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Water, steam and ice cubes. Of all the states of matter, these three (liquid, gas and solid) are the easiest to understand. Especially since we have them close at hand. Plasma (when a gas is heated so much that the constituents of the atoms themselves separate and become an ultra-hot chaos of subatomic particles) is also quite well known, but its Nemesis physical, the Bose-Einstein condensate is, on the contrary, almost unknown in popular culture.
In this state of matter is where a team of researchers from the University of Tokyo found themselves a new type of superconductivity that, until now, was only theoretical.
Towards a new theory of superconductivity
¿Bose-Einstein condensation? In general, a BEC is a state of matter that “forms when a gas boson cools down to near absolute zero”. At that very low temperature the atoms “become a single entity with quantum properties.” As Kozo Okazaki of the University of Tokyo points out, “the resulting matter behaves as a single entity with new properties that previous solid, liquid or gaseous states, such as superconduction, lacked.”
What happens is that, as Okazaki also tells us, “Up until recently, superconducting BECs were purely theoretical, but now we have demonstrated this in the laboratory with a new material based on iron and selenium.” It is the first time that a BEC has been experimentally verified as a superconductor. In other words, it is the first time that an electrical circuit has been shown to lose its resistance and become extremely efficient under these conditions.
Isn’t this the superconductivity of all life? Not exactly. It is true that superconductors often work at very low temperatures, but in cases such as those designed by the BCS (Bardeen-Cooper-Shrieffer) theory, what happens is that the atoms slow down and align, making it easier for the electrons to circulate rapidly. That is, beyond the insanely high temperatures, they don’t have much to do with it.
Midpoint For this reason, many researchers have pondered the need to find intermediate points between the two approaches in order to find a global understanding of superconductivity. In this sense, Okazaki explains that “demonstrating the superconductivity of BECs was a means to an end; we really hoped to explore the overlap between BEC and BCS”.
And they succeeded. The work suggests that there is “a smooth transition between these two great modes of superconductivity”. Ultimately, what they were looking for was an experimental basis that allowed us to think of “a more general theory behind superconduction”. Said and done. Now the most important thing remains, to build that new vision and see where it takes us.
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