And like a modern-day Sir Galahad, researchers from South Korea believe that search is over, publishing two papers in July 2023 detailing a new material that’s supposedly a superconductor at room temperature and ambient pressure. But despite the viral sensation of this so-called “discovery,” experts in the field aren’t so certain, and efforts to replicate LK-99, the supposed room-temperature superconductor, have failed.
To fully understand this scientific drama, let’s talk about superconductors: their history, their structure, and their incredible potential.