MIT researchers present clear evidence of unconventional superconductivity in magic-angle twisted trilayer graphene (MATTG) by measuring a sharp, V-shaped superconducting gap using a novel combined tunneling and transport platform that observes the gap in real time as superconductivity emerges.

The new experimental setup merges electron tunneling with electrical transport, enabling unambiguous identification of the superconducting gap only when zero resistance is achieved.

Looking ahead, the platform will be applied to other twisted 2D structures to uncover the mechanisms behind superconductivity and guide the design of novel quantum materials, potentially moving toward room-temperature superconductivity.

Funding and support for the study came from multiple U.S. government agencies and foundations, including the U.S. Army Research Office, the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the NSF, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

The Science paper is led by Pablo Jarillo-Herrero of MIT, with Shuwen Sun as co-lead and Jeong Min Park as co-lead, and includes collaborators from Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science.

Co-lead authors include Shuwen Sun and Jeong Min Park, Ph.D. 2024, with collaboration from Kenji Watanabe and Takashi Taniguchi of NIMS; the study highlights joint efforts across MIT and NIMS.

Reference details note the article titled “Experimental evidence for nodal superconducting gap in moiré graphene,” published November 6, 2025 in Science, with funding from multiple U.S. agencies and foundations.

The broader context emphasizes the field of twistronics, the allure of room-temperature superconductivity, and the ongoing quest to realize superconductivity at near-room temperatures.

The findings suggest electrons in MATTG pair through a mechanism dominated by electronic interactions rather than lattice vibrations, pointing to a potential path toward room-temperature superconductivity through the design of quantum materials.

These observations indicate the pairing in MATTG may arise from strong electronic interactions, implying a distinct pairing mechanism and symmetry in this material.