The Action "Interplay between High-Temperature Superconductivity, Magnetism and Composition in Doped Cuprates" (SUMAC for short) aims at unraveling the origin of high-temperature superconductivity - one of the greatest unsolved problems in physics. Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity without any resistance and therefore without energy loss: superconductors could be seen as the most efficient means of energy transport. As a result, these materials exhibit great potential for many applications, for example in the energy, IT and transport sectors. While this could make a large impact for society, there is a major challenge to overcome: no superconductivity has been observed at room temperature, under normal atmospheric conditions, greatly limiting its potential. In fact, the origin of superconductivity is not yet fully understood. Cuprates are a particular class of superconductors, with their unique crystal structure, and these materials are the topic of this Action. It is well-known that the superconducting properties of cuprates are affected by their composition and doping. However, there is also ample evidence that the magnetic properties of cuprates are correlated to the superconducting properties, but a true understanding remains. Therefore, the main research question of SUMAC is: does the superconducting mechanism has its origin in the magnetic properties of the material? The objectives of SUMAC are to (1) synthesize cuprates (powders, pellets and crystals) with various chemical compositions and doping, and to (2) determine the superconducting and magnetic properties of the synthesized compounds. Neutron scattering plays an important role in this action, as it is the go-to technique to study both the static and dynamic magnetic properties of compounds, that are suspected to play a large role to the superconducting properties.
