ILL D20's neutron beam yields important clues to the unconventional origins of superconductivity

Iron-based superconductors contain layers of iron and a pnictogen - such as arsenic or phosphorus - or a chalcogen, like oxygen or selenium. Previously dismissed eas weak candidates for superconductivity, iron-based superconductors took the science community by surprise when it was discovered that the new iron arsenide family had very high transition temperatures. Since then these high-temperature superconductors have become a hot topic of research, with neutrons and muons playing an essential r...