Solid state chemistry has led to the creation of numerous materials with unique properties not found in nature. For instance, the high-temperature superconductivity of copper oxide compounds known as cuprates is so distinct from the superconductivity of naturally occurring metals and alloys that it is often referred to as “unconventional.” Unconventional superconductivity is also present in other synthetic compounds like iron-based superconductors and heavy fermion superconductors. Physicists at Ames National Laboratory have uncovered strong evidence of unconventional superconductivity in synthetic samples of Rh17S15, a mineral that exists in nature as miassite.
Miasite is one of only four minerals found in nature that act as a superconductor when grown in the laboratory, and is the only mineral ever known to exhibit unconventional superconductivity in its clean synthetic form. It is the only mineral that exists. Image credit: Paul Canfield.
Superconductivity is the ability of a material to conduct electricity without any loss of energy.
Superconductors have various applications including medical MRI machines, power cables, and quantum computers.
Conventional superconductors are well understood but have low critical temperatures.
The critical temperature is the highest temperature at which a material displays superconductivity.
In the 1980s, scientists discovered unconventional superconductors with significantly higher critical temperatures, all of which were manufactured in a lab, challenging the notion that unconventional superconductivity is not a natural occurrence, as stated by Ruslan Prozorov, a researcher at Ames National Laboratory.
“Miasite is a fascinating mineral due to its intricate chemical composition,” he added.
Continued efforts to grow miasite crystals as part of a broader exploration into compounds combining elements with high melting points and volatile elements have led to the discovery of unconventional superconductors in the Rh-S system.
Professor Paul Canfield highlighted the unique process of growing crystals at low temperatures with minimal vapor pressure in elements like Rh, contrary to pure elements found in nature.
Further tests confirmed that miasite functions as an unconventional superconductor, enhancing the understanding of superconductors.
For more information on this discovery, refer to the article published in Communication Materials.
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H. Kim et al. 2024. Nodal superconductivity in miasite Rh17S15. Communication Materials 5, 17; doi: 10.1038/s43246-024-00456-w
Source: www.sci.news
