Yeah, it’s a really big breakthrough! I noticed while reading the abstract that it uses lead in its molecular (cristaline?) structure. It’s a big thing in electronics to avoid lead because when soldering it releases harmful gas, I was just making a joke about this… Yet I hope to someday be able to purchase superconducting wire spools and simply substitute copper in our procedures!
As for unleaded, it will likely be take what we can get. I still find it insane that we’ve pulled a quantum level effect all the way up into the realm of liquid water! If lead is what’s needed, we just need to make sure it’s processed properly.
I personally suspect that wire spools won’t be a thing. The internal structure of a high temperature superconductor is critical. That’s not something conducive to hyper flexible wire. Flexible, maybe, but not to that extent. Also, quenching events will still be a risk. Not quite as explosive as a liquid-He quench, but it would be quite spectacular, nevertheless.
I’d still love to be proven wrong however!
One place it will be a big deal is computing. Superconducting chips and memory will be a big deal. A lot of our limitations are resistive in origin. No resistance means FAR less heat, and so faster chips. They are also already mostly equipped for the sort of production processes required.
Yeah, it’s a really big breakthrough! I noticed while reading the abstract that it uses lead in its molecular (cristaline?) structure. It’s a big thing in electronics to avoid lead because when soldering it releases harmful gas, I was just making a joke about this… Yet I hope to someday be able to purchase superconducting wire spools and simply substitute copper in our procedures!
Poor reading on my part. Apologies on that. 😁
As for unleaded, it will likely be take what we can get. I still find it insane that we’ve pulled a quantum level effect all the way up into the realm of liquid water! If lead is what’s needed, we just need to make sure it’s processed properly.
I personally suspect that wire spools won’t be a thing. The internal structure of a high temperature superconductor is critical. That’s not something conducive to hyper flexible wire. Flexible, maybe, but not to that extent. Also, quenching events will still be a risk. Not quite as explosive as a liquid-He quench, but it would be quite spectacular, nevertheless.
I’d still love to be proven wrong however!
One place it will be a big deal is computing. Superconducting chips and memory will be a big deal. A lot of our limitations are resistive in origin. No resistance means FAR less heat, and so faster chips. They are also already mostly equipped for the sort of production processes required.