China’s new nickel superconductor works above threshold of -387°F at normal pressure
The material transitioned into a superconducting state at about -228 degrees Celsius.
Physicists in China report the creation of a new nickel-based high-temperature superconductor at room pressure.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that this development comes from researchers at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China. For this, the team created a nickel oxide thin film.
Reportedly, this nickel-based superconductor can achieve superconductivity above -233°C (minus 387 Fahrenheit) at “normal pressure.” This is a rare achievement, with only cuprates and iron-based materials previously demonstrating this breakthrough.
“Our findings pave the way for comprehensive investigations of nickelate superconductors under ambient pressure conditions and for exploring superconductivity at higher transition temperature through strain engineering in heterostructures,” the researchers wrote in the study paper published in the journal Nature.
The superconductivity challenge
Superconductivity is when a material loses all electrical resistance and expels magnetic fields below a certain temperature.
It occurs when a material is cooled to a critical temperature. Traditionally, this required extremely low temperatures, making it impractical for many applications.
While many substances exhibit this behavior below -250 degrees Celsius, the real challenge lies in finding materials that can achieve superconductivity at higher temperatures. Those that can maintain this zero-resistance state above -233 degrees Celsius are classified as “high-temperature” superconductors.