #UTe2 #Magnetism #HighFieldPhysics #LazarusPhase #CooperPairs #MetamagneticTransition #QuantumResearch #CondensedMatter #Science2025 #QuantumServerNetworks #PWmat

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