On Tuesday, a Chinese experimental their successful verification of the synthesis of LK-99 crystal capable of magnetic levitation. This marks the first time such levitation has been achieved, with a larger levitated angle compared to a previous sample created by a South Korean team.
The achievement holds great promise for non-contact superconducting magnetic levitation. The video was released by a team led by Professor Chang Haixin, from the School of Materials Science and Technology at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, along with postdoctoral research Wu Hao and doctoral student Yang Li.
However, the video also clarified that their verification process has only confirmed the presence of the Meissner effect in the LK-99 crystal. Despite exhibiting nonmagnetic, the crystal’s magnetism is relatively weak, and it lacks “zero resistance,” behaving more like a semiconductor curve. The publisher suggests that any superconducting properties in LK-99 are limited to trace amounts of superconducting impurities, avoiding the formation of a continuous superconducting path.
Earlier, a research team from South Korea published two papers on arXiv, claiming to have discovered the “world’s first room-temperature superconducting material,” capturing global attention. This material is primarily a modified perovskite crystal structure known as LK-99, which is a type of lead phosphate with copper doping.
Nevertheless, the team has encountered skepticism regarding their claim of LK-99 being a superconductor, primarily due to the lack of sufficient experimental data they have presented so far. As a result, multiple research teams around the world are currently working on synthesizing LK-99 to validate the initial experimental results.
Room-Temperature Superconductivity with LK-99
Following the publication of the two papers on LK-99 by the South Korean scientists, researchers from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Beihang University and the Shenyang National Research Center for Materials Science have also published their related research findings.
Sun Yan and Liu Peitao, researchers from the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, primarily focused on theoretical calculations. Based on their computational analysis, they suggested the possibility of achieving room-temperature superconductivity with LK-99. However, their results, while providing some insights from an energy bands perspective, do not serve as definitive proof.
On the other hand, the research team from Beihang University conducted practical tests on the synthesized LK-99 material. Contrary to the theoretical predictions, they found that the material’s resistance at room temperature is not zero, and they did not observe any magnetic levitation phenomenon. Instead, the material exhibited characteristics more akin to a semiconductor than a superconductor, as stated in their research paper.
The attainment of room-temperature superconductivity would revolutionize the electricity network by enabling long-distance lossless power transmission, paving the way for extensive global infrastructure development. Media reports suggest that this breakthrough would also lead to advancements in superconducting magnets, cables, and maglev trains.
Moreover, the discovery of room-temperature and atmospheric pressure superconducting materials is expected to trigger transformative changes in diverse industries, including energy, transportation, computing, and medical diagnostics. This breakthrough holds the potential to usher in a new era of innovation and progress in these fields.
Summary
LK-99’s successful magnetic levitation marks a significant milestone, but the Meissner effect is not enough to prove its superconductivity. Skepticism persists, prompting multiple research teams to verify its properties. While room-temperature superconductivity offers promising advancements, practical challenges remain, inspiring further research in various industries.
