Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism

Superconductivity and magnetism sit at opposite ends of a classical competition in condensed matter physics, yet in materials like the cuprate oxides they coexist and interact in ways that remain only partially understood decades after the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity. Researchers probe these systems using a combination of electronic structure calculations, quantum Monte Carlo simulations, and dynamical mean-field theory to understand how electrons pair and move without resistance at temperatures far above what conventional theory predicts. A central unresolved question is the precise pairing mechanism in cuprates — whether electron–phonon coupling, magnetic fluctuations, or some interplay of both drives the transition — while proximity effects at superconductor–ferromagnet interfaces open parallel questions about how competing orders influence each other at nanoscale boundaries. Answering these questions would not only clarify the microscopic physics of valence-bond and strongly correlated ground states, but also point toward designing materials with even higher critical temperatures.

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278,865

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Keywords

High-Temperature SuperconductivityCuprate SuperconductorsDynamical Mean-Field TheoryProximity EffectsQuantum Monte CarloElectronic Structure Calculations