Room Temp Super Conductor: Break Out the Champagne?

In summary: This is H2S-based and H2S is just weird."It's weird because it's just hydrogen." My thesis supervisor says it is a big deal."From what I understood recently, people are trying to increase the critical temperature by adding hydrogen to various types of alloys (and it was experimentally confirmed that even at 1 atm, you can increase ##T_c## of some materials by adding H)."This gives hope to achieve higher temperatures (while working at lower pressure) by just doping the right material with hydrogen.
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hutchphd
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Here we report superconductivity in a photochemically transformed carbonaceous sulfur hydride system, starting from elemental precursors, with a maximum superconducting transition temperature of 287.7 ± 1.2 kelvin (about 15 degrees Celsius) achieved at 267 ± 10 gigapascals.
Summary is from abstract in Nature.
Anybody know whether this is a big deal ?. It looks technically challenging (very high pressure) but great oaks from little acorns. I'm not current in superconductivity.🔎...
 
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This looks better than the silver superconductors of past years.

It has been known for a long time that there exist substances that superconduct only at high pressure. Some superconductors, like YBCO, were discovered by taking an existing superconductor and doing a substitution that squeezes the structure: for example, Y for La in LBCO. Essentially, this is pressure induced by chemical processes.

This work moves the bar incrementally from LaH10, at 250C and 170 GPa.
 
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@ZapperZ knows much more about superconductivity than I do. Maybe he can jump in.

This is H2S-based and H2S is just weird.
 
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My thesis supervisor says it is a big deal. From what I understood recently people are trying to increase the critical temperature by adding hydrogen to various type of alloys (and it was experimentally confirmed that even at 1 atm, you can increase ##T_c## of some materials by adding H). So this gives hope to achieve higher temperatures (while working at lower pressure) by just doping the right material with hydrogen. This is what I understood.
 
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Vanadium 50 said:
This looks better than the silver superconductors of past years.

It has been known for a long time that there exist substances that superconduct only at high pressure. Some superconductors, like YBCO, were discovered by taking an existing superconductor and doing a substitution that squeezes the structure: for example, Y for La in LBCO. Essentially, this is pressure induced by chemical processes.

This work moves the bar incrementally from LaH10, at 250C and 170 GPa.
"Squeeze the structure"; isn't Lanthanum a bigger ion than Yttrium? And even larger cations like Bismuth and Lead have been in recent Lit.
 

What is a room temperature superconductor?

A room temperature superconductor is a material that can conduct electricity with zero resistance at or near room temperature, typically around 25 degrees Celsius.

Why is it important to have a room temperature superconductor?

A room temperature superconductor would revolutionize many industries, such as energy production and transportation, by greatly increasing efficiency and reducing energy loss. It could also lead to advancements in technology, such as faster and more powerful computers.

What materials are being studied for room temperature superconductivity?

Scientists are currently studying a variety of materials, including hydrogen sulfide, lanthanum hydride, and cuprates, for their potential to exhibit room temperature superconductivity.

What challenges are scientists facing in creating a room temperature superconductor?

The main challenge is finding a material that can maintain its superconducting properties at higher temperatures. This requires a deep understanding of the underlying physics and careful manipulation of the material's structure and composition.

When can we expect a room temperature superconductor to be developed?

It is difficult to predict an exact timeline, but scientists are making significant progress in their research and some believe a room temperature superconductor could be developed within the next decade.

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