Exploring superconductivity under strong coupling with the vacuum electromagnetic field

Strong light-matter interactions have generated considerable interest as a means to manipulate material properties. Here, we explore this possibility with the molecular superconductor Rb3C60 under vibrational strong coupling (VSC) to surface plasmon polaritons. By placing the superconductor-surface plasmon system in a SQUID magnetometer, we find that the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) increases from 30 to 45 K at normal pressures under VSC, displaying a well-defined Meissner effect. A simple theoretical framework is provided to understand these results based on an enhancement of the electron-phonon coupling. This proof-of-principle study opens a new tool box to not only modify superconducting…

• CI
  Centre International de Recherche aux Frontières de la Chimie
• E
  Equipex
• AN
  Agence Nationale de la Recherche

  Awards: ANR-11-LABX-0058NIE, ANR-10-IDEX-, ANR-10-IDEX-0002, ANR-10-LABX-0026, 10-LABX-0026, ANR-10-IDEX, ANR-10-LABX-0026CSC, ANR-18-QUAN-0005, ANR-18-QUAN-0005-01, 10-IDEX-0002-02, ANR-18, ANR-10-LABX-0026 CSC, ANR-10, ANR-11-LABX-0058, ANR-10-EQPX-52, ANR-11-LABX-0058 NIE, ANR-10-EQPX, ANR-10-EQPX-52-01, ANR-10-IDEX-0002-02
• CS
  China Scholarship Council
• LD
  Laboratoires d'excellence Nanostructures en Interaction avec leur Environnement

  Awards: ANR-11-LABX-0058 NIE, ANR-10-IDEX-0002-02
• Q
  QuantERA
• H2
  Horizon 2020 Framework Programme

  Award: 753228
• ER
  European Research Council

  Award: 788482