Hydrogen sulfide, the molecule that gives rotten eggs their gag-inducing smell, can perfectly conduct electricity at the highest temperature so far. But exactly why the stinky compound is "superconductive" has baffled physicists.
Now, in a theoretical study published in Nature, a team of researchers at the University of the Basque Country and the University of Cambridge unravelled some of the mystery. Quantum physics coupled with a special ordering of the molecules at high pressure are behind the record-breaking superconductivity.
It’s a step towards understanding why superconductors allow electrons to whiz through without losing any energy. And it’s a boost to the quest for a room temperature superconductor – one of the ultimate goals of modern materials science.
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