Scientists boost superconductivity using quantum vacuum fluctuations

Researchers at USTC demonstrated for the first time that quantum vacuum fluctuations can strengthen superconductivity: placing NbSe2 in a terahertz dark cavity raised its critical temperature by up to 5.4%. The study, published in Nature, involved MIT and SJTU.

• Critical temperature of NbSe2 rose by up to 5.4% in a six-layer device
• Enhancement peaked at a specific cavity frequency, showing resonance
• The effect works without driving the material with external energy
• Collaboration included Changgan Zeng, Frank Wilczek and other researchers