SUPERCONDUCTING wires allow electricity to flow with zero resistance, as long as their temperature is below at least -123 掳C. That鈥檚 a major obstacle, but does the whole of the wire have to be that cold?
The answer may be no, according to and of the University of California, San Diego. They have calculated that provided some points along the wire鈥檚 length stay below the threshold temperature, the material will superconduct.
For this to work, the wire鈥檚 surface must be extremely clean, allowing electrons to move freely and spread along the wire to create a uniform temperature. A material with a critical temperature of -193 掳C could superconduct at room temperature, provided some sections were kept to -253 掳C, they found. In principle, the colder these refrigeration points are, the fewer you need, Dubi says.
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Dubi is reluctant to proclaim the finding as the long-sought solution to room-temperature superconductors, since refrigeration points just 20 掳C above absolute zero will be tricky to achieve. Still, the theory, which will appear in Physical Review B, could be tested with available technology.
