Superconductors are already strange: cool them enough and electricity can flow with virtually zero resistance, meaning almost no energy is wasted as heat. But there’s a rarer, more coveted class of superconductor that physicists have chased for decades—one that could change quantum computers from fragile lab toys into stable machines you can actually scale.
It’s called a triplet superconductor, and a team linked to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) says they may have seen strong signs of one in an alloy made from two rare metals: niobium and rhenium (NbRe).
If the finding holds up, it’s not just “another cool material.” It’s a potential new foundation for spin-based quantum tech and ultra-efficient computing.
First: what makes a triplet superconductor so special?
Most “normal” superconductors are what physicists call singlet superconductors. The superconducting state is carried by paired electrons (Cooper pairs), and in singlets the two electrons have opposite spins, so the pair’s total spin cancels out.
That gives you a superpower: charge current with no resistance.
But triplet superconductors are different. Their Cooper pairs carry net spin. That sounds like a technical detail—until you realize what it unlocks:
- Charge current with zero resistance (already amazing)
- Spin current with zero resistance (the holy grail part)
Spin is a fundamental property of electrons and a key ingredient in spintronics—a field that aims to store and process information using spin instead of (or alongside) charge. If you can move spin without losses, you can build devices that are faster, more stable, and dramatically more energy efficient.
And for quantum computing, where tiny instabilities can wreck delicate quantum states, the ability to work with spin in a superconducting, low-noise environment is especially attractive.
What the researchers found in NbRe
The claim isn’t “we’ve proved it beyond doubt.” It’s more cautious—but still exciting:
- The alloy NbRe shows behavior the researchers say is inconsistent with conventional singlet superconductivity.
- Their measurements suggest the superconducting state is triplet-like, meaning it can support spin-carrying superconducting pairs.
- The work was done with experimental collaborators in Italy, and the team says independent verification by other groups is still essential.
In short: NbRe didn’t behave like it “should” if it were a normal superconductor—and that “wrongness” might be exactly what researchers have been hoping to see for years.
Why NbRe stands out: it superconducts at a relatively “high” temperature (for this niche)
Here’s a fun superconductivity paradox: what counts as “high temperature” can still be brutally cold.
The team says NbRe superconducts at about 7 Kelvin—around -266°C, just a few degrees above absolute zero.
That sounds extreme (and it is), but in the world of candidate triplet superconductors, it’s actually more practical than many rivals, some of which require temperatures closer to 1 Kelvin. If you’re trying to build real devices, that difference matters: it’s the gap between “heroic lab setup” and “hard but feasible engineering.”
Why triplet superconductors could help quantum computing
Quantum computers struggle with a core enemy: instability. Qubits are notoriously sensitive. Noise, heat, tiny electromagnetic disturbances—everything wants to collapse a quantum state into an ordinary one.
Triplet superconductors are exciting because they could enable new ways to build and connect quantum components:
- More stable quantum operations by leveraging spin-carrying superconducting states
- Lower energy loss (less heat = less noise)
- New device concepts that combine superconductivity and spintronics, potentially improving how information is controlled and moved around a quantum system
Think of it like upgrading the “wiring” and “interconnects” of quantum machines—not just making qubits, but making the entire system behave more predictably.
The big caveat: this has to be verified
The researchers themselves stress that it’s too early to declare final victory. In superconductivity—especially rare forms—confirmation is everything:
- Other labs need to reproduce the effect.
- Additional tests are required to rule out alternative explanations.
- The physics community will want strong, converging evidence from multiple measurement approaches.
That’s the right kind of caution. “Triplet superconductor discovered” is a claim the field won’t accept lightly—because if it’s real, it’s a major step forward.
What happens next
If NbRe really is an intrinsic triplet superconductor, the next wave of research will likely focus on:
- Independent replication by multiple experimental groups
- Deeper characterization of how robust the triplet behavior is (and under what conditions)
- Device prototypes that test whether the material delivers practical advantages in spintronics and quantum components
- Materials exploration to see whether similar alloys (or related crystal structures) produce even stronger triplet behavior—possibly at higher temperatures
Bottom line
Most “breakthrough” headlines fade because they don’t change what’s buildable. A verified triplet superconductor is different: it would expand what engineers can realistically design—especially in quantum and spin-based technologies where stability and efficiency are everything.
