New Theory Explains the Magnetic Mechanism of High Temperature Superconductors

2024-01-22

In all electricity usage situations, such as night lighting, providing power for cars, etc., a certain amount of electrical energy (i.e. resistance) is almost always lost in the form of heat. Low resistance materials are more likely to conduct electricity, while materials with higher resistance have poorer conductivity.

Almost all conductors have resistance, but there are also some materials that do not have any resistance, known as superconductors. This material has unique properties and can be used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and suspended trains, among others. However, most superconductors only have superconducting properties at very low temperatures. Even so-called high-temperature superconductors need to be cooled to minus 200 ℃ by liquid nitrogen before they can work.

The use of superconductors becomes very complex due to the need for strong cooling. Therefore, researchers have been searching for superconductors that can work at room temperature. At present, under normal pressure, the working temperature of cuprate high-temperature superconductors (compounds containing both copper and oxygen atoms) is the closest, and the best performing cuprate can conduct superconductivity at a temperature of minus 140 ℃.

In fact, thisalso a very low temperature. Therefore, there is still a long way to go before copper salts can truly become room temperature superconductors. Furthermore, due to the unclear working principle of cuprate superconductors, their further development is hindered.

According to foreign media reports, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have developed a theory that can explain the magnetism of copper oxide superconductors. Copper oxide superconductor materials exhibit a layer effect, which means that when more copper and oxygen atoms form a layer and gather together, their magnetism and superconductivity are improved.

The magnetic layer effect of copper oxide superconductors is enhanced by electronic fluctuations between copper, oxygen atoms, and surrounding atoms. Researcher Zhihao Cui said, "Thisthe first step in understanding the superconducting layer effect and, in a broader sense, the factors that control the superconducting temperature of superconductors."

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