High-temperature superconductivity in iron-based materials

TL;DR

This review summarizes recent progress in understanding high-temperature superconductivity in iron-based materials, focusing on experimental benchmarks, the role of magnetism, and unresolved questions about pairing mechanisms.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of experimental findings and highlights key open questions in the field of iron-based high-temperature superconductors.

Findings

Superconductivity observed up to 55 K in iron-based materials

Unconventional pairing mechanisms are likely involved

Major experimental benchmarks have been established

Abstract

The surprising discovery of superconductivity in layered iron-based materials, with transition temperatures climbing as high as 55 K, has lead to thousands of publications on this subject over the past two years. While there is general consensus on the unconventional nature of the Cooper pairing state of these systems, several central questions remain - including the role of magnetism, the nature of chemical and structural tuning, and the resultant pairing symmetry - and the search for universal properties and principles continues. Here we review the progress of research on iron-based superconducting materials, highlighting the major experimental benchmarks that have been so far reached and the important questions that remain to be conclusively answered.