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Nature Materials 7, 350–351 (1 May 2008) | doi:10.1038/nmat2173

Fullerides: Superconductivity at the limit

Thomas T. M. Palstra

Since the discovery in 1991 of superconductivity in doped C60 fullerides, these materials have been considered to be a classical example of superconductors in which the electrons couple in pairs due to electron–phonon interactions, as described by the BCS (Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer) theory. The BCS theory provides analytical relationships between the transition temperature Tc (below which the material is in the superconducting state), the density of states of the electrons, and the vibrational modes.