Discovery of the one-way superconductor, thought to be impossible

[Native]

Associate professor Mazhar Ali and his research group at TU Delft have discovered one-way superconductivity without magnetic fields, something that was thought to be impossible ever since its discovery in 1911—up until now. The discovery, published in Nature, makes use of 2D quantum materials and paves the way toward superconducting computing. Superconductors can make electronics hundreds of times faster, all with zero energy loss. Ali: "If the 20th century was the century of semiconductors, the 21st can become the century of the superconductor."

During the 20th century, many scientists, including Nobel Prize winners, have puzzled over the nature of superconductivity, which was discovered by Dutch physicist Kamerlingh Onnes in 1911. In superconductors, a current goes through a wire without any resistance, which means inhibiting this current or even blocking it is hardly possible—let alone getting the current to flow only one way and not the other. That Ali's group managed to make superconducting one-directional—necessary for computing—is remarkable: one can compare it to inventing a special type of ice which gives you zero friction when skating one way, but insurmountable friction the other way.

Superconductor: Super-fast, super-green

The advantages of applying superconductors to electronics are twofold. Superconductors can make electronics hundreds of times faster, and implementing superconductors into our daily lives would make IT much greener: if you were to spin a superconducting wire from here to the moon, it would transport the energy without any loss. For instance, the use of superconductors instead of regular semi-conductors might safe up to 10% of all western energy reserves according to NWO.

The (im)possibility of applying superconducting

In the 20th century and beyond, no one could tackle the barrier of making superconducting electrons go in just one-direction, which is a fundamental property needed for computing and other modern electronics (consider for example diodes that go one way as well). In normal conduction the electrons fly around as separate particles; in superconductors they move in pairs of twos, without any loss of electrical energy. In the '70s, scientists at IBM tried out the idea of superconducting computing but had to stop their efforts: in their papers on the subject, IBM mentions that without non-reciprocal superconductivity, a computer running on superconductors is impossible.


Interview with Ali at link : [link:https://phys.org/news/2022-04-discovery-one-way-superconductor-thought-impossible.amp|

[Samrob]

1. I need a picture in more detail. nt

[Ohio Joe]

2. Wow... Very cool...

Important? Yes! Critical? Absolutely. I would go so far as to say that Superconducting Fiber alone makes our present economy possible.

~ CEO Nwabudike Morgan,
MorganLink 3DVision Live Interview

Background
The power requirements of Optical Computers (D3) and the nascent Industrial Base (B1) stimulate research into high-temperature Superconductors, an advance long considered a ‘holy Grail’ by physical chemists. A Superconductor is a material that does not resist a flow of electrons. Using a Superconductor, power can be transmitted at incredible speeds over vast distances with no degradation. Bulky and expensive cooling equipment for high-powered machinery or weaponry becomes unnecessary, because these materials remain cool and efficient as electricity passes through them.

Sid Meier's Alph Centauri

https://alphacentauri.fandom.com/wiki/Superconductor

[GryphonShouting]

14. Alpha Centauri was the best

Great reference. I laughed so hard I registered to DU just to tell you so.

[Ohio Joe]

15. Welcome to DU...

I love Alpha Centauri/Alien Crossfire, I still play it.

For other Gaming goodness, visit the Gaming Group:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1211

[Mr. Sparkle]

3. Love these stories

and the chance to have a super computer in my pocket one day.

[Joinfortmill]

4. A bit over my head but a good thing, I think.

[XacerbatedDem]

16. Me, too, but I'll run it through Sheldon Cooper. Bet he'll love it.

[TomWilm]

5. There is still the cooling problem, but it is a big step forward

"... The first research direction we have to tackle for commercial application is raising the operating temperature. Here we used a very simple superconductor that limited the operating temperature. Now we want to work with the known so-called "High Tc Superconductors", and see whether we can operate Josephson diodes at temperatures above 77 K, since this will allow for liquid nitrogen cooling.

The second thing to tackle is scaling of production. While it’s great that we proved this works in nanodevices, we only made a handful. The next step will be to investigate how to scale production to millions of Josephson diodes on a chip. ...”

https://www.tudelft.nl/en/2022/tnw/discovery-of-the-one-way-superconductor-thought-to-be-impossible

[Amishman]

11. Potentially super useful in space

As the JWT proved, it is absolutely possible to cool a system in space down to near absolute zero and maintain it.

[NoMoreRepugs]

6. Who knew "science" could benefit us all???

[bucolic_frolic]

7. Yes, we will solve the world's problems with faster computers that are cheap

Can you eat them?

[Amishman]

12. Use them to assist research into more direct solutions to our problems

You can't eat the super computer, but you can use it to accelerate research into better battery technology, which would go a long way in mitigating climate change. That would reduce famine and help feed the world.

[XacerbatedDem]

17. After reading about all those people who are trying to mine Bitcoin,

and the effects of all those computers running all the time, hopefully it will have some mitigating effects.

[Karadeniz]

8. Inhibiting the current is hardly possible.... Scary!!!!

[48656c6c6f20]

9. It's a great find but

This is the real problem. I'm not going to carry around a cryogenic chamber for my cell phone.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room-temperature_superconductor

[ProfessorGAC]

10. You're So Picky

That cooler would only weigh 300#.
I don't understand your objection!

[cos dem]

13. If you've had an MRI, you've been inside a superconducting magnet.

Once it’s charged, the current goes around and around forever. Pretty close to an actual perpetual motion machine.