How Close Are We to Superconductors That Are Actually Practical?
Superconductivity, discovered in 1911, allows for lossless electrical current but currently requires extremely low temperatures for practical applications. Recent research has focused on hydride materials that operate at higher temperatures, though they typically require immense pressures that limit their utility. Experts predict that while ambient-pressure room-temperature superconductors are unlikely in the next decade, nitrogen-cooled high-temperature superconductors will see expanded use in power grids.
- ▪Heike Kamerlingh Onnes discovered superconductivity in mercury in 1911, a phenomenon now essential for quantum computers and MRI machines.
- ▪Hydride superconductors have shown progress by operating at higher temperatures, but they generally require pressures far exceeding atmospheric levels.
- ▪Researchers at the University of Houston are developing pressure-quench protocols to create superconducting states that persist after pressure is removed.
- ▪Physicists estimate that practical room-temperature superconductors for consumer electronics are at least 10 to 15 years away.
- ▪Near-term advancements are expected in the use of nitrogen-cooled high-temperature superconductors for specialized equipment and power grids.
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| Publication time | Sat, 19 Sep 2026 10:00:33 +0000 |
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In 1911, Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes made a paradigm-shifting discovery: at a few degrees above absolute zero, mercury completely lost its electrical resistance. This meant that with the right conditions, electrical currents could travel indefinitely without losing power as it passed through matter. Scientists soon realized that this feature, dubbed superconductivity, wasn’t just limited to mercury. Specific quantum mechanical effects enable superconductivity, so other elements could exhibit these properties under the right conditions. Eventually, physicists found a way to bring superconducting materials into wires and magnets, which opened up entirely new avenues for testing and utilizing weird quantum phenomena.
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