Nature Physics, Published online: 08 October 2026; doi:10.1038/s41567-026-03477-z
Picosecond current pulses can propagate with zero resistance far above the conventionally defined critical current values in type-II superconductors. Such pulses have now revealed the onset of resistive transport at a higher current threshold in the s-wave superconductor NbN, associated with Cooper-pair depairing. By contrast, a gradual suppression of superconductivity is observed in YBa2Cu3O7, reflecting the d-wave nature of its superconducting state.
