The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor

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7 Aug 2023

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A New Era of Superconductivity? 🚀

Superconductivity is one of the most fascinating and elusive phenomena in physics. It is the ability of some materials to conduct electricity without any resistance, meaning they can transfer energy with perfect efficiency. This has enormous implications for many fields of science and technology, such as transportation, medicine, computing, and energy. Imagine having a laptop that never overheats, a train that levitates above the tracks, a scanner that can see inside your body, or a power grid that never loses power.

However, there is a catch. Most superconductors only work at extremely low temperatures, close to absolute zero (-273 °C), or under very high pressures, which are difficult and expensive to achieve and maintain. For decades, scientists have been searching for a superconductor that can work at room temperature (around 20 °C) and normal pressure, which would make it much more practical and accessible. But despite many attempts and claims, none have been verified or accepted by the scientific community.

Until now, perhaps. A recent paper by a team of physicists from South Korea has caused a sensation in the world of superconductivity. They claim to have synthesized a new material called LK-99, which has a modified lead-apatite structure, that exhibits superconductivity at temperatures above 400 K (127 °C) and ambient pressure. If confirmed, this would be the first-ever room-temperature ambient-pressure superconductor in history.

Photo Wikimedia Commons

How did they make it? 🔥

The researchers say that they created LK-99 by using a chemical approach to induce tiny structural distortions in the material. They replaced some of the lead ions in the lead-apatite structure with copper ions, which caused a slight volume shrinkage (0.48%) and generated stress. This stress transferred to the cylindrical columns of lead ions in the structure, resulting in distortions at the interfaces between the columns and the phosphate network. These distortions created superconducting quantum wells (SQWs) in the interfaces, which are regions where electrons can move freely and form Cooper pairs, the essential ingredient for superconductivity.

The researchers tested their material using various methods, such as measuring the critical temperature (Tc), the zero-resistivity, the critical current (Ic), the critical magnetic field (Hc), and the Meissner effect. The Meissner effect is when a superconductor expels all magnetic fields from its interior when cooled below its Tc, making it levitate above a magnet. The researchers observed all these phenomena in their material, confirming its superconducting nature.

Why is this important? 💥

If verified by other scientists, this discovery could have huge implications for many fields of science and technology. A room-temperature ambient-pressure superconductor could enable more efficient and powerful devices, such as electric grids, motors, generators, transformers, sensors, MRI machines, and more. It could also pave the way for new innovations, such as quantum computing, quantum cryptography, quantum metrology, and quantum communication. Moreover, it could help us understand the fundamental physics of superconductivity better and explore new phenomena and states of matter.

However, before we get too excited, we should also be cautious and skeptical about this claim. The paper has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a reputable journal, which means it has not been scrutinized by other experts in the field. There may be errors or flaws in the methods or results that could invalidate or weaken the claim. There may also be alternative explanations or interpretations that could challenge the claim. Therefore, we should wait for more evidence and confirmation from independent sources before we accept this claim as true.

What do others say? 🗣️

Since the paper was posted on arXiv, an online repository for preprints of scientific papers, on July 22nd, 2023, it has attracted a lot of attention and debate from the scientific community and the public. Some have expressed excitement and optimism about the discovery, while others have raised doubts and criticisms about its validity. Some have even tried to replicate the results using their own methods and equipment.

So far, two research teams from China have claimed to have informally confirmed some aspects of the superconductivity claims. One team from Tsinghua University posted a video on YouTube showing their LK-99 sample levitating above a magnet at room temperature. Another team from Zhejiang University posted a preprint on arXiv showing their LK-99 sample exhibiting zero resistivity at temperatures up to 373 K (100 °C). However, these claims are also preliminary and need further verification.

On the other hand, some researchers have pointed out potential problems or inconsistencies with the original paper. For example, some have questioned the accuracy and reliability of the measurements and the instruments used by the Korean team. Others have suggested that the material may not be a true superconductor, but rather a metal with very low resistance or a composite with superconducting impurities. Some have also criticized the lack of details and explanations in the paper, such as the chemical composition, the synthesis process, and the theoretical model.

What do you think? 🤔
What are your thoughts on this discovery? Do you think it is real or not? How would you use a room-temperature ambient-pressure superconductor if you had one? Share your opinions and ideas in the comments below!💬👇

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📚 Sources:

(1) Has The Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor Been Replicated? | The Deep Dive.
(2) What is room-temperature superconductor? All you need to know about LK-99 | Moneycontrol.
(3) Room-Temperature Superconductor: Finally a Thing? Maybe… | Electropages.
(4) The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor | arXiv.
(5) Superconductor Breakthrough Findings Replicated, Twice, in Preliminary ... | Tom's Hardware.
(6) Room-temperature superconductor - Wikipedia | Wikipedia.
(7) undefined | DOI.

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