Alleged superconductor LK-99 is still lacking superconductivity
A study published back in March 2019 seemed to validate LK-99 as an actual superconductor. The research, conducted by a team of physicists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids in Dresden, Germany, asserted that the material met the criteria for a quantum critical point, which is considered the holy grail of materials science.
But the substance’s prospects are fading, with two new papers suggesting that LK-99 lacks the superconductive properties that would enable it to be used in quantum computing and other applications. The papers also propose ways to potentially make LK-99 a superconductor, but the substance hasn’t been created or doped yet, and achieving the precise particle configuration is challenging.
There’s a discrepancy between theory and practice, to say the least. Experimentalists have failed to find proof of Superconductivity, while computer simulations show potential.
“The theoretical predictions and our experiments point in opposite directions,” co-author of the March study and professor at the University of Hamburg, Alfons Weber, tells Phys.org. “The discrepancy is striking and needs to be explained.”
As Weber and his colleagues note in their recent paper, published online May 23 in the journal Journal of Chemical Physics, tiny amounts of iron in their LK-99 samples induced magnetic responses, disrupting the intended behavior. Another paper, published online May 30 in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition, concluded that LK-99 cannot be a superconductor without the presence of an extremely rare isotope.
The future entails more published results from teams worldwide attempting to replicate and simulate LK-99. The outcome of LK-99 remains uncertain, with the possibility of it being just another hyped disappointment or Doping changing the game.
Regardless, the journey of material science inspiring public imagination has been enjoyable.
Summary of the LK-99 saga
Alleged Superconductor LK-99 still lacks the properties needed for superconductivity, as new studies show it can't be used for quantum computing. The substance hasn’t been created or doped yet, and achieving the precise particle configuration is challenging. Experimentalists have failed to find proof of superconductivity, while computer simulations show potential. Tiny amounts of iron in LK-99 samples induced magnetic responses, disrupting the intended behavior. The future entails more published results from teams worldwide attempting to replicate and simulate LK-99. The outcome of LK-99 remains uncertain, with the possibility of it being just another hyped disappointment or doping changing the game.
