Superconductivity at room temperature

[ObscureMammal]

Source: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v516/n7529/full/nature13875.html

             http://phys.org/news/2014-12-superconductivity-cooling.html

 

Superconductivity without cooling

 

(Phys.org)—Superconductivity is a remarkable phenomenon: superconductors can transport electric current without any resistance and thus without any losses whatsoever. It is already in use in some niche areas, for example as magnets for nuclear spin tomography or particle accelerators. However, the materials must be cooled to very low temperatures for this purpose. But during the past year, an experiment has provided some surprises.

 

With the aid of short infrared laser pulses, researchers have succeeded for the first time in making a ceramic superconducting at room temperature – albeit for only a few millionths of a microsecond. An international team, in which physicists from the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter in Hamburg have made crucial contributions, has now been able to present a possible explanation of the effect in the journal Nature: The scientists believe that laser pulses cause individual atoms in the crystal lattice to shift briefly and thus enhance the superconductivity. The findings could assist in the development of materials which become superconducting at significantly higher temperatures and would thus be of interest for new applications.

 

In the beginning, superconductivity was known only in a few metals at temperatures just above absolute zero at minus 273 degrees Celsius. Then, in the 1980s, physicists discovered a new class, based on ceramic materials. These already conduct electricity at temperatures of around minus 200 degrees Celsius without losses, and were therefore called high-temperature superconductors. One of these ceramics is the compound yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO). It is one of the most promising materials for technical applications such as superconducting cables, motors and generators.

 

The YBCO crystal has a special structure: thin double layers of copper oxide alternate with thicker intermediate layers which contain barium as well as copper and oxygen. The superconductivity has its origins in the thin double layers of copper dioxide. This is where electrons can join up to form so-called Cooper pairs. These pairs can "tunnel" between the different layers, meaning they can pass through these layers like ghosts can pass through walls, figuratively speaking – a typical quantum effect. The crystal only becomes superconducting below a "critical temperature", however, as only then do the Cooper pairs tunnel not only within the double layers, but also "spirit" through the thicker layers to the next double layer. Above the critical temperature, this coupling between the double layers is missing, and the material becomes a poorly conducting metal.

 

No resistance at room temperature: The resonant excitation of oxygen oscillations (blurred) between CuO2 double layers (light blue, Cu yellowy orange, O red) with short light pulses leads to the atoms in the crystal lattice briefly shifting away from their equilibrium positions. This shift brings about an increase in the separations of CuO2 layers within a double layer and a simultaneous decrease in the separations between double layers. It is highly probable that this enhances the superconductivity. Credit: Jörg Harms/MPI for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter

 

 

The result helps material scientists to develop new superconductors

In 2013, an international team working with Max Planck researcher Andrea Cavalleri discovered that when YBCO is irradiated with infrared laser pulses it briefly becomes superconducting at room temperature. The laser light had apparently modified the coupling between the double layers in the crystal. The precise mechanism remained unclear, however – until the physicists were able to solve the mystery with an experiment at the LCLS in the US, the world's most powerful X-ray laser. "We started by again sending an infrared pulse into the crystal, and this excited certain atoms to oscillate," explains Max Planck physicist Roman Mankowsky, lead author of the current Nature study. "A short time later, we followed it with a short X-ray pulse in order to measure the precise crystal structure of the excited crystal."

 

The result: The infrared pulse had not only excited the atoms to oscillate, but had also shifted their position in the crystal as well. This briefly made the copper dioxide double layers thicker - by two picometres, or one hundredth of an atomic diameter - and the layer between them became thinner by the same amount. This in turn increased the quantum coupling between the double layers to such an extent that the crystal became superconducting at room temperature for a few picoseconds.

 

On the one hand, the new result helps to refine the still incomplete theory of high-temperature superconductors. "On the other, it could assist materials scientists to develop new superconductors with higher critical temperatures," says Mankowsky. "And ultimately to reach the dream of a superconductor that operates at room temperature and needs no cooling at all." Until now, superconducting magnets, motors and cables must be cooled to temperatures far below zero with liquid nitrogen or helium. If this complex cooling were no longer necessary, it would mean a breakthrough for this technology.

[dragosudeki]

Put some comments of your own instead of just copying and pasting?

 

Not too knowledgeable about this technology/breakthrough. Can someone explain what could outcome from this aside from allowing higher temperatures of tools that use superconductivity?

[werto165]

is superconductivity related to quantum levitation?  Also damn. 

[harrynowl]

yay overclocking

[patrickjp93]

Put some comments of your own instead of just copying and pasting?

 

Not too knowledgeable about this technology/breakthrough. Can someone explain what could outcome from this aside from allowing higher temperatures of tools that use superconductivity?

Superconducting means no heat generated when running electricity through a material. Heat is directly proportional to resistance. Basically, it's perfect efficiency.

[Sidiox]

This is fucking amazing! Although it will still take some time before we have usable ones

[samcool55]

That's nice. I hope it will help normal pc's at some point. Passive cooled 4960X anyone?

[Sidiox]

Put some comments of your own instead of just copying and pasting?

Not too knowledgeable about this technology/breakthrough. Can someone explain what could outcome from this aside from allowing higher temperatures of tools that use superconductivity?

to elaborate on what @patrickjp93 said, this could mean that in a far future you could have CPU s without coolers, and also transport electricity over very long distances without losing energy

[patrickjp93]

This is fucking amazing! Although it will still take some time before we have usable ones

10 years max. Samsung can already mass produce graphene which, when doped correctly (contaminated by specific molecules in specific places), can superconduct at above room temperature. Samsung has already figured to how to make large sheets of it with high purity. Now it's down to the matter of calibrating the particle gun for CMOS-like processes.

[Guest]

Millionths of a microsecond? Why not just say 'a few picoseconds'?

Anyway, superconductors that only function for brief periods of time (longer ones than currently achieved though obviously) could be good enough for use in various sensors.

It's definitely a significant step forwards, even if it's a far cry from the permanent superconductivity implied by the thread's title.

[Sidiox]

10 years max. Samsung can already mass produce graphene which, when doped correctly (contaminated by specific molecules in specific places), can superconduct at above room temperature. Samsung has already figured to how to make large sheets of it with high purity.

Graphene indeed seems very potential rich, what I really fear is that it will turn out to have some major draw back, like asbestos for example

[Suika]

Superconducting means no heat generated when running electricity through a material. Heat is directly proportional to resistance. Basically, it's perfect efficiency.

When you put it that way, that's mighty impressive.

 

A few millionths of a millisecond sounds like a rather short amount of time, though.

[Syntaxvgm]

I'll have to read this all later when I get home, and this is why I would love an actual summary from the OP, but if I glanced right, a practical way to achieve superconductivity at room temperate has been discovered? Because if so that's BIG.

[patrickjp93]

Graphene indeed seems very potential rich, what I really fear is that it will turn out to have some major draw back, like asbestos for example

Carbon nanotubes have that drawback. Graphene is tough to tear/break when pure/properly doped. The chances of hurting yourself on it are hilariously small despite environmentalists' concerns. Now, someone someday will make a knife with a graphene edge, and that's gonna suck big time, but graphene is in pencil lead in millions and millions of layers (graphite). You don't see people being hurt by using pencils do you?

[patrickjp93]

I'll have to read this all later when I get home, and this is why I would love an actual summary from the OP, but if I glanced right, a practical way to achieve superconductivity at room temperate has been discovered? Because if so that's BIG.

Infrared lasers, not practical.

[imthewalrus]

10 years max. Samsung can already mass produce graphene which, when doped correctly (contaminated by specific molecules in specific places), can superconduct at above room temperature. Samsung has already figured to how to make large sheets of it with high purity. Now it's down to the matter of calibrating the particle gun for CMOS-like processes.

That seems promising, do you happen to have a journal or source for this information? I might start investing in Samsung.

[Sidiox]

Carbon nanotubes have that drawback. Graphene is tough to tear/break when pure/properly doped. The chances of hurting yourself on it are hilariously small despite environmentalists' concerns. Now, someone someday will make a knife with a graphene edge, and that's gonna suck big time, but graphene is in pencil lead in millions and millions of layers (graphite). You don't see people being hurt by using pencils do you?

That is not entirely what I meant. Those carbon tubes and such are not too healthy, but I fear more that they will find something like the fine dust nano particles that come of off iron, and that those are dangerous. Ofc carbon is already used in many applications and has been used in others as well, coal for example, but structure is very important and they keep doing new stuff with that and finding new ways to shape it, bucky ball for example

[patrickjp93]

That seems promising, do you happen to have a journal or source for this information? I might start investing in Samsung.

You don't want to invest in Samsung. Their growth has plateaued. 

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/179874-samsungs-graphene-breakthrough-could-finally-put-the-wonder-material-into-real-world-devices

A bit of a sensationalist article, but a reputable source and mostly unbiased reporting.

[imthewalrus]

You don't want to invest in Samsung. Their growth has plateaued.

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/179874-samsungs-graphene-breakthrough-could-finally-put-the-wonder-material-into-real-world-devices

A bit of a sensationalist article, but a reputable source and mostly unbiased reporting.

If their shares drop I will buy some, they have been around for a long time and like IBM they seem to be looking to abandon silicon.

[spartaman64]

WHAAATT THIS IS BIG NEWS

edit: oh its not permanent oh well probably still applications for it but perhaps not the low maintenance maglev trains and transcontinental cables im thinking of

[OlekKing]

Millionths of a microsecond? Why not just say 'a few picoseconds'?

Anyway, superconductors that only function for brief periods of time (longer ones than currently achieved though obviously) could be good enough for use in various sensors.

It's definitely a significant step forwards, even if it's a far cry from the permanent superconductivity implied by the thread's title.

Because there's a lot of scientifically illiterate people out there.

[WereCat]

Put some comments of your own instead of just copying and pasting?

Not too knowledgeable about this technology/breakthrough. Can someone explain what could outcome from this aside from allowing higher temperatures of tools that use superconductivity?

Basically Super conductivity = next to none resistance = next to none heat = R9 295x2 in phone.

(Of course not literally but just example).

[HermanT]

10 years max. Samsung can already mass produce graphene which, when doped correctly (contaminated by specific molecules in specific places), can superconduct at above room temperature. Samsung has already figured to how to make large sheets of it with high purity. Now it's down to the matter of calibrating the particle gun for CMOS-like processes.

200 years min... greed wont allow 10  years

[patrickjp93]

200 years min... greed wont allow 10 years

Nope. Silicon ends at 3nm. 10 years max.

[Hazorazor]

Damn, why does this news come out just after I finish my superconductors assessment task! Wish I could put that in.