Less than two years after shocking the science world with the discovery of a material capable of room-temperature superconductivity, a team of UNLV physicists has reproduced the feat at the lowest pressure ever recorded.
Science is closer to a usable replicable material that could one day change how energy is transported. The first room temperature superconductivity was reported by UNLV physicist Ashkan Salamat and University of Rochester physicist Ranga Dias in 2020. The scientists used extreme pressure and a mixture of carbon, sulfur, and hydrogen to create a metallic state and then a room temperature superconducting state. The team is able to complete the feat at just 91 GPa, roughly one-third the pressure initially reported. An advance article on the new findings was published this month.
A huge find.
Scientists can make a material at a lower pressure that retains its state of superconductivity by tuning the composition of carbon, sulfur, and hydrogen.
Gregory Alexander Smith, a graduate student researcher with UNLV, said that the current trajectory shows that it is possible to achieve relatively high temperatures at low pressures. If we want to make devices that are beneficial to society, then we need to reduce the amount of pressure we put on them.
The pressures are still high, but they are racing towards a goal of zero. The race is gaining steam at UNLV as scientists gain a better understanding of the chemical relationship between the carbon, sulfur, and hydrogen that make up the material.
"Our knowledge of the relationship between carbon and sulfur is growing, and we're finding ratios that lead to remarkably different, and more efficient, responses than what was initially observed," said Salamat, who directs UNLV's NEXCL. The richness of Mother Nature is shown by the different phenomena observed. Every new advancement brings us closer to the day when everyday superconducting devices will be commonplace.
The holy grail of energy efficiency.
Superconductivity was first observed more than a century ago, but only at extremely low temperatures that precluded any thought of practical use. Scientists theorize the feat could be done at higher temperatures. The 2020 discovery by Salamat and colleagues of a room- temperature superconductor excited the science world in part because the technology supports electrical flow with zero resistance, meaning that energy passing through a circuit could be conducted infinitely and without loss of power. This could have a huge impact on energy storage and transmission, supporting everything from better cell phone batteries to a more efficient energy grid.
The global energy crisis shows no signs of abating, and costs are rising in part due to the inefficiency of the U.S. energy grid. The work happening today is at the forefront of tomorrow's solutions because we need to lead with technology.
The energy infrastructure of the U.S. and beyond could be changed by a new generation of materials that are supported by superconductors.
He said that it would be possible to send energy from Nevada to the rest of the country. One day, this technology could make it happen.
More information: G. Alexander Smith et al, Carbon content drives high temperature superconductivity in a carbonaceous sulfur hydride below 100 GPa, Chemical Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1039/D2CC03170A Journal information: Chemical Communications
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