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Researchers at MIT have discovered that rhombohedral graphene can host multiple superconducting states simultaneously, with some states becoming stronger under magnetic fields. This finding is significant for advanced carbon materials as it reveals new possibilities for manipulating graphene's superconducting properties, which could impact quantum computing and other technologies relying on superconductivity.

Researchers at MIT, the University of Basel, Florida State University and Japan's National Institute for Materials Science report unconventional superconducting states in rhombohedral multilayer graphene that are enhanced rather than destroyed by magnetic fields.

MIT researchers published a study in Nature finding that rhombohedral graphene, a naturally occurring stacked structure within ordinary graphite, hosts at least four distinct superconducting states, three of which persist under magnetic fields up to 9 tesla and one of which strengthens under a perpendicular magnetic field. The findings expand understanding of graphene's electronic behavior, reinforcing its relevance as a platform for discovering unconventional quantum phenomena in carbon-based materials.