There has been a lot of news coverage in recent weeks regarding the claimed discovery of a room temperature superconductor, and a lot of justified skepticism from the scientific community. In my own personal opinion, I believe that this latest claim will not withstand rigorous review and will be disproven, just based on some of the preliminary information from other research teams. However that is a different topic - today I will instead be reviewing exactly what a room temperature superconductor is, and why it is one of the holy grails of material science.

Superconductors are materials that, when cooled below a specific temperature, exhibit two remarkable phenomena: specifically they exhibit zero electrical resistance (meaning that electric current can flow through the superconductor without loss) and the expulsion of magnetic fields (a property known as the Meissner effect. This is what permits the famous photos of superconductors floating above a magnetic or vice versa). These unique properties are governed by the phenomenon of Cooper pairing, where electrons form pairs due to lattice vibrations, allowing them to move through the material without scattering and loss of energy.

Traditionally, superconductivity has always been observed only at extremely low temperatures close to absolute zero (-273.15°C). However, scientists have spent decades attempting to develop materials whose critical temperatures are significantly higher, thereby expanding the potential applications of superconductors.

If someone were able to create a superconductor that operates at room temperature, then there would immediately be several very interesting technological breakthroughs.

Energy Transmission and Storage: Currently, a substantial fraction of the energy generated is lost during transmission due to resistance in power lines. Room temperature superconductors could enable the creation of highly efficient power grids, drastically reducing energy loss and increasing the stability and reliability of energy distribution. Moreover, superconductors could revolutionize energy storage systems, providing a way to store large amounts of electricity for extended periods without energy loss.

Transportation: The transportation sector could benefit immensely from room temperature superconductors. Electric vehicles equipped with superconducting materials could achieve unparalleled energy efficiency and range. Additionally, superconducting magnets could enhance the performance of maglev trains, enabling faster and more efficient transportation with minimal loss of energy.

Medical Applications: Room temperature superconductors would also revolutionize medical imaging technologies like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). At present MRI machines require liquid helium and very large and expensive magnets in order to operate. There is a worry that the requirements of supercooled magnets, which rely on liquid helium to keep cold, could one day render MRI machines inoperable due to a rapidly depleting supply of helium in the world. With room temperature superconductors, the next generation of MRI machines could be made much more compact, affordable, and perhaps even more powerful, providing higher resolution images for more accurate imaging and diagnostics.

Electronics and Computing: Room temperature superconductors could also enable ultrafast, energy-efficient electronics and computing devices. The absence of electrical resistance would eliminate the heat dissipation issues currently faced by semiconductor-based technologies, allowing for higher computational speeds and reduced power consumption.

Scientific Research: In addition to the previously mentioned technological advances, a true room temperature superconductor would also advance other fields of scientific research by enabling the construction of more powerful particle accelerators and experimental setups. Such an increase in these experiments could easily lead to groundbreaking discoveries in fundamental physics and materials science.

Clearly the search for room temperature superconductors could have the potential to reshape industries and technologies across the globe. Not only would a room temperature superconductor be a significant scientific achievement on its own, but it could also unlock a new era in transportation, medical imaging and scientific discovery, and likely countless other technological advances that haven't even been considered yet.

For now we will just have to wait for the scientific community to review this latest discovery, and determine if it is truly a room temperature superconductor or just one more failed attempt.