A room-temperature superconductor is a material yet to be discovered which would be capable of exhibiting superconducting properties at temperatures above 0° C (273.15 K). This is of course not strictly speaking "room temperature" (20–25°C); however, it can be reached very cheaply.

Since the discovery of high-temperature superconductors, several materials have been claimed as being room-temperature superconductors. In every case, independent investigation has quickly proven these claims false. As a result, most condensed matter physicists now welcome with extreme skepticism any further claims of this nature.

As of 2006, the highest-temperature superconductor (at ambient pressure) is mercury thallium barium calcium copper oxide (Hg₁₂Tl₃Ba₃₀Ca₃₀Cu₄₅O₁₂₅), at 138 K, though there are claims that this can be raised to 164 K by applying high pressure to the superconductor.

A potential candidate for room temperature superconductivity (though at extreme pressure) is metallic hydrogen; research into this possibility (and into how to reduce the pressure requirements) has resulted in the discovery of superconductivity in Silane (SiH₄).

External links

• http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0606187 - a book
• http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/0704.2188 - a chapter

References