A research team from Pennsylvania State University has developed an innovative theoretical method capable of predicting the behavior of superconducting materials at higher temperatures. The study, published in the journal Superconductor Science and Technology, provides new insights for the discovery of room-temperature superconductors.

The team, led by Professor Zi-Kui Liu from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, combined density functional theory with entropy theory to establish a new framework for predicting superconducting properties. Professor Liu stated: “We not only explain known phenomena but also construct a theoretical tool for discovering entirely new materials.” The method successfully predicted the possibility of superconductivity in traditional non-superconducting materials such as copper and silver under extremely low temperatures.

The research breaks through the limitations of the conventional BCS theory and reveals the unique mechanisms of electron movement in high-temperature superconductors. Professor Liu used a metaphor: “It’s like building a floating bridge on turbulent waves—the special atomic structure protects the smooth flow of the electron highway.” The team plans to utilize a database containing 5 million materials to search for candidate materials with even higher transition temperatures.

Currently, the research team is collaborating with experimental scientists to validate the predictions. Professor Liu noted: “If room-temperature superconductors are discovered, they will have a revolutionary impact on energy and technology systems.”