A research team claims to have developed a superconductive material capable of conducting electricity without resistance at room temperature and standard atmospheric pressure.
South Korean scientists have made the remarkable announcement of a room-temperature superconductor capable of working under ambient pressure; a goal that has eluded scientists since the early 20th century. This would mean the material conducts electricity with perfect efficiency at room temperature.
If true, it's a remarkable scientific achievement. And if the claim stands up to rigorous scrutiny, it could be a potential game-changer for the energy, transportation, communications, and healthcare sectors.
Known as LK-99, or modified lead-apatite, the material was originally revealed in a paper uploaded to arXiv, which means it is yet to undergo formal peer review. So far, two papers related to LK-99 have been published on arXiv, with one previous study appearing in the Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology in April.
According to the researchers, LK-99 is a material synthesized relatively easily and could revolutionize the usage of superconductors. The new material's ability to "superconduct" is credited to the behavior of its electrons. When LK-99 achieves superconductivity, the electrons pair up and flow freely, avoiding energy loss. The researchers attribute this to the stress generated by copper atoms on the lead, a stress that is not relieved by the material's unique structure.
As reported by The Independent, an ambient temperature and pressure superconductor could drastically reduce energy losses in global electrical transmission. For example, 100 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity is wasted due to transmission losses in the U.S. (estimated at 5% of all power produced); as Alex Kaplan points out, that's equivalent to three of the biggest nuclear reactors running 24/7. Furthermore, the material could be synthesized within 34 hours using simple equipment and would have revolutionary implications for industries ranging from nuclear fusion to quantum computing.
In addition to less electrical grid waste, here are a few more use cases: Cheaper MRI scans. More powerful computer chips that consume less energy and produce less waste heat (i.e. quantum computers). Less energy and cooling required for particle accelerators and fusion generators. Or even batteries that could charge in seconds.
The study was led by a team from the Quantum Energy Research Centre, including Sukbae Lee and Ji-Hoon Kim, along with Young-Wan Kwon from KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology. Notably, Lee had previously withdrawn a patent for a phase-transitional material in 2011.
Let's dig into the details below.
A superconductor is a material that allows electricity to flow through it with zero resistance. This is due to a quantum phenomenon known as Cooper pairing, where electrons pair up and move together through the material.
As materials with no electrical resistance and the ability to repel magnetic fields, superconductors are integral to various technologies, like ultra-high-powered magnets and the efficiency optimization of electrical circuits. Their practicality, however, has been limited due to the extreme conditions necessary for their operation.
The potential implications of this development are far-reaching and could fundamentally transform our approach to energy consumption and transmission. Superconductors hold the potential to revolutionize energy usage in electronics and have a range of applications, from medical imaging to power generation and transportation.
Despite over a hundred years of research, scientists have only been successful in creating superconductors under extreme conditions, typically involving extremely low temperatures or extremely high pressures.
Interestingly, this new announcement by Kim's team claims they've developed a room-temperature, atmospheric-pressure superconductor, overcoming the long-standing limitations of today's superconductors, which require low temperatures and high pressure.
Since a superconductor is a material that conducts electricity with zero resistance, it means electricity can flow through it without any loss of energy due to resistance. A room-temperature superconductor would be a material that can achieve this state without the need for extreme cooling, making it much more practical for use in a variety of applications.
Superconductors have historically needed extremely cold conditions to function. LK-99, though, operates at a critical temperature of 127°C (261°F), meaning it could function across all terrestrial environments.
As QuantumInsider explains, the team of South Korean scientists posited that the secret to LK-99's superconducting properties lies in a minuscule structural distortion, a product of a marginal volume reduction of 0.48%. The researchers detailed that this distortion results from substituting Cu2+ ions for Pb2+(2) ions within the insulating framework of Pb(2)-phosphate, thereby generating an internal stress factor.
This induced stress subsequently propagates to Pb(1) within the cylindrical column, leading to a consequent distortion of the column interface. The team asserted that this distinctive phenomenon culminates in the formation of superconducting quantum wells (SQWs) within the said interface, which are integral to the superconducting capabilities of LK-99.
What this means in layman's terms is that the material can superconduct at normal temperatures and pressures is because of a tiny alteration in its structure. This change is caused by a small reduction in its volume, which is achieved by swapping out certain charged particles (ions) within the material.
This swapping of ions causes internal stress that leads to a distortion in part of the material's structure. This distortion, in turn, creates what the scientists refer to as "superconducting quantum wells" — essentially, regions within the material where the superconductivity happens.
As one Redditor pointed out, the paper included detailed, step-by-step instructions on reproducing their superconductor, which "seems extraordinarily simple with only a 925 degree furnace required. This should be verified quickly, right?"
Per the Redditor donthaveacao, "Reproduction should be possible by any lab with a furnace, so shouldn’t we expect verification quickly? They literally just put lanarkite and copper phosphide in a vacuum tube and turned the temperature up."
The team has gathered additional proof for this explanation by measuring how the material's ability to store heat changes — and these measurements support the LK-99's ability to remain superconductive under normal conditions.
The team also conducted tests in the presence of a magnetic field, observing the expulsion of the field by LK-99 within certain temperature ranges – a signature feature of superconductors known as the Meissner effect.
Their video demonstrated that a piece of LK-99 levitated above a magnet, although only one edge fully lifted, which Kim attributed to sample imperfections. It's pretty cool - check it out!
Superconductor materials come in a variety of forms, from metals like aluminum and copper (and more recently, iron) to ceramics like Yttrium-barium-copper-oxide (YBCO). These materials must be cooled to very low temperatures, typically below -100°C, in order to achieve superconductivity.
LK-99, the supposed new superconductive material, is a complex material based on a lead apatite-like structure, specifically a copper-substituted lead phosphate. The primary elements that make up LK-99, as per the given information, are Lead (Pb), Copper (Cu), Phosphorus (P), and Oxygen (O).
Developing LK-99 involved combining powdered compounds of lead, oxygen, sulfur, and phosphorus and subjecting them to intense heat for several hours. The resultant dark grey solid exhibited some intriguing properties, including the ability to conduct electricity with almost no resistance up to 105°C (221°F).
That's why this advancement, if validated, is so exciting: creating materials that can achieve this state at higher temperatures brings us closer to the elusive room temperature superconductor.
The scientific community remains doubtful. Although social media buzz has framed this as a monumental breakthrough, the scientific community's response has been largely dismissive. Susannah Speller and Chris Grovenor from the University of Oxford pointed out to New Scientist that the lack of clear data pertaining to magnetic field response and heat capacity measurements would render it premature to declare this a superconductivity breakthrough.
Similar skepticism has been voiced by other experts who questioned the validity of the results and pointed out possible procedural errors and imperfections in the LK-99 sample. The theoretical models used by Kim's team to explain the unusual superconductive properties of LK-99 have also been contested.
And previous claims of room-temperature superconductivity have ultimately disappointed, a fact that underscores the need for cautious optimism surrounding the latest findings. Ranga Dias, one of the scientists who previously claimed to get closest to a room-temperature superconductor, had two of his papers revoked due to data fabrication.
Regardless, Kim remains optimistic and encourages further validation efforts from the scientific community. He claims that peer-reviewed publication is in the pipeline and pledges to support anyone wanting to replicate their work. Kim and his colleagues continue their efforts to refine LK-99 and pave the way for mass production of this potential superconductor.
The development of room-temperature superconductivity could herald a new age of technological revolution. From unprecedented energy efficiency to transformative applications in transportation, power transmission, grid-scale storage, and quantum computing, the potential is broad. Indeed, the current constraints of quantum computing, such as the need for ultra-low temperatures to minimize noise, could be addressed with room-temperature superconductors.
The researchers themselves have posited that LK-99 could have a broad array of applications, from magnets, motors, cables, levitation trains, power cables, quantum computer qubits to terahertz antennas. They believe their work may mark a new era for humanity, but only time and rigorous scientific examination will reveal the true potential of LK-99.
The findings are yet to be independently verified and the scientific community will need to replicate the experiments and results to confirm their validity. Extensive studies to understand the fundamental mechanisms of room-temperature superconductivity in LK-99 are also needed, along with an evaluation of the stability and longevity of the superconducting state.
And potential real-world applications will require an examination of scalability and manufacturability, including the cost, availability, and environmental impact of the materials used in LK-99's synthesis.
Interestingly, as one Twitter (or should we say X?) user shared, the team produced two papers: one of which had only three researchers on it. That's the maximum of names allowed to be considered for a Nobel prize. The researchers are staking their reputation on this effort, and early signs indicate they're fairly confident. It'll be exciting to see if the peer reviews validate their work!
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