Faster power grids and computers, nuclear fusion, fully electric aircraft – new materials with lutetium, yttrium, and other critical minerals could pave the way for technological innovation.
Superconductors are metals and compounds through which electricity can flow without electrical resistance and, therefore, almost without loss. Their potential is vast—they could make power grids, electric motors, maglev trains, computer chips, and much more significantly more efficient. But there’s a catch: to function, superconducting materials must be cooled to temperatures far below 100 degrees Celsius under extreme pressure. This has limited their application, such as in MRI machines and the development of quantum computers.
Worldwide, scientists are searching for superconductors that can operate at room temperature and under ambient pressure. In 2023, a study made waves, claiming this was achieved with a compound of nitrogen, hydrogen, and lutetium, a rare earth element. However, the findings were controversial, and the study, published in Nature, was later retracted. For lead researcher Ranga Dias, this marked the third retraction of a publication. A veritable scandal emerged over the results.
However, the controversy inspired Adam Denchfield, a doctoral student in physics at the University of Illinois, Chicago, to conduct his own research. By reviewing studies from the late 1960s on the material in question—rare-earth trihydrides—he found indications of potential superconductivity at comparatively high temperatures, depending on the atomic arrangement.
The “Holy Grail” of Superconductors
Based on these insights, Denchfield and other scientists conducted various experiments, ultimately developing three promising material designs. They also tested replacing lutetium with other rare earth elements like yttrium and scandium to increase efficiency further. According to the researchers, the final designs exhibited superconducting properties at about -73 degrees Celsius. Computer simulations suggest they could even achieve superconductivity at ambient pressure and room temperature—something Denchfield compares to discovering the “Holy Grail.”
To verify these projections, the materials now need to be synthesized and tested in the lab. Additionally, Denchfield intends for this work to inspire other researchers. The findings could spark the search for a “completely new class of structures” that could serve as potential high-temperature superconductors, paving the way for groundbreaking technological innovations.
Electricity flows without resistance through superconductors, but these materials have even more amazing properties. For example, a magnet can levitate above a superconductor because its magnetic field repels it.
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