Scientists are closing in on developing a “recipe” for high-temperature superconductivity, according to a report by Science Daily.
Superconductivity is a phenomenon exhibited by certain materials when they are cooled below a certain temperature. Superconductors exhibit exactly zero electrical resistance and expel magnetic flux fields at certain temperatures.
A thorough understanding of high-temperature superconductivity will revolutionize the way we make and use electricity. Marcos Rigol, professor of physics at Penn State University, told reporters that “We want to understand exactly which ingredients are necessary for high-temperature superconductivity, a beautiful quantum phenomenon with potentially important uses.”
Presently, superconducting materials need to be cooled below a critical temperature — hundreds of degrees below the freezing point of water — before they will exhibit superconducting properties. Helium becomes a liquid at such low temperatures, meaning that existing superconducting materials cannot be used in most electronic devices.
“If we can discover all the essential ingredients for superconductivity, we will have the opportunity to design recipes — theoretical models — for making high-temperature superconducting materials that can have a wide range of practical and innovative uses,” Rigol said.
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