Science

Researchers find two distinct superconducting states in ultrathin materials

A study of niobium diselenide and tantalum disulfide reveals a hidden, highly coordinated "duet" of superconducting orders.

Updated Aug 31, 2026 · 15:30 UTC1 reports

The short version

Physicists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem discovered that two ultrathin superconducting materials, previously thought to have a single superconducting state, actually contain two strongly interacting states working in tandem.
The discovery resolves long-standing experimental discrepancies that traditional single-state theories could not explain, including how the materials behave under magnetic fields.
Researchers suggest that thicker, bulk versions of these materials could contain even more complex interactions, potentially involving three superconducting orders.

Using highly sensitive tunneling spectroscopy, researchers analyzed the ultrathin superconductors niobium diselenide and tantalum disulfide.[ScienceDaily]
The study, published in Physical Review Letters, was led by researchers Shahar Simon, Maya Klang, Oded Millo, and Hadar Steinberg at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.[ScienceDaily]
The team found that the materials involve two separate, strongly interacting superconducting orders rather than a single energy gap.[ScienceDaily]
The findings explain previous experimental puzzles regarding the precise shape of the superconducting energy spectrum and behavior under magnetic fields.[ScienceDaily]

The researchers' model indicates that thicker, bulk forms of niobium diselenide may contain three interacting superconducting orders, though this requires further experimental validation.[ScienceDaily]