Xue Qikun, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and his research team work in a lab. Photo: Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech)
Chinese scientists have achieved high-temperature superconductivity in nickel oxide materials under ambient pressure conditions. The discovery establishes nickel-based materials as the third high-temperature superconducting material system, following copper-based and iron-based materials, the Global Times learnt from the researching team.
Superconductivity is a physical phenomenon where certain materials exhibit zero electrical resistance and perfect diamagnetism when cooled below a critical temperature. It holds great promise for applications in advanced fields, including energy transmission and storage, medical imaging, transportation, precision scientific instruments, and power systems.
The research team co-led by Xue Qikun, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and Chen Zhuoyu, associate professor from the Department of Physics of SUSTech, has enabled nickel oxides, one of the promising candidates for high-temperature superconductors, to achieve superconductivity under ambient pressure and at temperatures above -233 C, a milestone that scientists have pursued since superconductivity was first discovered in 1911.
Many materials achieve superconductivity only at temperatures below -250 C, while materials capable of maintaining a superconducting state above -233 C qualify as high-temperature superconductors, according to a report from China Central Television on Tuesday.
Previously, high-temperature superconductivity in nickel oxide materials could only be achieved under extremely high pressures - reaching several hundred thousand barometric pressure, comparable to conditions inside the Earth, Chen told the Global Times on Tuesday.
It took about three years for the research team to overcome challenges and successfully created a nickel oxide thin film that achieves superconductivity under ambient pressure, establishing nickel oxide as only the third known material system capable of superconductivity under ambient pressure, following copper-based and iron-based high-temperature superconductors.
By conducting comparative studies of these three types of high-temperature superconductors, researchers can develop a more comprehensive understanding of the fundamental mechanisms behind high-temperature superconductivity, providing a key to solving the scientific problem of superconducting mechanisms, Chen said.
The breakthrough in superconducting mechanisms is expected to pave the way for transformative advancements in energy, information technology, and medicine, ultimately fostering productivity growth and accelerating technological innovation, according to Chen.
According to Xue, the research, conducted entirely using domestically developed equipment, achieved an atomic-scale thin film growth technology with ultra-strong oxidation capabilities, marking a major breakthrough in China's independent experimental capabilities.
The scientists aim to leverage their specialized experimental techniques to explore new materials capable of superconductivity above liquid nitrogen temperatures under ambient pressure.
The joint research carried out by SUSTech, the Quantum Science Center of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Tsinghua University was published in the academic journal Nature on Tuesday.
