Zero-field diode effect as a constraint on cuprate superconductivity mechanisms
Phys. Rev. B 114, 094517 – Published 26 August, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/gphc-9lhn
Abstract
We present measurements demonstrating that copper-oxide high-temperature superconductors can exhibit broken time-reversal symmetry in the absence of external magnetic fields. Using microbridges, we observe a pronounced superconducting diode effect at 100 K under strictly zero-field conditions. This nonreciprocal response remains unchanged in magnetic fields up to Oe. Our results are consistent with recent reports of zero-field diode behavior in and together they indicate that time-reversal symmetry breaking may be an intrinsic property of the cuprate superconducting state. These findings provide an additional experimental constraint on theoretical descriptions of high-temperature superconductivity and motivate further investigations of possible time-reversal-symmetry-breaking phenomena in cuprates.