Superconductivity in Symmetry-Broken and Low-Dimensional Systems

Superconductivity (SC) has been widely studied since its discovery in 1911 by Kammerlingh Onnes in Leiden; it describes the phenomenon where the resistance of a material drops to zero when temperature is reduced below a critical value. This fundamental quantum state enables a variety of important applications like loss-less transport of electricity over long distances, generation of very large magnetic fields used in magnetically levitating trains, and, maybe most promising of all, real-world use of quantum information processing in quantum computing. Indeed, the investigation and application of superconducting phenomena have formed a centerpiece in solid state physics research, as there remain many unexplained fundamental questions relating to superconductivity and many quantum technologies on the near horizon depend on superconducting elements. Specifically, the advent of low-dimensional superconducting devices in which fundamental symmetries of nature can be controllably broken has led to the emergence of three exciting sub-fields of research into superconductivity and novel superconducting devices:

• The superconducting diode effect
• Gate Tuning of superconductors
• Layered systems and two-dimensional superconductivity

All three of these sub-fields have had “breakthrough” results in the last few years, including some works specifically by the organizers of this workshop as well as by the invitees. Also, all three sub-fields have led to a significant rise in research popularity with hundreds of studies following the breakthrough works in just a couple of years, which is partly because these sub-fields are hoped to herald a new era of superconducting technologies. However, they are all still in their infancy and most importantly, their interconnectivities are yet to be explored. How related are their origins? Are their wholistic explanations? What can we learn about the fundamentals of superconductivity from looking at them together? Can the effects be combined? What devices and technologies can be enabled by them? What are the most  important directions to investigate over the next 5 - 10 years? These are the questions and challenges this highly timely workshop will address, being the first of its kind, allowing the forerunners of these fields meet each other and exchange knowledge and ideas with an aim to mesh contemporary understanding and establish the overarching challenges and outstanding questions in the field. The workshop will not only help establish the research lines of the next decade, but also forge new national and international collaborations.

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