MIT Physicists Say 'Anyons' Solve the Impossible: Superconductivity and Magnetism Coexisting

Exotic quasiparticles that aren't quite bosons or fermions may explain a phenomenon that should be physically impossible.

For generations of physicists, one rule was sacred: superconductivity and magnetism cannot coexist. Magnetic fields destroy the electron pairing that makes superconductivity possible. It's like saying fire and ice can occupy the same space. Except two separate experiments in 2025 proved they can — and MIT physicists believe they finally understand why.

The answer involves "anyons," exotic quasiparticles that aren't quite bosons or fermions — the two fundamental particle types that make up everything we know. Anyons, first observed in 2D electron gases, can "splinter" from electrons under specific conditions. The MIT theory proposes that these anyons can form a supercurrent and flow without resistance even in the presence of magnetism, creating a completely new form of superconductivity.

Key Evidence

• Two independent experiments observed superconductivity in magnetic materials (rhombohedral graphene and MoTe2)
• MIT theoretical model published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
• The model explains both experimental results through a unified anyonic mechanism
• Predicts specific observable signatures for future experimental validation

The Rational Explanation

The anyon theory is elegant but remains a theoretical framework awaiting definitive experimental confirmation. Many beautiful theories don't survive contact with real experiments.

What We Don't Know

Whether the anyon mechanism is the correct explanation, and whether non-abelian anyons — the holy grail for quantum computing — can be experimentally realised in these systems. The hunt for smoking-gun evidence continues.

The Rabbit Hole

This connects to the long-sought goal of topological quantum computing. If anyons can be controlled in a lab, they could form the basis of qubits that are inherently immune to decoherence — the biggest barrier to practical quantum computers.