A mobile phone is an essential item for modern people. It is used for various tasks, from simple tasks like receiving important information, making payments, listening to music, and verifying identities to essential tasks that cannot be done without a mobile phone. However, since mobile phones rely on battery charging, they become difficult to use when the battery is depleted or when the phone malfunctions due to overheating. What if using a mobile phone without charging the battery was possible? Let’s find out about superconductors that make this possible.
What is a superconductor?
A superconductor is a material with no or very low electrical resistance at a specific temperature called the “superconducting transition temperature.” When a superconductor is cooled below a certain temperature, electric current can flow through it without any resistance. This phenomenon is called superconductivity, and the materials that exhibit this behavior are called superconductors. Superconductors were first discovered in the Netherlands in 1911, and while the electrical resistance of typical metallic conductors decreases as the temperature drops, the resistance of superconductors becomes zero.
Who discovered it?
In April 1911, a Dutch physicist, Onnes, discovered that the electrical resistance disappears when a substance is cooled to a temperature of -268.8℃ using liquid helium. This phenomenon was named superconductivity, and Onnes’ discovery marked the beginning of the study of superconductors. Since superconductivity occurs at very low temperatures, many scientists have been researching to discover materials that exhibit superconductivity at higher temperatures. Currently, over 6,000 types of superconductors have been identified.
Is it possible to use a mobile phone without charging?
The most significant advantage of superconductors is that they have no electrical resistance. This means there is almost no energy loss when electric current flows through them, allowing devices to be used continuously without recharging the battery. If superconductors are used to make electrical wires, it would prevent the current loss of over 20%. Superconductors can be very useful in power transmission and energy storage systems, assuming they can flow infinitely once the current is generated.
Can it also fly in the air?
In addition to the absence of electrical resistance, superconductors also have a characteristic called the Meissner effect. Typically, objects that conduct electricity react to external magnetic fields. They generate internal magnetic currents and interact with external magnetic fields. However, superconductors behave differently. They generate an internal magnetic field opposite to the external magnetic field. This causes the internal magnetic field to push away the external magnetic field, causing the superconductor to levitate in the air.
Advantages of superconductors
Apart from the absence of electrical resistance, are there any other advantages of superconductors? When a current is passed through a superconductor, it generates a strong magnetic field, which can be used in various areas. It can create magnetic levitation trains, reducing frictional resistance and achieving high speeds. It can also be used to create magnetic storage devices that can store and maintain energy, enabling the creation of large-capacity energy storage systems. Additionally, it can be used in precision measurement and detection devices for conducting sensitive experiments and research. Furthermore, it can facilitate efficient long-distance power transmission by reducing electrical losses.
Why is there so much excitement about superconductors?
On July 22, a domestic research team discovered a substance called LK-99, believed to be a superconductor and published a paper on it. Then, on July 31, researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the United States confirmed that the superconductor paper published by the domestic research team is theoretically possible. As a result, stocks related to superconductors started to rise in South Korea and worldwide. The phenomenon of superconductivity, which was previously only possible at very low temperatures, can now occur at room temperature and normal pressure, leading to the development and commercialization of materials with superconductivity. This has garnered much attention, comparable to winning a Nobel Prize.
Applications of superconductors
Maglev trains
In movies and animations set in the future, there is always a transportation system called the maglev train. Maglev trains hover above the ground at a certain distance using the repulsive property of magnets. This corresponds to the negative effect of superconductors. By using superconductors, frictional resistance can be reduced, allowing for high speeds.
MRI
If you have ever had the experience of going to a hospital and being surprised by the high cost of an MRI, you may know about the terrifying price of MRI scans. MRI is a diagnostic test that involves placing the body in a strong magnetic field and transmitting radio waves to measure the resonating magnetic field to obtain images. Superconductivity generates a strong magnetic field, so MRI scans are expensive. If superconducting materials that work at room temperature become commercially available, it could solve the issue of expensive MRI costs.
Scientific research innovation
Superconductors are used in physics research that require high energy, such as particle accelerators and other experimental devices that require powerful magnetic fields. The unique properties of superconductors contribute to research and innovation in various areas such as materials science, engineering, physics, and technology development. If utilizing multiple superconductors becomes possible, science will advance even more rapidly.
Quantum computers
Quantum computers are computer systems that use the principles of quantum mechanics to solve more complex problems more efficiently than traditional computers. Superconductors are crucial for implementing quantum computers as they store and manipulate quantum information and perform quantum operations. However, the use of superconductors is currently limited to very low temperatures. Hence, research on superconductors and quantum computers is ongoing, and they are expected to be used in solving various problems as technology advances.
Written by Oh Hye-in, press@daily.co.kr
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