science
Picosecond pulses probe superconductors’ intrinsic current limits
A study used roughly 2-ps electrical pulses to probe intrinsic current limits in thin films of NbN and YBa₂Cu₃O₇. NbN showed a sharp depairing onset at about 2.2 times its conventional critical current density, while YBa₂Cu₃O₇ lost superconductivity gradually as current increased.