Superconductivity at the Boiling Temperature of Water Is Possible, Say Physicists
5th September 2019
A material that remains a superconductor when heated to the boiling point of water has been predicted by physicists in China. Hanyu Liu, Yanming Ma and colleagues at Jilin University have calculated that lithium magnesium hydride will superconduct at temperatures as high as 473 K (200 °C).
The catch is that the hydrogen-rich material must be crushed at 250 GPa, which is on par with pressures at the centre of the Earth. While such a pressure could be achieved in the lab, it would be very difficult to perform an experiment to verify the prediction. The team’s research could, however, lead to the discovery of more practical high-temperature superconductors.