PRESS RELEASE
Key points
- Development of microscopic analytical technology for visualizing special forces acting on electrons at micrometer resolution
- Application to a quantum material "high-temperature superconductor," a leading candidate for next-generation devices
- More advanced analytical techniques can be established by achieving even higher spatial resolution at Synchrotron Radiation Facility, NanoTerasu
Summary
Dr. Hideaki Iwasawa, Senior Principal Researcher at Synchrotron Radiation Research Center of the Kansai Institute for Photon Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (hereinafter "QST") and his colleagues, in collaboration with Professor Kenya Shimada at Hiroshima Synchrotron Radiation Center of Hiroshima University, have successfully developed a microscopic analytical technique capable of visualizing special forces acting on electrons (the strength of the quantum many-body effect 2), which is one of the essential keys for emer functional manifestation of quantum materials1), with an accuracy of 1/1000 millimeters.
The fascinating properties of quantum materials (For example, high-temperature superconductivity3) ) hold significant promise for ultra-energy-saving and high-performance next-generation devices. These properties are manifested through the quantum many-body effect. To advance the development of next-generation devices that utilize and control this effect, it is essnential to perform detailed investigattions on the strength of the quantum many-body effect in the microdomain. However, previous measurement and analytical technologies, employing light with low directionality and low brightness, struggled to collect and irradiate light with sufficient intensity in the microdomain. Even if higher spatial resolution is achieved, the observation signal then becomes insufficient, limiting observations to millimeter-sized scales. In this endeavor, we employed laser light with high directionality and high brightness and a lens system with high concentration efficiency. This approach allows us to greatly enhance the observation signal while improving spatial resolution. Furthermore, by developing the microscopic analytical technique, we successfully visualized the strength of the quantum many-body effect in high-temperature superconductors at a micrometer resolution.
This technology can attain higher spatial resolution by utilizing a smaller light source with higher brightness. Currently, QST is in the process of constructing and developing NanoTerasu 4), a world-class synchrotron radiation facility for sharing with a wide range of researchers from industry and academia through a public-private regional partnership. By integrating this technology with the high-brightness, micro-beam-size soft X-ray synchrotron radiation5) available at Synchrotron Radiation Facility NanoTerasu, QST is expected to significantly advance research and development in quantum materials for next-generation devices, such as phononics and spintronics6).
This research was published online on December 20, 2023 (U.S. local time) in Physical Review Research, an international journal published by the American Physical Society.
Glossary
1)Quantum Materials
By controlling quanta such as electrons and spins, materials and materials can exhibit quantum functions with higher performance (energy saving, high-speed operation, etc.) than conventional semiconductors and electronics.
2)Quantum many-body effect
This refers to the effect of the interaction between a large number of quanta, as abundant as Avogadro's constant (6×1023), and is considered an essential factor for the development of intriguing phenomena such as superconductivity and metal-insulator transition. In the macroscopic world beyond the scale of an atom, distinctions between water (matter) and waves (states) are clear. Conversely, in the microscopic world as small as an atom, such distinctions become challenging, leading to the emergence of a special entity known as a "quantum", which combines the properties of particles (matter) and waves (states). The electron is a representative quantum, and the quantum many-body effect significantly influences the motion of an electron.
3)High-temperature superconductivity, cuprate high-temperature superconductor
Superconductivity is a phenomenon where the electrical resistance becomes zero at extremely low temperatures. This property is utilized in practical applications like linear motor cars and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment. However, traditional superconductivity, observed in simple metals and alloys, occurs only at extremely low temperatures (below -240 °C). Iin contrast, high-temperature superconductivity exhibits this phenomena above the liquid nitrogen temperature (-196 °C), making it more suitable for industrial applications. The copper oxide high-temperature superconductors, called cuprates, were the first materials in which high-temperature superconductivity was discovered. Since then, they have been extensively studied worldwide for over 37 years. However, the specific mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity remains unclear.
4)Synchrotron Radiation Facility, NanoTerasu
The official name of this facility is 3GeV synchrotron radiation facility, with “NanoTerasu” serving as its nickname.
5)Soft X-ray synchrotron radiation
Synchrotron radiation is a highly directional and powerful electromagnetic wave generated when electrons are accelerated to nearly the speed of light, and their trajectory is bent by an electromagnet. Soft X-ray synchrotron radiation refers to synchrotron radiation within the wavelength range of approximately 0.1 nm to several 10 nm. This form of radiation exhibists a strong interaction with matter, making it particularly well-suited for detailed observation of the chemical and electronic states of matter.
6)Phonocnis, Spintronics
Conventional electronics, such as semiconductors and electronic components, rely solely on the electric charge of electrons. In contrast, phononics, which utilizes phonons, and spintronics, which leverages the spin of electrons, are anticipated to be next-generation electronics with improved energy efficiency and information transmission.
Paper
Phys. Rev. Research 5, 043266 (2023) – Published 20 December 2023
“Quantitative measure of correlation strength among intertwined many-body interactions”
Hideaki Iwasawa, Tetsuro Ueno, Yoshiyuki Yoshida, Hiroshi Eisaki, Yoshihiro Aiura, Kenya Shimada
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.043266