Scientists suggest the upper limit for room temperature superconductivity
Superconductors are known for existing at freezing temperatures, but they also have a hidden upper limit that includes room temperature.
Superconductors are game-changing materials that can transform everything, ranging from healthcare to energy transmission and quantum computing. But there’s a catch—they work at extremely low temperatures (close to absolute zero).
This limitation has prevented us from harnessing their full potential. To address this challenge, scientists have been actively working on developing room-temperature superconductors, but they often wonder — is there an upper temperature limit for superconductivity?
The answer to this question is crucial to determining whether superconductivity can truly exist at room temperature. For instance, if a theoretical upper limit exists below room temperature, then achieving room-temperature superconductivity would be fundamentally impossible.
Finally, a team of researchers from Queen Mary University of London has found the answer. In their new study, they reveal the factors affecting the upper limit and the maximum temperature range suitable for superconductivity.
The power of fundamental constants
The study authors shed light on the role of fundamental physical constants—such as electron mass, Planck’s constant (h), electron charge, and the fine-structure constant (α).