Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Science and Technology
In news
Recently, researchers have created a material that is superconducting at room temperature.
It only works at a pressure of 267 Gigapascals (GPa).
Key takeaways
A mixture of carbon, hydrogen and sulfur was put in a microscopic niche carved between the tips of two diamonds (diamond anvil) and laser light was used on them to trigger chemical reactions.
To verify that this phase was indeed a superconductor, the group ascertained that the magnetic susceptibility of the superconductor was that of a diamagnet.
A superconducting material kept in a magnetic field expels the magnetic flux out its body when cooled below the critical temperature and exhibits perfect diamagnetism.
It is also called the Meissner effect which simply means that magnetic lines do not pass through superconductors in a magnetic field.
If researchers can stabilise the material at ambient pressure, applications of superconductivity at room temperatures could be achieved and will be within reach.
Superconductors that work at room temperature could have a big technological impact, for example in electronics that run faster without overheating.
Important value additions
Superconductors
A superconductor is a material that can conduct electricity or transport electrons from one atom to another with no resistance.
No heat, sound or any other form of energy would be released from the material when it has reached critical temperature (Tc).
The critical temperature for superconductors is the temperature at which the electrical resistivity of metal drops to zero.
Examples: aluminium, niobium, magnesium diboride, etc.
Applications: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, low-loss power lines, ultra powerful superconducting magnets, mobile-phone towers.
Limitations: They need bulky cryogenics as the common superconductors work at atmospheric pressures, but only if they are kept very cold.
Do you know?
Meissner Effect: When a material makes the transition from the normal to the superconducting state, it actively excludes magnetic fields from its interior.
