Physicists in China report the creation of a new nickel-based high-temperature superconductor at room pressure.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that this development comes from researchers at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China. For this, the team created a nickel oxide thin film.

Reportedly, this nickel-based superconductor can achieve superconductivity above -233°C (minus 387 Fahrenheit) at "normal pressure." This is a rare achievement, with only cuprates and iron-based materials previously demonstrating this breakthrough.

"Our findings pave the way for comprehensive investigations of nickelate superconductors under ambient pressure conditions and for exploring superconductivity at higher transition temperature through strain engineering in heterostructures," the researchers wrote in the study paper published in the journal Nature.

Superconductivity is when a material loses all electrical resistance and expels magnetic fields below a certain temperature.

It occurs when a material is cooled to a critical temperature. Traditionally, this required extremely low temperatures, making it impractical for many applications.

While many substances exhibit this behavior below -250 degrees Celsius, the real challenge lies in finding materials that can achieve superconductivity at higher temperatures. Those that can maintain this zero-resistance state above -233 degrees Celsius are classified as "high-temperature" superconductors.

The significance of high-temperature superconductors lies in their ability to be cooled with liquid nitrogen, which is far more cost-effective and efficient than the coolants required for standard superconductors.

Until now, only copper-based and iron-based materials have achieved high-temperature superconductivity at ambient pressure. Nickel-based materials previously required immense pressure, limiting their study and use.

"Originally, nickel-based high-temperature superconductivity could only be achieved under extremely high pressure - up to hundreds of thousands of atmospheres, which is basically equivalent to the pressure inside the Earth," co-corresponding author Chen Zhuoyu told CCTV.

Researchers at SUSTech spent three years developing a unique method to create their nickelate superconductor. This material is composed of nickel, oxygen, and two rare earth metals: lanthanum and praseodymium.

They arranged these elements in a way that achieved superconductivity at ambient pressure -- a major advancement over previous methods that required extreme pressures.

The material transitioned into a superconducting state at about -228 degrees Celsius when formed in thin layers.

"The discovery of bilayer nickelate superconductors under high pressure has opened a new chapter in high-transition temperature superconductivity," the study stated.

"Our work allows experimental investigations of the superconductivity mechanism with enhanced feasibility," it added.

As per SCMP, Professor Xue Qikun outlined the team's future research plans. He stated their intention to leverage the "unique experimental technology" they had developed to explore a wider range of materials.

They aim to push the boundaries of superconductivity further, specifically aiming to achieve even higher transition temperatures while maintaining normal, atmospheric pressure.

Qikun also highlighted that this development represents a "major innovation" in China's pursuit of independent experimental technology.

Superconductors have diverse applications, including MRI machines, maglev trains, power transmission, and fusion reactors.