International research team develops a new semiconductor type with superconducting potential — advancing applications from quantum technology to space exploration
Without semiconductors like silicon and germanium, much of modern life would come to a standstill. These materials are called “semi”-conductors because they conduct electricity only under certain conditions — a property that can be precisely controlled and harnessed for countless electronic functions. Semiconductors form the backbone of modern technologies, from microchips and LEDs to solar cells.
For decades, scientists have sought to combine semiconductors with superconductors, materials that can conduct electric current without resistance when cooled to extremely low temperatures. Such a breakthrough could make existing technologies faster and far more efficient, while enabling revolutionary advances in emerging fields, such as quantum computing. Potential applications range from rapid, targeted drug and materials discovery to unhackable communication systems and smarter, greener transportation networks.
However, uniting semiconductors and superconductors has proven to be a significant challenge, as they rely on fundamentally different atomic structures.
Breakthrough: A superconducting form of germanium
Now, an international team of researchers may have achieved a breakthrough, as reported in Nature Nanotechnology. According to the scientists, they have succeeded in creating a superconducting form of germanium. The key lies in doping — the deliberate introduction of foreign atoms to alter a material’s electrical properties. In this case, the researchers infused germanium with gallium atoms.
Advanced X-ray techniques enable a new atomic bond
Normally, adding large amounts of gallium destabilizes the germanium crystal lattice, the team explains in a statement from
. To overcome this, they employed an innovative method based on state-of-the-art X-ray technology. This approach allowed an unusually high concentration of germanium atoms to be replaced by gallium while maintaining the crystal’s structural integrity.
The result was remarkable: through the precise arrangement of gallium atoms, the researchers created a narrow electronic band that enables superconductivity at –269.5 °C.
A pathway to scalable quantum and cryogenic technologies
According to study co-author Peter Jacobson, a physicist at the University of Queensland, this invention could transform technologies that require seamless transitions between semiconducting and superconducting regions. On this foundation, it may become possible to manufacture scalable, factory-ready quantum devices such as circuits and sensors. Another promising field of application is cryogenic electronics, which operate at extremely low temperatures and are vital to space research and particle accelerators.
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