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[Scientific American] Iron: Superconductor

1K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  DuckieHo 
#1 ·
Quote:
In superconductors electric current flows completely without resistance. For decades, the phenomenon was thought to occur only near absolute zero. The cold tames the vibrations of the atoms making up the substance in such a way that electrons can overcome their natural repulsion for one another. The altered vibrations, called phonons, cause the electrons to pair up; so coupled, they can then move freely through the atomic lattice.
What this could mean for the computing industry:

Quote:
A serendipitous discovery is now forcing investigators to expand their ideas on superconductivity. Materials scientist Hideo Hosono of the Tokyo Institute of Technology and his colleagues were looking to improve the performance of transparent oxide semiconductors but ended up discovering the first iron-based, high-temperature superconductor.
source

Was an interesting read for me and could mean good things to come for semiconductor applications.
 
#2 ·
There is a HUGE difference in what can happen and what will happen. This can happen for sure, but will it? Probably not...

All these killer ideas on how to make computers faster are nice and all, but it will take decades before we will see them because of forced life spans of current hardware, so the industry can make as much money as possible...

Cool idea. Nice read. Was just thinking about why we wont see this any time soon... :\\
 
#3 ·
Quote:


Originally Posted by JoBlo69
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There is a HUGE difference in what can happen and what will happen. This can happen for sure, but will it? Probably not...

All these killer ideas on how to make computers faster are nice and all, but it will take decades before we will see them because of forced life spans of current hardware, so the industry can make as much money as possible...

Cool idea. Nice read. Was just thinking about why we wont see this any time soon... :

I think it all has to do with cost/success ratios... all these awsome ideas fail because of high cost and/or low success. I think this has more potential than say... LAZER PROCESSORS!! since copper and other metals are already in use.
 
#4 ·
This is interesting from a scientific standpoint but we won't be able to take practical advantage of superconductors until we have a room temp. superconductor.
 
#5 ·
"high-temperature" superconductor = -180C
 
#7 ·
Correct me if I am wrong, but when people use extreme phase change systems or liquid nitrogen their cpus are arround -180. Are they becoming superconductive for those higher frame rates? I always wondered about that.

I also think those warm superconductors being -180 is what the article talks about. Iron has the potential to be superconductive at higer temperatures.
 
#8 ·
Quote:


Originally Posted by dizzy4
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Correct me if I am wrong, but when people use extreme phase change systems or liquid nitrogen their cpus are arround -180. Are they becoming superconductive for those higher frame rates? I always wondered about that.

I also think those warm superconductors being -180 is what the article talks about. Iron has the potential to be superconductive at higer temperatures.

CPUs under load are more like -130C to -30C. Superconductivity also depends on the material. Most materials don't become superconductive just because it is cold. Lower temperatures does reduce electromigration and allows for higher clocks.

Higher temperatures still isn't room temperature though...
 
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