- Scientists have identified the first unconventional superconductor that you can find in nature.
- Conventional superconductors follow a specific, well known paradigm called BCS.
- Miassite does occur naturally, but this test was on a pure, lab-made sample
New research unveils the extraordinary properties of a naturally occurring mineral beyond traditional superconductors. Miassite, composed of rhodium and sulfur, initially identified as a standard superconductor in 2010, has now defied expectations. Recent tests reveal its classification as an ‘unconventional’ superconductor, a rarity observed mostly in lab-created materials. Published in Communications Materials, this groundbreaking study challenges our understanding of superconductors, shedding light on the unconventional realm.
In conventional conductors, electrons move through pathways with some level of resistance, leading to energy loss. These materials are categorized based on their resistance level, with lower resistance being desirable. Some applications deliberately utilize resistance, such as in heating pads, where energy deposition is desired.
In contrast, superconductivity is a phenomenon where electrical resistance drops to zero within a solid material. Discovered in 1911 by Dutch scientist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, scientists have explored various types and possibilities ever since.
Typically, superconductors only exhibit this behavior at extremely low temperatures and often require high pressure. This is because the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer Theory (BCS), the prevailing explanation for superconductivity, relies on special electron pairs within a state of matter known as Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC). Achieving a high-temperature BEC, akin to a high-temperature superconductor, is highly desirable, but cooling materials to near absolute zero is costly in terms of both equipment and energy.
Unconventional superconductors defy the norms of BCS theory, typically requiring lab synthesis and near absolute zero temperatures for testing. However, in 1978, physicist Frank Steglich discovered the first unconventional superconductor in his lab, composed of cerium, copper, and silicon. Other types include cuprates and ferropnictides.
Enter miassite: a natural mineral exhibiting unconventional superconductivity. While lab-made miassite passed superconductor tests, it’s rare to find a naturally occurring superconductor. Miassite joins a unique category of natural superconductors alongside covellite, certain meteorites, and others. Despite its natural origin, miassite’s superconductive properties are rare and likely developed over billions of years.
With miassite’s discovery, researchers now have a potential unconventional superconductor in their hands, prompting further exploration in the lab.
