Scientists in South Korea have begun developing a room-temperature, ambient-pressure superconductor, if new claims are to be believed. The claim is published in a paper on the arXiv pre-publish server and has yet to be proofed and verified.
If it proves true, the new superconductor will literally revolutionize the current state of our technological world. It’s a very big claim, though, and it’s an achievement that scientists have been trying for decades to achieve.
Typically, superconductors need to be cooled down to extreme temperatures to keep them running smoothly. That’s because these objects are meant to transmit electricity without any resistance, providing a series of magnetic properties that make them extremely valuable to various applications.
However, the material needs to hit a specific temperature if it’s going to be superconductive. Typically this temperature is very low, however, this new room-temperature superconductor can reportedly reach superconductivity at a temperature of 127 degrees Celsius (261 F). If true, that means it could be employed in all environments worldwide. However, it still needs to be confirmed.
The material is known as LK-99, and if it is proven as claimed, it won’t be the first room-temperature superconductor. However, it will be the first that doesn’t require a massive amount of pressure to keep it working correctly. The research also breaks down the critical current, the lack of electrical resistance, and even the critical magnetic field in the material.
All that is left to do now is wait and see how the research plays out and whether or not these claims prove to be true. If they do, then it is very likely that we will see some additional advances coming forward that will help rocket it forward even more. We’ve seen previous claims about superconductor breakthroughs in the bid to make a room-temperature superconductor, but this is the first time we’ve even come close to seeing it proven and ready to go.
