What are superconductors and why do they matter?
Imagine electricity flowing forever without any loss.
The answer
Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity with zero resistance when cooled below a critical temperature. In a superconductor, electrons form 'Cooper pairs' that glide through the atomic lattice without scattering, meaning no energy is lost as heat. This also causes the Meissner effect, where the material expels all magnetic fields, enabling levitation. If we achieve room-temperature superconductivity, it would revolutionize power grids, transportation, and computing.
Source: Reviews of Modern Physics
- superconductors
- physics
- materials science
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