Brookhaven Lab researchers develop material with 2D superconductivity
December 01 2008 / by Garry Golden
Category: Energy Year: Beyond Rating: 2
Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory (US DoE) have developed a material that could advance our understanding of superconductivity and lead to more efficiency electrical transmission lines.
The material appears to be a superconductor but only in two dimensions, and at a higher temperature than ordinary 3-D superconductivity. The material is based on an unusual pattern of charge and magnetism “stripes” that many researchers long assumed as incompatible with superconductivity.
Superconductivity 101
'The basic idea behind superconductivity is that electrons, which ordinarily repel one another because they have like charges, pair up to carry electrical current with no resistance' along high powered transmission lines. Conventional metallic superconductors do this at temperatures near absolute zero (0 kelvin or -273 degrees Celsius), requiring expensive cooling systems.
“Our basic research goal is to understand why and how these materials act as superconductors,” said Brookhaven physicist John Tranquada, who led the research. “The ultimate practical goal would be to use that understanding to develop improved bulk superconductors — ones that operate at temperatures warm enough to make them useful for real-world applications such as high-efficiency power lines.”
What happened at Brookhaven National Laboratory?
