Historical Encyclopedia
Superconducting materials are unique substances that, under certain conditions (usually at low temperatures), conduct electric current without any losses, meaning they have no electrical resistance. Superconductivity was discovered in the early 20th century; however, since the 2020s, there has been significant development of new superconductors, reviving interest in this phenomenon and its applications in electrical systems.
The discovery of superconductivity was made in 1911 by Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, who found that mercury loses its electrical resistance at temperatures below 4.2 Kelvin. As this phenomenon was studied, various types of superconductors were discovered, including "low-temperature" and "high-temperature" superconductors that can operate under less extreme conditions. In 1986, a revolution in superconductivity occurred with the discovery of the high-temperature superconductor YBCO (yttrium-barium-copper oxide), which operates at temperatures above 90 K.
Since the beginning of the 2020s, research in superconducting materials has received a new impetus. Scientists began to widely utilize advanced machine learning-based modeling methods to create new combinations of elements to achieve optimal superconducting characteristics. The use of cryogenic technologies, as well as new synthesis and processing methods, has led to the emergence of superconductors with significantly higher critical temperatures.
One of the significant achievements in recent years has been the creation of iron-based superconductors that can operate at temperatures up to 55 K. However, the real breakthrough was the discovery of "hydride" superconductors, such as H3S and LaH10, which occurred in the 2020s: some of these demonstrate superconductivity at atmospheric pressure or even at temperatures above 250 K. This discovery opens up opportunities for the application of superconducting materials in various conditions, greatly reducing cooling costs.
Superconducting materials find a wide range of applications in modern electrical systems. One of the most promising areas is the creation of superconducting magnets, which are used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as in scientific installations such as the Large Hadron Collider. Superconducting cables can significantly reduce energy losses during transmission over power lines, enabling more efficient electricity distribution over long distances.
Since superconducting materials provide zero energy losses, their widespread adoption could lead to significant economic and environmental benefits. Reducing losses during electricity transmission allows for a decrease in the resources consumed for energy generation, as well as a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions associated with energy production. In the future, the use of superconducting technologies is expected to contribute to more sustainable energy systems.
Despite the comprehensive advantages of superconducting materials, the scientific community faces considerable challenges. The main issue remains the cost of production and the need to maintain superconductors at critically low temperatures. However, progress in materials science and cryogenic technologies, as well as the development of new methods of combining elements, create prospects for successfully overcoming these difficulties in the coming decades.
Superconducting materials continue to play a key role in the development of electrical systems and technologies. The discoveries made in the 2020s clearly demonstrate that the future lies with superconducting materials that can overcome existing limitations and fundamentally change the approach to creating efficient and sustainable energy solutions. This path entails not only technological but also economic and environmental changes that will undoubtedly impact the future of energy worldwide.