Nobel laureate Johannes Georg Bednorz, a German physicist, who together with K Alex Müller discovered high-temperature superconductivity, addressed students of the KIIT University on Saturday.
In early 1986, Bednorz made the amazing and unexpected discovery of high temperature superconductivity (HTS) in an entirely new class of layered-perovskite, oxygen-sensitive, copper-oxide ceramics. The new material, (la,Ba)2CaCu4O4-x, had a superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of about 35 K, 50% greater than the best existing low temperature superconductor (lTS) of the time, Nb3Ge, whose Tc is 23 K.
This discovery underlies this entire World Technology Evaluation Centre (WTEC) study. To exemplify the impact of the discovery, it should be noted that all superconducting technology of the time was based on the use of just two materials, Nb 47 wt. Ti and Nb3Sn, having Tc values of 9 and 18 K, respectively; thus, their application was directly tied to liquid helium technology, for which the operating temperature range is approximately 2-6 K.
Bednorz also spoke on use of superconductors in hydropower, wind power, plasma physics and medicine.
Speaking about superconductors, from 20th century discovery to 21st century technology, Bednorz said there are some research challenges of superconductivity.
Among others KIIT & KISS founder Dr A Samanta and KIIT University VC Prof PP Mathur and Registrar Dr Sasmita Samanta were present.