Discover
/
Article

Researchers Find Extraordinarily High Temperature Superconductivity in Bio‐Inspired Nanopolymer

MAY 01, 1998
Physics Tomorrow: Essay Contest Winner

DOI: 10.1063/1.882225

Paul M. Grant

Forty‐two years ago, Johannes Georg Bednorz and Karl Alex M̈ller startled the world with their unexpected discovery of superconductivity in layered copper oxide perovskites at temperatures substantially higher than previously thought possible. The history of this breakthrough is well known, and a large number of related compounds were found over the succeeding years, culminating in 2002 with Au‐2223—a triple‐layer CuO complex with an ambient‐pressure transition temperature of 175 K, synthesized by Paul Chu and his collaborators in Houston. Such materials have found a number of communications and electric power applications, especially in distribution cables, transformers and passive RF filters, but remain limited by the need for cryogenic packaging.

References

  1. 1. W. A. Little, Sci. Am. 212, February 1965, page 21.https://doi.org/SCAMAC

  2. 2. W. A. Little, H. Gutfreund, Phys. Rev. B 4, 817 (1971).https://doi.org/PLRBAQ

  3. 3. P. L. Morales, V. J. Parans, B. G. Stree D.‐Y. Carolan, C. Y. Park, S. D. Greene, D. P. Grant‐López, Biblioserver. NAPSI SCIPUBS\PRL\2028‐3\45.vrhtml.

More about the Authors

Paul M. Grant. Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California.

This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1998_05.jpeg

Volume 51, Number 5

Related content
/
Article
Technical knowledge and skills are only some of the considerations that managers have when hiring physical scientists. Soft skills, in particular communication, are also high on the list.
/
Article
Professional societies can foster a sense of belonging and offer early-career scientists opportunities to give back to their community.
/
Article
Research exchanges between US and Soviet scientists during the second half of the 20th century may be instructive for navigating today’s debates on scientific collaboration.
/
Article
The Eisenhower administration dismissed the director of the National Bureau of Standards in 1953. Suspecting political interference with the agency’s research, scientists fought back—and won.
/
Article
Alternative undergraduate physics courses expand access to students and address socioeconomic barriers that prevent many of them from entering physics and engineering fields. The courses also help all students develop quantitative skills.
/
Article
Defying the often-perceived incompatibility between the two subjects, some physicists are using poetry to communicate science and to explore the human side of their work.

Get PT in your inbox

Physics Today - The Week in Physics

The Week in Physics" is likely a reference to the regular updates or summaries of new physics research, such as those found in publications like Physics Today from AIP Publishing or on news aggregators like Phys.org.

Physics Today - Table of Contents
Physics Today - Whitepapers & Webinars
By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.