Discovered a century ago, superconductivity promises to drastically improve storage and memory devices, create highly sensitive sensors, and make energy transmission cheaper. The challenge now is that the highest temperature superconducting material – demonstrated 25 years ago by IBM Research scientists – is liquid nitrogen, which superconducts at 77 Kelvin (-321F). This Nobel Prize-winning discovery still stands as the highest temperature superconductivity proven and recorded, but scientists worldwide are after higher temperature superconductors.
“A superconducting wire the diameter of your thumb could carry as much power, more efficiently, than a copper cable the thickness of your arm,” said Kevin Roche, a scientist at IBM Research – Almaden.
Following the principles of physics demonstrated by Mueller and Bednorz in 1987, plus techniques derived from investigating spintronics – the study of electron spin across and between carefully arranged materials – IBM researchers, led by IBM Fellow Stuart Parkin, believe they are on the path to discover synthetic materials that will superconduct at room-temperature (297K or 75F).
Following the principles of physics demonstrated by Mueller and Bednorz in 1987, plus techniques derived from investigating spintronics – the study of electron spin across and between carefully arranged materials – IBM researchers, led by IBM Fellow Stuart Parkin, believe they are on the path to discover synthetic materials that will superconduct at room-temperature (297K or 75F).
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