New study bolsters claim about room-temperature superconductors
A team of researchers has verified a key measurement from a study earlier this year that had raised doubts from other scientists.
< p class="css -at9mc1 evys1bk0">A magical material that could effortlessly conduct electricity at room temperature would likely transform civilization, recovering energy otherwise lost through electrical resistance and opening up possibilities for new technologies.Yet a claim of such a room-temperature superconductor published in March in the prestigious journal Nature, raised doubts, even suspicion among some that the results had been made.
But now, a group of researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago report verifying a critical measurement: the apparent disappearance of electrical resistance.
This result does not prove that the material is a superconductor at room temperature, but it could motivate other scientists to take a closer look.
Ranga P. Dias, a professor of mechanical engineering and physics at the University of Rochester in New York and a key figure in the original research, had reported that the material appeared to be a superconductor at temperatures as hot as 70 degrees Fahrenheit - much hotter than other superconductors - when pressed at a pressure of 145,000 pounds per square inch, or about 10 times what is exerted at the bottom of the deepest trenches from the ocean.
The high pressure means the material is unlikely to find practical use, but if the find is true, it could pave the way for other superconductors that actually work under everyday conditions.
This claim has been met with skepticism as several scientific controversies have swirled around Dr. Dias, and others scientists attempting to replicate the results had detected no signs of superconductivity.
Dr. Dias founded a company, Unearthly Materials, to commercialize the research, raising $16.5 million in funding from investors so far.
The new measures , revealed in a preprint article published this month, come from a team led by Russell J. Hemley, professor of physics and chemistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Hemley declined to comment because the paper had not yet been accepted by a scientific journal.
Nevertheless, it is well regarded in the field, and his report may lead to a more positive reexamination of Dr. Dias' superconducting claim.
"It may convince some people," said James J. Hamlin, professor of physics at the University of Florida who has been a persistent critic of Dr. Dias' research. "That makes me think there might be something."
dr. Hemley and his colleagues observed large drops in electrical resistance in the material. Although these occurred at temperatures up to 37 degrees Fahrenheit, about 30 degrees cooler than those described by Dr. Dias, it would still be hot compared to other superconductors. Transit...
A team of researchers has verified a key measurement from a study earlier this year that had raised doubts from other scientists.
< p class="css -at9mc1 evys1bk0">A magical material that could effortlessly conduct electricity at room temperature would likely transform civilization, recovering energy otherwise lost through electrical resistance and opening up possibilities for new technologies.Yet a claim of such a room-temperature superconductor published in March in the prestigious journal Nature, raised doubts, even suspicion among some that the results had been made.
But now, a group of researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago report verifying a critical measurement: the apparent disappearance of electrical resistance.
This result does not prove that the material is a superconductor at room temperature, but it could motivate other scientists to take a closer look.
Ranga P. Dias, a professor of mechanical engineering and physics at the University of Rochester in New York and a key figure in the original research, had reported that the material appeared to be a superconductor at temperatures as hot as 70 degrees Fahrenheit - much hotter than other superconductors - when pressed at a pressure of 145,000 pounds per square inch, or about 10 times what is exerted at the bottom of the deepest trenches from the ocean.
The high pressure means the material is unlikely to find practical use, but if the find is true, it could pave the way for other superconductors that actually work under everyday conditions.
This claim has been met with skepticism as several scientific controversies have swirled around Dr. Dias, and others scientists attempting to replicate the results had detected no signs of superconductivity.
Dr. Dias founded a company, Unearthly Materials, to commercialize the research, raising $16.5 million in funding from investors so far.
The new measures , revealed in a preprint article published this month, come from a team led by Russell J. Hemley, professor of physics and chemistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Hemley declined to comment because the paper had not yet been accepted by a scientific journal.
Nevertheless, it is well regarded in the field, and his report may lead to a more positive reexamination of Dr. Dias' superconducting claim.
"It may convince some people," said James J. Hamlin, professor of physics at the University of Florida who has been a persistent critic of Dr. Dias' research. "That makes me think there might be something."
dr. Hemley and his colleagues observed large drops in electrical resistance in the material. Although these occurred at temperatures up to 37 degrees Fahrenheit, about 30 degrees cooler than those described by Dr. Dias, it would still be hot compared to other superconductors. Transit...
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