High temperature superconductors (HTS) are magical materials that can help meet society’s energy needs. Superconductivity is not new, although it has been hitherto invisible to most of our society. HTS will change it because it operates at higher temperatures and magnetic fields and is therefore able to transform our energy system. Thanks to an impressive interdisciplinary effort and longstanding collaboration between research laboratories and industry, we have learned to control the properties of these materials and manufacture them to achieve superior performance. Thus, many engineering devices were built that proved their superiority. Fortunately, we are now in one of the most exciting times for the application of superconductivity, with its incorporation into various emerging energy applications, such as fusion, electric aviation, or transportation cables. The race toward mass production has begun, although the cost is still falling. In this presentation, I’ll explain the basics of superconductivity, the HTS materials that are expected to emerge, and new lines of research to make them accessible to everyone. I will conclude by showcasing HTS-based superconducting energy applications that can transform our society.
Teresa Puig, PhD in Physics, Research Professor and Head of the Department of Superconducting Materials at the Institute of Materials Science in Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC)
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