Terahertz microscope reveals the motion of superconducting electrons

MIT scientists developed a terahertz microscope that compresses terahertz light down to microscopic dimensions, allowing them to resolve quantum details in materials that were previously inaccessible. They used the microscope to observe a frictionless 'superfluid' of superconducting electrons in BSCCO, a material that superconducts at relatively high temperatures. This new microscope can help scientists understand properties that could lead to room-temperature superconductors and identify materials that emit and receive terahertz radiation for future wireless communications.