High-temperature superconductivity represents a potential breakthrough across multiple fields of technology, from MRIs to levitating trains, hoverboards and computing. Scientists at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have discovered the first 3D model of the elements involved in high-temperature superconductivity, uncovered using powerful magnetic pulses and "some of the brightest X-rays on the planet," according to a press release. Superconductivity is a quantum mechanical phenomenon that occurs in certain materials when they're cooled to extreme temperatures, at which point they conduct zero electrical resistance and expel their magnetic fields. If humans can harness superconductivity at room temperature, the technology could take off in a massive way (Did someone say singularity?).
"This was totally unexpected and also very exciting," SLAC staff scientist and experiment leader Jun-Sik Lee says in a press release. "This experiment has identified a new ingredient to consider in this field of study. Nobody had seen this 3D picture before. This is an important step in understanding the physics of high-temperature superconductors."
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