A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter in Germany have made a groundbreaking discovery in the manipulation of quantum materials using laser drives. By adjusting the light source to 10 THz, the researchers were able to create a long-lasting superconducting-like state in a fullerene-based material (K3C60) using laser light, while reducing the pulse intensity by a factor of 100.

The team was able to directly observe this light-induced state at room temperature for 100 picoseconds and predict that it has a lifetime of at least 0.5 nanoseconds. This discovery has significant implications for understanding the underlying microscopic mechanism of photo-induced superconductivity and could provide insight into the amplification of electronic properties in materials.

Andrea Cavalleri, founding director of the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, as well as a physics professor at the University of Hamburg and the University of Oxford, explained why this research is particularly interesting. The nonlinear response of materials can lead to amplification effects like superconductivity, which is why researchers are exploring this area further. The resonance frequency identified in this study can help theoretical physicists understand which excitations are important for this effect in K3C60.

Edward Rowe, a Ph.D. student working with Cavalleri, also noted that a higher repetition rate at the 10 THz frequency may help sustain metastable states longer, potentially leading to continuous sustenance of superconducting-like states in other materials. This research has significant potential to advance our understanding of quantum materials and their properties.

In summary, a group of researchers from Germany have discovered that by tuning light sources to 10 THz frequency and reducing pulse intensity by a factor of 100, they were able to create long-lived superconducting-like states in fullerene-based materials like K3C60 using laser light while observing them directly at room temperature for up to 100 picoseconds with a predicted lifetime over 0.5 nanoseconds.

This discovery has significant implications for understanding photo-induced superconductivity’s microscopic mechanism and could provide insights into electronic property amplification mechanisms like superconductivity’s nonlinear response.

Furthermore, high repetition rates at 10 THz may sustain metastable states longer and potentially pave the way towards continuous sustenance of superconducting-like states in other materials.

This research represents an exciting step forward in our understanding