Understanding the science: ‘Room-temperature superconductivity’ claim fails tests

Contrary to claims by Korean scientists, the material LK-99 does not show signatures of superconductivity at room temperature, CSIR-NPL study finds

Not for the first time, a claim on superconductivity at room temperature, for long a Holy Grail in science, has failed verification tests. Scientists from CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (NPL) are among those who have reported results contrary to the claim.

A true superconductor would have levitated on a magnet (above); CSIR-NPL scientists found this property lacking in the newly described material. Oak Ridge National Library via US DoE

Superconductivity is a property that allows certain materials to conduct electric current without resistance, but its full potential remains largely untapped because it happens at extremely low temperatures. Zero resistance is one of the two defining signatures of superconductivity, the