We just found superconductivity in a brand new type of magnet that we didn't even know could do that.
April 2, 2026
Original Paper
Emergent superconductivity at 16.3 K in an altermagnetic candidate Na$_{2-x}$V$_2$Se$_2$O with broken inversion symmetry
arXiv · 2604.00838
The Takeaway
Magnetism and superconductivity are usually rivals, as magnetic fields typically destroy the zero-resistance state. This discovery in 'altermagnets'—a type of matter with zero net magnetism but magnetic properties—proves the two can coexist, opening a new path for high-speed quantum electronics.
From the abstract
Altermagnets (AMs), characterized by zero net magnetization and momentum-dependent spin splitting, are anticipated to hold significant potential for generating multiple exotic and uncommon superconducting states. However, superconductivity has not yet been realized in AMs to date. Recently, two-dimensional (2D) V$_2$Ch$_2$O (Ch = Se, Te) monolayers, as well as AV$_2$Ch$_2$O (A = K, Rb, Cs) crystals containing [V$_2$Ch$_2$O]$^{\delta -}$ building layers, have been predicted and/or demonstrated to