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[TechView: The Industry]
Magnetically Sensitive Compound Yields Superconductivity At Higher Temps

Dave Bursky  |   ED Online ID #10126  |   April 28, 2005


A long-sought goal, room-temperature superconductors, may be a step closer to reality thanks to joint research by University of California scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and researcher Yunkyu Bang of Chonnam National University in South Korea.

The scientists have discovered that magnetic fluctuations in plutonium cobalt pentagallium (PuCoGa5) appear to cause the material to become superconductive. Scientists hope this unconventional superconductivity may lead to a new class of superconducting materials that could deliver superconduction at room temperature.

The researchers have evidence of how the magnetic fluctuations, rather than interactions caused by tiny vibrations in the underlying crystal structure of the material, may be responsible for the electron pairing that produces the superconductivity.

Although most superconductivity is observed in materials at temperatures near absolute zero, a few materials exhibit superconductivity at temperatures above ­427°F. Even though that temperature is still quite low, PuCoGa5 displays the highest superconducting transition temperature among actinide-based compounds found to date.

Like the old adage, where there's smoke, there's fire. Researchers believe that if one unconventional superconductor material exists, additional materials may have similar characteristics. This new class of magnetically mediated superconductors might span metals to oxides and lead to the ability to synthesize room-temperature superconductors.

Such superconductors could end up as almost lossless power lines. At the microscopic level, they also could form resistance-free interconnects on future VLSI chips.

Los Alamos National Laboratory
www.lanl.gov

See associated figure


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    Reader Comments

    Room temp SCs, and higher, are detailed in David Hudson's Australlian patent of 1988. The materials are listed as S-ORMES. In a proprietary process the platinum group of metals, including Osmium were processed to a fine powder. All these elements were shown to have High Deformation Spins after process. Monatomic, and Diatomic. The only problem was the starting mineral was not listed. If you will start with quartz you will be on the right road. Otherwise you are just repeating old science. DOD is also way ahead of you.

    Barney

    Barney Bass -September 22, 2005

    goodarticle

    Anonymous -April 29, 2005   (Article Rating: )

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