A team of engineers and physicists from the Southern University of Science and Technology in China has created a nickel-based material that behaves as a superconductor above the previously established threshold of -233°C (40 K) under normal pressure. This breakthrough marks a significant step towards achieving room-temperature superconductivity, which could revolutionize various technologies.
Currently, high-temperature superconductors are primarily based on copper and iron compounds. However, nickelate superconductors require high-pressure conditions to function. The newly discovered high-temperature nickelate superconductor was achieved through experiments with epitaxially grown bilayer nickelate thin films.
The research team substituted a portion of lanthanum with praseodymium in the nickelate structure and found that it transitioned to a superconductor at approximately -228°C. This development is likely to open the door to other possibilities, including the exploration of new materials and understanding why some materials can transition into superconductors.
The potential applications of this discovery are vast, including advancements in maglev trains, fusion reactors, and MRI machine components. The ability to achieve superconductivity without costly and complex cooling systems could significantly reduce energy loss due to heat conversion in electrical transmission, leading to dramatic improvements in efficiency and cost reduction.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-02-nickel-superconductor-233c-threshold-pressure.html