LK-99 is a novel superconductor which can act as a supper conductor even at room temperature. The research team at a start-up firm Quantum Energy Research Centre in Seoul by scientist Sukbae Lee and Ji-Hoon Kim has published a paper on 25th July 2023.
What are Superconductors?
Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity without any resistance, meaning they can carry large currents without losing energy or generating heat. They have many potential applications, such as high-speed trains, powerful magnets, and quantum computers. However, most superconductors only work at very cold temperatures, which makes it difficult to use in many common applications.
Motivation for discovery of LK-99
Superconductors are currently used in MRI machines to super-fast maglev trains which uses magnets to levitate the trains and make to slide faster on tracks. But due to its very low temperature preference it cannot be used in transmission wires computers etc. where electrical properties can be achieved without resistance. That is why scientists are always searching for new superconductors that can operate at higher temperatures, or even at room temperature.
How is LK-99 made?
LK-99 looks like an old dark gray rock. Lk-99 is made up of thin film of iron selenide (FeSe) that is grown on a substrate of strontium titanate (SrTiO3). The researchers found that by applying an electric field to the film, they could induce superconductivity at temperatures up to 45 Kelvin (-228 degrees Celsius), which is much higher than the 8 Kelvin (-265 degrees Celsius) achieved by FeSe alone. Moreover, they observed that the superconducting state was very robust and stable, even under strong magnetic fields.
The researchers believe that the electric field creates a layer of oxygen vacancies at the interface between FeSe and SrTiO3, which enhances the electron pairing that is essential for superconductivity. They also suggest that the lattice mismatch between the two materials creates a strain that modifies the electronic structure of FeSe and increases its critical temperature.
What impact LK-99 makes in the current Technology?
LK-99 is a remarkable discovery that opens up new possibilities for exploring and manipulating high-temperature superconductivity. It also demonstrates the power of combining different materials and applying external stimuli to create novel quantum phenomena. The researchers hope that their findings will inspire further research and innovation in this exciting field of physics.
Conclusion
Many researchers claim that data published in the paper presented in LK-99 is inconsistent and scientists who replicated it was not able to get the superconductivity claimed in it. With the recent hype on social media which made more spotlight on Superconductivity material. But anyway, it paved the way for further study and focus on the Superconductivity.
