A couple of week ago, a Korean Team published the paper about the creation of a room temperature superconductor:

Sukbae Lee, Ji-Hoon Kim, Young-Wan Kwon

Here is the abstract:

For the first time in the world, we succeeded in synthesizing the room-temperature superconductor (Tc≥400 K, 127∘C) working at ambient pressure with a modified lead-apatite (LK-99) structure. The superconductivity of LK-99 is proved with the Critical temperature (Tc), Zero-resistivity, Critical current (Ic), Critical magnetic field (Hc), and the Meissner effect. The superconductivity of LK-99 originates from minute structural distortion by a slight volume shrinkage (0.48 %), not by external factors such as temperature and pressure. The shrinkage is caused by Cu2+ substitution of Pb2+(2) ions in the insulating network of Pb(2)-phosphate and it generates the stress. It concurrently transfers to Pb(1) of the cylindrical column resulting in distortion of the cylindrical column interface, which creates superconducting quantum wells (SQWs) in the interface. The heat capacity results indicated that the new model is suitable for explaining the superconductivity of LK-99. The unique structure of LK-99 that allows the minute distorted structure to be maintained in the interfaces is the most important factor that LK-99 maintains and exhibits superconductivity at room temperatures and ambient pressure.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.12008

Video discusson on the Web:

Two Bit da Vinci

Is this the Biggest Discovery of the Century? Physics has always been my favorite field of study. Everything from how planes fly, to how solar panels work… but in the quantum world, things get weird and interesting. This new breakthrough coming out of Korea has the potential to be one of the biggest breakthroughs of the CENTURY. A room temperature, ambient pressure Superconductor. So how exactly does it work, is this research legit, and why does it matter? Let’s figure this out together! Room Temperature Ambient Pressure Super Conductor Breakthrough

And an article in Futurism discussing the mania:

The news even triggered huge superconductor-related stock bumps this week, to the point that the Korea Exchange issued warnings to investors, but stopped short of halting trading, Bloomberg reports.

In short, it’s a huge deal — if it holds up. So it’s no wonder that scientists are now stumbling over themselves to recreate the material.

And the drama is only getting started. This week, more researchers have come forward claiming to have proven the material’s existence and miraculous properties — but not everybody is convinced, creating a striking public schism in the world of physics. Is everybody racing to take credit for a discovery of the century and bag a Nobel prize — or is it a colossal fool’s errand?

https://futurism.com/claim-room-temperature-superconductor-tearing-apart

Let the discussions begin.

HT/David L. Hagen, Yooper