Hidden structural patchwork found inside cuprate superconductors

Researchers at the University of Warwick and ESRF used scanning 3D X-ray diffraction to show that cuprate superconductors are not uniform inside but contain patches of two atomic arrangements. The boundaries between them are hundreds of times wider than expected and may suppress superconductivity, challenging 40 years of theory.

• 3D diffraction reveals two atomic arrangements inside cuprate crystals
• Domain walls are hundreds of times wider than expected
• Wide transition zones may work against superconductivity
• Study published in Physical Review Letters using upgraded ESRF