Photographer: Bild: Chalmers tekniska högskola / Riccardo Arpaia

Superconductors, which can conduct electricity without energy loss, are seen as a key technology for reducing the growing energy consumption of digital systems. However, their wider adoption has been limited by technical challenges, including the need for extremely low operating temperatures and sensitivity to magnetic fields.

Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a new approach that could help overcome these barriers. Their findings suggest that superconductivity can be maintained at higher temperatures while also remaining stable under strong magnetic fields.

Tackling key limitations

Digital devices, data centres and ICT networks already account for an estimated 6 to 12 percent of global electricity use. As demand continues to rise, improving energy efficiency has become a priority across industries.

Superconductors offer a potential solution, as they eliminate energy losses that typically occur as heat in conventional electronics. However, most superconducting materials require temperatures of around –200°C, making them costly and complex to operate. In addition, strong magnetic fields—common in advanced electronics and quantum systems—can disrupt superconductivity.

“These limitations have kept superconductors largely confined to laboratory environments,” the researchers note.

A new approach: engineering the substrate

Instead of modifying the chemical composition of materials, the Chalmers team focused on the structure of the surface on which the superconducting material is grown.

“By sculpting the surface that the superconductor rests on, we were able to induce superconductivity at significantly higher temperatures than previously possible,” says Floriana Lombardi, Professor of Quantum Device Physics at Chalmers and lead author of the study.

The researchers used an ultrathin copper-oxide material from the cuprate family. By introducing nanoscale patterns—tiny ridges and valleys—on the substrate, they were able to influence how the superconducting layer forms and behaves.

Nanoscale changes, major impact

The patterned surface created a favourable electronic environment at the interface between the substrate and the superconducting film. This helped stabilise superconductivity even under challenging conditions.

“By changing the surface design of the substrate, we could guide how the atoms in the superconducting layer settle and preserve their properties at higher temperatures and under strong magnetic fields,” says Eric Wahlberg of RISE Research Institutes of Sweden.

The findings highlight how small structural changes at the nanoscale can significantly affect material performance.

Towards practical applications

The study introduces a new design principle for superconductors: instead of searching for entirely new materials, performance can be enhanced through structural engineering.

According to the researchers, this could accelerate the development of practical superconducting technologies for energy-efficient electronics, power systems and quantum devices.

“This shows that very small changes at the nanoscale can have decisive effects and may unlock the full potential of superconductivity in future electronics,” Lombardi says.

The research was published in the journal Nature Communications.