A research group in Japan found a new compound H5S2 that shows a new superconductivity phase on computer simulation. Further theoretical and experimental research based on H5S2 predicted by this group will lead to the clarification of the mechanism behind high-temperature superconductivity, which takes place in hydrogen sulfide .
Superconductivity is the total disappearance of electrical resistance when an object is cooled below a definite temperature. If superconductor is used for electric wire, it becomes possible to carry electricity without loss. That's why superconductivity has been drawing attention as an important physical phenomenon for solving environmental and energy problems.
However, the superconducting critical temperature, the temperature at which superconductivity takes place, is so low that its practical realization is difficult. Last year, a striking news came out that H2S broke the record for superconducting critical temperature under high-pressure. However, the chemical composition ratio of sulfur and hydrogen and the crystal structure during the process in which superconductivity takes place have not been well understood.
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