High-temperature superconductors are the potential heroes of accessible electrical advancement. Discovered in 1911 by Dutch Physicist Heike Kammarlingh-Onnes at 4.2 K, superconductors have gradually become more studied and advanced throughout the 20th century, and breakthroughs appear to be on the horizon.
Superconductors are materials that can pass an electrical current without any loss or resistance. As high school science class teaches, gold, silver, copper, and aluminum are all known to be good conductors, but they all resist them, resulting in a loss of electrical current. In 1986, J. G. Bednorz and K. A. Müller discovered that the superconducting state can exist in oxides at temperatures above 30 K. This was a huge discovery, as previously superconductors were not known to exist at such high temperatures. Thus the high-temperature superconductor was born: a superconductor existing at above 30 K. Superconductors are usually classified as either type-1 or type-2 based on their intrinsic properties. Some of these such properties are magnetic λ and ξ.
Room temperature superconductors operate at temperatures very close to 0 degrees celsius, which makes them much more feasible than regular superconductors, which work at about 138 K. At the moment what scientists face with making superconductor energy available to the greater public is that superconductors can only exist under extreme temperatures or extreme pressure. Additionally, the temperature or the pressure must be sustained in order for the superconductor to operate for a prolonged period of time. In order to make this energy accessible, superconductivity must be able to be accessed at mundane temperatures and pressures, without the need for extreme environments.
The most recent developments in superconductors are yttrium and hydrogen, which superconduct at close to room temperatures. By near room temperature that means -11 Celsius. Additionally, yttrium and hydrogen operate at substantially lower pressures than were previously required.
Superconductivity is where we must go if we wish for a sustainable and energy efficient future. Given superconductors do not emit greenhouse gasses, the widespread use of them could enable a more climate conscious and viable future for energy. Additionally, superconductors could impact the globe, as it would make clean energy accessible to all corners of the earth. Superconductors would cause an energy efficient revolution, as well as a technological revolution. Levitated trains and other modes of transportation as well as quantum computers are just two of the benefits that could arise from superconductors being used extensively.
Through use of computers and more research, superconductivity under mundane environments can become feasible. When this does happen, superconductivity will be able to revolutionize our technology and way of living. Additionally, superconductors being used around the world would help to stabilize climate change, providing a much needed alternative to fossil fuels. The only question is how long will it take to find a solution to create superconductivity in mundane environments.Therefore, scientists who are working towards a room temperature superconductor without extreme pressure are scientists who are working towards a goal that will change this world forever.
- Mabel Carrol
Sources:
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2021/07/07/how-close-are-we-to-the-holy-grail-of-room-temperature-superconductors/
- https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/01/high-temperature-superconductors-with-a-twist/
- https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6668/abde88/pdf
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-48933-9_50
- http://lib.ysu.am/articles_art/8a8990f37ab5e99d390c760af3172116.pdf
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