Reddmatter: Scientists discover superconducting material that can save up to 200 million megawatt hours
2 min read . Updated: 09 Mar 2023, 09:06 AM IST
PremiumScientists have been pursuing this breakthrough discovery for more than a century.
Scientists have discovered a new superconducting material that could revolutionise the world. This material can transmit electricity without resistance and pass magnetic fields around it, making it a breakthrough discovery that scientists have been pursuing for more than a century.
The material works at both a low temperature and low pressure, which could allow it to be used in practical applications, such as power grids and nuclear fusion.
The discovery of this material, nicknamed "reddmatter," could save up to 200 million megawatt hours that are currently lost due to resistance in power grids. It could also be used in high-speed, hovering trains and new types of medical equipment.
The material was created by mixing a rare earth metal named lutetium with hydrogen and nitrogen and then subjecting it to high temperatures for two to three days.
The material still needs to be heated to 20.5 degrees Celsius and compressed to about 145,000 psi to work, but this is less intense than other similar materials. The scientists involved in the research say that this material will mark a new era for the practical use of superconducting materials.
The team, led by Professor Ranga Dias, previously reported the creation of two superconducting materials that were similar but not as significant as this one. Professor Dias, who has a Sri Lankan origin, believes this marks the “start of the new type of material that is useful for practical applications".
The Nature paper was earlier retracted by the journal's editors due to questions over the scientists' approach. To avoid similar criticism this time, the team looked to validate the old paper with new data collected outside of a lab, with a team of scientists watching it live, and undertook a similar process for the new research.
“I’m cautiously optimistic," The New York Times quotes Timothy Strobel as saying. “The data in the paper, it looks great," said the scientist who was not involved in Dr. Dias’s study.