Korkealämpötilaylijohteet

Korkealämpötil superconductor refers to a material that exhibits superconductivity at temperatures significantly higher than those required for conventional superconductors. Conventional superconductors typically need to be cooled to extremely low temperatures, often near absolute zero (-273.15 degrees Celsius or 0 Kelvin), using costly and complex cooling systems like liquid helium. The discovery of high-temperature superconductors, often referred to as 'high-Tc' superconductors, marked a major breakthrough in the field.

The first high-Tc superconductors were discovered in the mid-1980s and are typically ceramic materials belonging to the cuprate family, containing copper oxide layers. These materials can superconduct at temperatures above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (77 Kelvin or -196 degrees Celsius), which is much more accessible and cheaper to maintain than liquid helium temperatures. This advancement opened up possibilities for a wider range of practical applications due to the reduced cooling requirements.

Despite the 'high' in their name, 'high-temperature' in this context still refers to very cold temperatures by everyday standards. The ultimate goal in superconductivity research is to discover materials that superconduct at room temperature (around 20-25 degrees Celsius or 293-298 Kelvin), which would revolutionize numerous technologies. Research continues to explore new material compositions and structures to achieve this ambitious target. Potential applications for superconductors include highly efficient power transmission, magnetic levitation for transportation, advanced medical imaging (MRI), and powerful electromagnets for scientific research and fusion reactors.