What's the point of room temperature superconductivity, Zhihu?

Room temperature superconductivity refers to superconductivity at or near room temperature, that is, there is no resistance when current flows in materials.

Improve the efficiency of power transmission: the resistance of superconducting materials is close to zero, which can reduce the energy loss during power transmission and improve the efficiency of power transmission. If room temperature superconducting technology is realized, the transmission efficiency of power system will be greatly improved and energy consumption will be reduced. Energy conservation and environmental protection: the use of superconducting materials can reduce the energy loss of electric energy transmission, thus reducing the demand for energy and promoting energy conservation and sustainable utilization. This is of great significance for environmental protection and reducing carbon emissions.

Miniaturization of power equipment: Superconducting materials have high current density and high magnetic field carrying capacity, so they can manufacture smaller and lighter power equipment, such as cables, transformers and generators. This will reduce the demand for space and facilitate the deployment of power equipment in limited spaces such as cities.

Breakthrough in scientific research: The realization of room temperature superconductivity will promote the further development of superconducting materials, which is of great significance for understanding superconductivity mechanism and material properties. It will also provide more possibilities for further scientific research, such as quantum computing and quantum communication.

However, room temperature superconductivity is still a challenging scientific problem, and it has not yet been realized. However, the research on room temperature superconductivity has been going on all over the world. I believe that with the progress of technology and the deepening of research, the realization of room temperature superconductivity will bring revolutionary changes.

There will be the following additional meanings and extended influences.

Traffic revolution: the realization of room temperature superconductivity can be used to develop high-speed maglev trains and magnetically driven ships. Superconducting materials can reduce energy loss during high-speed movement, improve transportation efficiency, shorten travel time and reduce the impact on the environment.

Innovation in medical field: room temperature superconducting technology can be used to manufacture medical equipment, such as magnetic resonance scanners and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to improve the resolution and quality of images and reduce the impact on patients. In addition, superconducting technology can also be applied to innovative biomedical fields such as nerve stimulation and brain-computer interface.