Unconventional Superconductor Found in Nature
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Inside a regular material that conducts electricity, electrons encounter resistance and lose energy in the form of heat. Superconductivity is a state where there is no electrical resistance inside the material. A typical superconducting material achieves zero resistance at extremely low temperatures and, usually, under high pressure. “Unconventional” superconductors are any superconducting materials that work at higher, although still very low, temperatures.
In research published in the journal Communications Materials, scientists have reported the first “unconventional” superconductor found in nature. Miassite, a gray, metallic mineral made of rhodium and sulfur, is usually found embedded in other materials in its natural state and was identified as a regular superconductor in 2010. Special testing was performed on a lab-made piece of miassite to confirm its unconventional status. The only other unconventional superconductors are compounds developed in laboratories.
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