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Groundbreaking Room-Temperature Superconductor Achieved at 20 ?C
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Published in Science and Technology on Wednesday, November 26th 2025 at 14:17 GMT by EurekAlert!- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
- 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
Groundbreaking Discovery of a Room‑Temperature Superconductor Could Revolutionize Energy Transmission
A new study, released on EurekAlert and authored by researchers at the University of Rochester, reports the first observation of superconductivity at room temperature. The announcement, dated March 8, 2025, details a surprising breakthrough that could reshape the way electricity is generated, stored, and delivered worldwide.
The Science Behind the Breakthrough
Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity without resistance, enabling loss‑free power transmission and highly efficient motors and generators. Until now, achieving superconductivity has required cooling to temperatures far below 0 °C—usually with liquid helium or nitrogen—making practical applications expensive and complex.
The University of Rochester team, led by Dr. A. B. Smith, explored a class of hydrogen‑rich metallic compounds known as metallic hydrides. Previous research had shown that certain hydrides, when subjected to extremely high pressures, exhibited superconductivity at temperatures up to –23 °C. In this new work, the researchers synthesized a novel hydride—nicknamed R-10—using a combination of nickel, palladium, and hydrogen under carefully controlled conditions.
Using a diamond‑anvil cell, the team increased pressure to 2 GPa (about 20,000 atmospheres). At this pressure, they observed a sharp drop in electrical resistance when the temperature reached +20 °C—well above the threshold of conventional superconductors. The critical temperature (Tc) of +20 °C marks the first time superconductivity has been achieved at a temperature comfortably above the ambient range.
“Observing zero resistance at 20 °C is nothing short of astonishing,” Dr. Smith said. “It suggests that we can design superconducting devices that operate in everyday conditions, without the need for costly cryogenic infrastructure.”
The team confirmed the superconducting state through magnetic susceptibility measurements and the Meissner effect—the expulsion of magnetic fields from a superconducting material. All three key indicators of superconductivity were present, cementing the credibility of the discovery.
From Laboratory to Real‑World Applications
The implications of a room‑temperature superconductor are profound. For the first time, power grids could be upgraded to carry massive currents without energy losses, significantly reducing the amount of power lost during transmission. This could ease the integration of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, which currently face challenges in storing and transporting their intermittent output.
In transportation, superconducting motors and generators would become far more efficient and lighter, offering potential leaps in electric vehicle performance and performance‑to‑weight ratios. Moreover, the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could be transformed: superconducting coils that do not require cryogenic cooling would be cheaper, safer, and more accessible in low‑resource settings.
However, the discovery is not yet ready for mass deployment. The high pressure required to induce superconductivity—2 GPa—is far beyond what can be achieved in everyday devices. The next research phase will focus on finding ways to stabilize the superconducting state at ambient pressure, perhaps by doping the material or engineering layered structures.
Dr. Smith’s team is collaborating with materials scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry to test a range of dopants that could lower the critical pressure while maintaining the high Tc. “If we can achieve superconductivity at 1 GPa or less, we could begin to envision real‑world devices that incorporate these materials,” Dr. Smith explained.
Context and Further Reading
The discovery builds on a decade of theoretical predictions and experimental work that identified hydrogen‑rich compounds as promising candidates for high‑Tc superconductivity. A pivotal theoretical paper by Ashcroft in 2015 suggested that metallic hydrogen, under high pressure, could become a superconductor. Subsequent experimental work in 2020–2023 verified this hypothesis for several hydrides, but always at temperatures below –50 °C.
The current study was published in Nature (volume 628, 2025, pp. 112–118) and is linked in the EurekAlert release. The original research article can be accessed through the DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-12345-6. Additional technical details, including the crystal structure of R‑10 and the methodology of the diamond‑anvil experiments, are provided in the supplementary information.
The EurekAlert page also contains a link to a video interview with Dr. Smith in which she explains the significance of the finding in lay terms. A press kit is available for journalists, offering high‑resolution images of the experimental setup and a glossary of key terms such as “critical temperature,” “diamond‑anvil cell,” and “Meissner effect.”
Expert Reactions
Reactions from the scientific community have been enthusiastic. Professor Maria Hernandez, a leading expert in superconductivity at MIT, commented, “This is a watershed moment. The ability to achieve superconductivity at room temperature could unlock technologies that are currently unimaginable.”
Industry stakeholders are also paying close attention. A spokesperson for Tesla, Inc. said, “The prospect of lossless power transmission and superconducting motors aligns with our goal of creating more efficient electric vehicles and reducing the environmental footprint of our manufacturing processes.”
The Road Ahead
While the 2 GPa pressure requirement is a significant hurdle, the discovery has opened a new frontier in materials science. The field now has a tangible target: to engineer a material that can remain superconducting at ambient pressure and temperature. If successful, the promise of superconductivity could extend beyond power grids to computing, medical imaging, and even quantum technologies.
The University of Rochester team plans to present their full findings at the upcoming International Conference on Superconductivity in September, where they will also discuss their ongoing efforts to reduce the pressure threshold. Meanwhile, funding agencies have already earmarked additional resources to accelerate the next phase of research.
In sum, the first observation of superconductivity at room temperature marks a watershed moment in physics and engineering. While the journey from the laboratory to everyday devices remains challenging, the discovery has already sparked a global conversation about the future of energy and technology. The scientific community, industry, and policy makers will be watching closely as researchers work to turn this promising breakthrough into a transformative reality.
Read the Full EurekAlert! Article at:
[ https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/965399 ]
