What is a superconductor?
Electricity flows through cables to power our devices, lights, and more. When electricity moves through cables, it faces resistance (like when riding a bicycle on a bumpy road). This resistance causes some of the energy to be lost as heat.
A superconductor is a material that conducts electricity with no resistance. This means electrical energy can flow through them without losing any energy. Scientists use superconductors to create amazing things like super-fast trains that can move without touching the tracks, super-strong magnets for medical instruments, etc.
However, superconductivity can only be achieved at very low temperatures. So, researchers are working hard to create superconductors that can work at room temperature. Well, there’s one that’s been talked about recently.
Which superconductor is being talked about?
Just like how Tony Stark made a small ARC reactor to power his Ironman suit, a research team from South Korea claims to have found a special material called LK-99. They say it’s a superconductor that can work at room temperature.
LK-99 is a special mix of copper, lead, phosphorus, and oxygen. The researchers say it shows two signs of superconductivity: zero electrical resistance and the Meissner effect. Under this effect, when a superconductor is cooled below a specific temperature, the material releases magnetic fields, causing magnets to float above it (how cool!).
In ‘Ironman’, the tiny superconductor in Tony’s chest also does these two things - 1. keeps pieces of metal from piercing his heart (by creating a magnetic field under the Meissner effect) and 2. powers his Ironman suits (with zero electrical resistance).
The South Korean research team's announcement has started replication efforts by scientists (even in India). However, so far, they haven't been successful. So, the scientific community remains unsure about this new discovery. Some say the videos of LK-99 are fake. So far, it is not proven that LK-99 is a room-temperature superconductor.
