A new type of metallic state of matter has been discovered by an international team of researchers studying a superconductor made from carbon-60 molecules or "buckyballs". The team found the new state after changing the distance between neighbouring buckyballs by doping the material with tiny amounts of rubidium. The study reveals that the material has a rich combination of insulating, magnetic, metallic and superconducting phases – including the hitherto unknown state, which the researchers have dub a "Jahn–Teller metal".
Led by Kosmas Prassides of Tokohu University in Japan, the study provides important clues about how the interplay between the electronic structure of the molecules and their spacing within the lattice can strengthen interactions between electrons that cause superconductivity. As well as providing further insights into superconductivity, the research could result in the development of new molecular materials that are superconductors at even higher temperatures.
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