Superconductivity promises to transform everything from electrical networks to personal electronics. However, obtaining a lower form of energy that operates at ambient temperatures and pressures proves to be the case Easier said than done.
The discovery, made by a team of researchers from Emory University and Stanford University, USA, may help us find theories that can help us overcome obstacles.
The discovery involves what is known as oscillating superconductivity. Typical behaviors for superconductors It includes Electronic partnerships calls cooper pairs Movement through materials without losing large amounts of energy as heat.
The Cooper pairs in oscillating superconductivity move in a kind of undulating dance. Although “normal” superconductors are rare, oscillations do occur in Relatively warmer temperatureswhich makes this phenomenon interesting for scientists who want to make superconductivity occur continuously at room temperature.
“We found that structures known as Van Hove singularities can produce modulating and oscillating states of superconductivity,” she says Physicist Louise Santos, from Emory University in the United States.
“Our work provides a new theoretical framework for understanding the emergence of this behaviour, a phenomenon that is not well understood.”
these Van Hove singularities They are special structures that occur in some materials, in which the energy of electrons can undergo unusual changes. This can have a significant impact on how matter interacts with external forces and how it conducts electricity.
In this study, the team modeled Van Hove singularities in a new way. Modeling results suggest that, in some scenarios, these specific structures can swing superconductivity, which may give us new ways to manage it. or start it.
This is all high-level physics and only theoretical for now, but it improves our understanding of superconductivity at temperatures three times lower than a normal kitchen refrigerator – still cold, but at generally manageable levels.
there Serious discussion About whether superconductivity has been achieved at room temperature, but it certainly has not yet been reached in a way that would make it usable outside the laboratory or in bulky, expensive equipment.
Superconductivity was discovered in 1911 by a Dutch physicist Heike Kamerling Onz in tests with mercury, but scientists did not understand until 1957 How and Why for what was happening. Since then, we’ve discovered more about this phenomenon, including how it can occur in an oscillatory fashion.
The hope is that one day we will transmit electricity more efficiently and cheaper. The ability of superconductors to create ultra-strong magnetic fields is already being used in machines MRIin Maglev trains no Large Hadron Collider.
“I doubt Kamerlingh Onnes had in mind levitations or particle accelerators when he discovered superconductivity, but everything we learn about the world has potential applications,” she says saints.
Research published in Physical review letters.
Written by David Nield
Posted in ScienceAlert
