"MIT Physicists Uncover New Superconductor Switch"
MIT and Argonne scientists have discovered that iron selenide (FeSe) reaches the superconductive state through orbital polarization, not spin polarization like other iron-based superconductors. The discovery opens up a new door to discovering unconventional superconductors and optimizing chalcogenide superconductors for better performance. The team hopes to discover a continuum of materials that go between spin and orbital nematicity, which could enable superconducting at even warmer temperatures, clearing the way for practical applications.