Where electricity flows without resistance... but only in one direction.
FIONA MACDONALD/ 28 FEB 2017 (www.sciencealert.com)
Scientists have found the first evidence that superconductivity, one of
the most intriguing and lucrative phenomena in physics, can be left- or
right-handed. Or, more accurately, that superconducting materials can
display chirality.
Chirality is frequently seen in nature
- chiral materials are those that have mirror image versions of
themselves that aren't identical, just like a left and a right hand. But
until now, chirality and superconductivity - the ability for a material
to transmit electricity with zero resistance - had never been found in
the same material.
Now, an international team of researchers has observed a
superconducting current flowing in only one direction through a chiral
nanotube - the first observation of a chiral material acting as a
superconductor.
This is important, because superconductivity is one of the most
sought-after phenomena in physics. Right now, we see it occur when we
cool certain materials down to very-chill temperatures below around 5.8
K (-267°C or -440°F).
When that happens, superconductive materials begin to shuttle
electrons through them without any resistance, making them incredibly
powerful...
Full article: http://www.sciencealert.com/physicists-just-found-the-first-evidence-superconductivity-can-be-left-or-right-handed
