Silane-based superconductor promises room-temperature Tc

[scareduck]

Interesting EETimes article outlining a refereed article in Science this week; German and Canadian researchers have discovered superconductivity in silane (SiH4) at 17K and 96 and 120 GPa. It is theoretically possible that silane may be a superconductor at sufficient pressure at room temperature.

[djolds1]

Interesting EETimes article outlining a refereed article in Science this week; German and Canadian researchers have discovered superconductivity in silane (SiH4) at 17K and 96 and 120 GPa. It is theoretically possible that silane may be a superconductor at sufficient pressure at room temperature.

Now THIS I did not expect. I thought the most reliable theory on superconductivity ruled out anything but supercooled superconductors.

[scareduck]

Now THIS I did not expect. I thought the most reliable theory on superconductivity ruled out anything but supercooled superconductors.

IIRC metallic hydrogen should superconduct, but manufacturing those pressures is beyond what we can do in the lab right now.

[Keegan]

Cross-Posted In NEWS

Sensationalistic Rubbish.

If 17 Kelvin is room temperature, then WB6's 1E9 Neutrons produced net power.

[scareduck]

If 17 Kelvin is room temperature, then WB6's 1E9 Neutrons produced net power.

It points the way there. Nobody said they've actually done it. But as others pointed out in the comments section of the EE Times article, it might be possible to get silane under high pressure in other ways than just compressing it -- adsorption into some other matrix, perhaps -- which would allow for a room temperature superconductor.

Edit: Also, it's a lot easier to compress a gas to a particular pressure and keep it there than it is to keep something cool. Cooling requires almost constant energy infusions.

[TallDave]

it might be possible to get silane under high pressure in other ways than just compressing it -- adsorption into some other matrix, perhaps -- which would allow for a room temperature superconductor.

That was an interesting comment, I didn't know that materials science had ways of doing that.

Also, it's a lot easier to compress a gas to a particular pressure and keep it there than it is to keep something cool. Cooling requires almost constant energy infusions.

Ya, good point. Don't have to fight the 2nd Law quite as hard.