Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter in Germany have made a significant discovery in the manipulation of quantum materials using laser drives. By tuning the light source to 10 THz, they were able to create a long-lived superconducting-like state in a fullerene-based material (K3C60) using laser light, while reducing the pulse intensity by a factor of 100.

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 the interest in this field. “The nonlinear response of materials and the amplification of electronic properties like superconductivity are fascinating areas of research,” he said. “The resonance frequency identified in this study can help us understand which excitations are important for this effect in K3C60.”

Edward Rowe, a Ph.D. student working with Cavalleri, also noted that a light source with a higher repetition rate at the 10 THz frequency may help sustain the metastable state longer, potentially leading to continuous sustenance of superconducting-like states. This discovery has implications for understanding the underlying microscopic mechanism of photo-induced superconductivity and could provide insight into ways to amplify electronic properties in materials.