Previous attempts to create superconducting behavior in semiconductors such as germanium and silicon struggled due to the challenge of maintaining atomic structure with appropriate conduction properties. In the latest research, scientists applied molecular beam epitaxy to introduce high levels of gallium atoms into the germanium crystal lattice. This method created thin layers with precise atomic composition and structural stability, enabling the emergence of superconductivity at 3.5 Kelvin.
"Establishing superconductivity in germanium, which is already widely used in computer chips and fiber optics, can potentially revolutionize scores of consumer products and industrial technologies," said Javad Shabani, director of NYU's Center of Quantum Information Physics and the university's Quantum Institute.
"These materials could underpin future quantum circuits, sensors, and low-power cryogenic electronics, all of which need clean interfaces between superconducting and semiconducting regions," added Peter Jacobson, a physicist at the University of Queensland. "Germanium is already a workhorse material for advanced semiconductor technologies, so by showing it can also become superconducting under controlled growth conditions there's now potential for scalable, foundry-ready quantum devices."
The success relied on substituting germanium atoms with gallium atoms, which slightly altered the crystal's shape yet retained electrical stability. Previous doping methods using gallium led to instability and inhibited superconductivity, but the adopted epitaxy approach overcame this limitation. Advanced X-ray studies confirmed the stable structure and zero-resistance behavior.
"Rather than ion implantation, molecular beam epitaxy was used to precisely incorporate gallium atoms into the germanium's crystal lattice," noted Julian Steele, University of Queensland. "Using epitaxy - growing thin crystal layers - means we can finally achieve the structural precision needed to understand and control how superconductivity emerges in these materials."
"This works because group IV elements don't naturally superconduct under normal conditions, but modifying their crystal structure enables the formation of electron pairings that allow superconductivity," said Shabani.
Research Report:Superconductivity in substitutional Ga-hyperdoped Ge epitaxial thin films
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