HOUSTON — Researchers from the Texas Center for Superconductivity (TcSUH) and the University of Houston’s physics department have achieved the highest-ever superconducting transition temperature at ambient pressure, a breakthrough that could transform energy transmission, storage, and technology development.
The team reached a transition temperature (Tc) of 151 Kelvin (minus 122 degrees Celsius), surpassing the previous ambient-pressure record of 133 K set in 1993 by the mercury-based superconductor Hg1223. The transition temperature marks the point at which a material conducts electricity without resistance, a property that could lead to more efficient electrical grids, advanced medical imaging systems, fusion energy technologies, and faster electronics.
“This achievement is significant because it allows superconductivity to exist under normal conditions, making it much more accessible for research and potential applications,” said Ching-Wu Chu, TcSUH founding director and senior author of the study, published March 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The team employed a technique called pressure quenching, commonly used in creating synthetic diamonds. The process involves applying intense pressure to the material, cooling it to a specific temperature, and then rapidly releasing the pressure. This locks in the material’s enhanced superconducting properties, preserving its high Tc even after the pressure is removed.
“This method demonstrates that it is possible to retain a high-temperature superconducting state without maintaining pressure,” said Liangzi Deng, assistant professor of physics and lead author of the paper.
The discovery builds on decades of research, including Chu’s landmark 1987 work on the YBCO superconductor, which first surpassed liquid-nitrogen temperatures at 93 K. By raising the ambient-pressure Tc to 151 K, the UH team moves closer to the long-sought goal of room-temperature superconductivity, around 300 K.
Rohit Prasankumar, director of superconductivity research at Intellectual Ventures, the study’s main funder, noted that while the gap to room temperature remains about 140 degrees Celsius, this milestone provides a crucial foundation for further exploration.
“Room-temperature superconductivity has been the ‘holy grail’ of physics for over a century,” Prasankumar said. “This result brings us closer, but achieving practical room-temperature superconductors will require collaboration among physicists, chemists, engineers, and materials scientists.”
The research was funded by Intellectual Ventures, TcSUH, the state of Texas, and other foundations, signaling a renewed global push toward making superconductivity practical for everyday applications.
