SOURCE / ECONOMY
Chinese analysts warn against hype over superconductivity as claims from South Korean scientists remain unconfirmed
Published: Aug 03, 2023 01:53 PM Updated: Aug 03, 2023 01:43 PM
Photo: web

Photo: web


Shares related to superconductivity technology slumped on China's A-share market on Thursday following the revelation that a claim made by South Korean researchers regarding the invention of a superconductor has yet to be confirmed. 

Analysts and securities research reports have highlighted that breakthrough in superconductivity represents an important direction for industry development, but still in the exploratory stage.

On Thursday opening shares of Shanghai National Center of Testing & Inspection for Electric Cable & Wire Co dropped by more than 10 percent, while Jiangsu Etern Co and Western Superconducting Technology Co opened lower by 8 percent.

The decline in shares came after a research paper from South Korea, which claimed the invention of a superconductor capable of operating at room temperature, was found to have defects. 

The researchers published their findings on July 22 claimed they were able to synthesize the world’s first superconductor able to conduct electricity at room temperature and ambient pressure from a lead-based material known as LK-99, according to media reports.

Yet, a member of the South Korean research team recently revealed that the research findings were published without the consent of the other authors, leading the team to request the removal of the paper. 

Additionally, research conducted by Qufu Normal University in East China’s Shandong Province found that the claimed superconductivity in the South Korean lab was unverified and far from perfect.

According to media reports achieving superconductivity at room temperatures would produce extremely strong magnetic fields with very high efficiency. The breakthrough in superconductor technology is believed to have the potential to revolutionize electronics, enhance the efficiency of power grids, and introduce other transformative technologies, thereby impacting the global stock market.

Experts have cautioned against excessive hype.

Pan Helin, a research fellow at the International Business School, Zhejiang University, said that if room temperature superconductivity is successfully implemented, it will be a revolutionary technological advance. 

However, we need to be careful about overhype, as the relevant technology has not yet been fully realized, Pan told the Global Times on Thursday.

CITIC Securities said in a research paper that room temperature and ambient pressure superconductivity is an important direction for industry development, but it is still in the exploratory stage. 

Since 2023, research teams have reported on room temperature superconducting materials, which attracted widespread market attention. However, these research results have not yet been rigorously verified, and room temperature and ambient pressure superconducting materials may still face a long exploration process.