LK-99 is probably not a superconductor

LK-99 is probably not a superconductor

Berlin, August 18, 2023

After the news from South Korea, where a team of scientists had managed to synthesize a material. that they called LK – 99, and which should be superconducting at room temperature and normal pressure, hundreds of scientists in many countries started verification. Result: so far no third party has been able to confirm the qualities claimed by the Koreans. In this study: „Absence of superconductivity in LK-99 at ambient conditions“ (Authors: Kapil Kumar, N.K. Karn, Yogesh Kumar, V.P.S. Awana (CSIR-NPL)
one doesn’t think it’s possible that LK-99 could show a property like superconductivity at some point. https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.03544

Nevertheless, numerous experts are trying to track down the „Holy Grail of Physics“ with slightly to heavily modified compositions and other methods. Why? Because the incentive would be high, the reward extraordinary, and the consequences revolutionary. To name just one aspect: the current world of energy networks, which are used in the IT industry or in the transport industry, would see a huge improvement in consumption and CO2 emissions.

Spectrum quotes Richard Greene, a physicist studying superconductors at the University of Maryland: „It’s a bit early to write off the material completely,“ he says. “But we’re getting pretty close. The convincing evidence to the contrary is already on the table.«