A genius? I just love studying.

Chapter 237 The Era of High-Temperature Superconductivity
After getting off the train at Gare du Nord in Paris, Chen Hui boarded another train bound for Berlin Central Station.

He had already bought his ticket while on the train because Schultz called to tell him that their superconductivity research had made a breakthrough!
At first, the two communicated a lot and shared their knowledge, but then Schultz's research hit a bottleneck and made no new progress for a long time. On the other hand, Chen Hui developed the fourth-generation semiconductor, new heat-resistant materials, and even solved the problem of engine combustion vibration.

Unexpectedly, after half a year, Schultz finally made a breakthrough - they found a new type of superconducting material with a critical temperature above 100K, a superconducting material with huge industrialization potential!

Currently, controlled nuclear fusion mainly uses low-temperature superconductivity, with a critical temperature below 30K. Liquid helium is required for cooling to maintain the superconducting state, which is not only costly and difficult to maintain, but may also cause the superconducting properties to be lost due to heat dissipation problems during experiments.

Although there has been progress in the research of high-temperature superconductivity, the most advanced superconducting materials that can be industrialized at present, such as rare earth barium copper oxide and bismuth strontium calcium copper oxide coated conductors, have a critical temperature as low as 30K. They still require liquid nitrogen or even liquid helium to assist in cooling, and the cooling temperature of liquid nitrogen can only reach 77K.

Although there have been many breakthroughs in laboratory superconducting materials, they either require high voltage or have very high maintenance costs.

Either the current density is too low to generate a magnetic field of sufficient strength.

Either the preparation is difficult, making it hard to transfer from the laboratory to the factory.

However, this time, Schultz and his team discovered that nickel-based superconducting doping can increase the current density to 10 A/cm, which can theoretically generate a magnetic field of 50T, fully meeting the requirements for magnetic confinement.

Furthermore, this material is simple to prepare and presents almost no challenges for industrialization. With a critical temperature as high as 100K, it can be cooled entirely with liquid nitrogen, reducing costs by more than 90%.

If this material can be mass-produced, it is foreseeable that the world's nuclear fusion research will take a giant leap forward!

Chen Hui naturally wanted to witness such a historic moment in person.

Liang Peixuan and Chloe had nowhere to stay in Paris either, so they followed along.

After exiting Berlin Central Station, Chen Hui took a taxi directly to the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry.

"Hey Hui, you're here!"

Schultz, with his flowing long hair, came out to greet them in high spirits.

"Congratulations."

Chen Hui also happily congratulated him, saying that this was not only a small step for Schultz, but also a giant leap for the history of world science and technology!

"Come on, I'll show you our new toys!"

Schultz couldn't wait to show off his treasure, and led Chen Hui and the other two into the laboratory of the Chemistry Research Institute.

"Hui, I've long admired your name!"

Here, Chen Hui met Eremets, the head of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. The lanthanum hydride superconductor he synthesized has a critical temperature of up to 250K, which is currently the highest critical temperature superconductor verified by experiments. The high temperature of -23℃ is already very close to the goal of room temperature superconductivity.

Of course, this critical condition is achieved at 170 million standard atmospheres, and current high-pressure maintenance technology can hardly support its industrialization.

Eremets was also all smiles. When he met Chen Hui, the man who had led him to such outstanding results, he was filled with enthusiasm. He could foresee the sensation that his research would cause when it was published, all because of the mathematical model proposed by the young man in front of him.

What an amazing boy!
"I have also read your paper, and your experiments on lanthanum hydride materials are full of imagination!"

Chen Hui wasn't lying; he really had read Eremets's paper.

Eremets' smile grew even more warm and friendly.

"Alright, let's begin the experiment."

Schultz interrupted the two who were about to exchange pleasantries, "Hui, you've come at just the right time. We've just finished making a section of wire, and now we're ready to test its various properties. What an exciting moment!"

Chen Hui had already noticed the thin wire, only the thickness of a hair, placed in the transparent tube on the laboratory operating table; clearly, that was the main character of the day.

"let's start!"

Eremets nodded to the experimenters.

The researchers conducted a final check, confirming that the liquid nitrogen Dewar flask was full and the temperature display showed -196℃ (77K). They then checked the contact resistance of the four-probe test fixture…

The experimenters put on protective equipment, took out the pre-prepared superconducting wire from the vacuum drying oven, put the wire into the test tank, slowly injected liquid nitrogen to completely immerse the sample, monitored the temperature curve, waited for the system to stabilize at 100K, and then connected the circuit.

A hazy blue light began to appear on the surface of the conductor. As the temperature stabilized, the blue light grew brighter and brighter, gradually changing from a deep blue to a bluish-white, like a solidified lightning bolt.

Chen Hui peered through the observation window and saw a faint purple glow moving along the edge of the strip—that was the quasi-particle luminescence excited by electron-phonon coupling when the superconducting current density was too high. The phenomenon, which had been described countless times in the paper, was now flowing in real life before his eyes, like a breathing nebula wrapped around the wire!
The magnetic levitation platform beneath the conductor suddenly began to rise—the originally stationary metal disk was lifted up by the magnetic field generated by the superconducting current, a full 5 centimeters above the tabletop, yet it remained as stable as if it were glued there. The fluorescent markings on the edge of the disk flickered with the changes in the magnetic field, reflecting the blue light of the conductor.

The entire laboratory was captivated by this dreamlike scene.

"Quickly record the data!"

Eremets was the first to regain his senses; he had seen this scene more than once before.

Soon, the researchers got busy, starting critical temperature tests, measuring heating curves, testing critical currents, current scanning, angle dependence tests, and so on...

A few hours later, Chen Hui saw the data compiled in Eremets' hands and was amazed. The upper critical magnetic field of this superconducting tape was 62T, and the irreversible magnetic field reached 35T at the critical temperature of 100K. This value showed that the material had extremely high practical value in the liquid nitrogen temperature range.

Of course, some problems were also found. When tested in the 45-degree direction, the critical current was found to be about 8% higher than the theoretical prediction. This may be due to crystal texture or interface effects, which Eremets marked as a phenomenon that needs further investigation.

Chen Hui did not participate in Schultz's research; he had his own things to do.

After watching the experiment on superconducting materials, Chen Hui and his two companions left the laboratory. Schultz and his team were busy with subsequent experiments and couldn't spare a thought for them.

"Super...superconductivity!"

After Chen Hui and the other two left the lab, Liang Peixuan was still speechless. He was determined to study materials science, and this was the first time he had witnessed the awe-inspiring power of materials science up close.

This further solidified his resolve to pursue his ideals.

Chen Hui, however, thought of the dreamlike scene he had witnessed on Luzhou Science Island. With this new type of superconducting material, that dreamlike scene might actually be within human control.

Humans will grow the sun on the earth!

"Eremetz, why don't you invite Chen Hui to join our project? With him on board, we're sure to achieve even more impressive results."

In the laboratory, Schultz watched Chen Hui and the others leave and said to his partner beside him.

Eremets shook his head. "He is indeed a super genius, and he may even surpass you in the future. But we already have a top mathematician. Inviting Chen Hui over won't be of much help."

"maybe."

Schultz shook his head. He had a gut feeling that the little guy always managed to pull off miracles, and he looked forward to working with Chen Hui again.

The trip to Germany lasted only half a day. Chen Hui and his two companions boarded the train to France again that same day. The date for the Clay Institute's award ceremony had already been set, and he couldn't stay in Germany any longer.

On the train back, Chen Hui shared this news with Academician E Weinan.

He didn't know the technical details of Schultz and his team. The only thing he could share was the news that Schultz and his team had successfully synthesized a new type of superconductor. Academician E Weinan had been preparing for this, and perhaps it was time to put it on the agenda.

It was the morning of the second day when I returned to Gare du Nord.

"Hello Professor Chen, I am Burton Clay, Chairman of the Clay Institute."

As soon as he stepped out of the station, a middle-aged white man approached him with a standard Western smile. "Congratulations, Professor Chen, on solving another Millennium Problem after Perelman. I heard that you've been studying the Navier-Stokes equations recently. Perhaps we'll meet here again in the near future."

Chen Hui never expected that the chairman of the Clay Research Institute would come to greet him in person.

Although Perelman declined the award, it seems that the Clay Institute still showed him enough respect.

"I also look forward to that day."

Having dealt with Westerners so many times, Chen Hui understands that you can't be too humble when dealing with them, otherwise they will really look down on you.

"Then let's look forward to that day together."

Burton laughed and said, "But now, enjoy the honor you deserve!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Burton looked at Liang Peixuan and Chloe behind Chen Hui.

“My friend Liang Peixuan and my student Chloe.”

Upon seeing Chloe, Burton couldn't help but marvel once again at how young this solver of the Millennium Puzzle was. Perhaps he really could solve another Millennium Puzzle!

"Now that everyone is here, let's get in the car first, and we can talk again when we get to the hotel."

The group followed Burton into a Renault minivan and arrived at the Grand Palais Hotel near the Collège de France. After having lunch with Burton at the hotel, Burton left.

Before they even got back to their room, Chen Hui and his two companions ran into Professor Fefferman, who had also just arrived, in the lobby.

"Hui, it's been a long time."

Fefferman greeted him warmly, "How's your decision? When are you coming to Princeton?"

He still couldn't forget about inviting Chen Hui to Princeton.

"Professor Fefferman might be able to come to China for an exchange for a period of time."

Chen Hui, on the other hand, extended an invitation in return.

He used to want to go to Princeton because Princeton is home to a large number of the world's best mathematicians, and he believed that exchanging ideas with these mathematicians would inspire him and spark wonderful insights.

But after solving the Millennium Problem, he could have used his fame to attract outstanding mathematicians to China. He wouldn't have needed to go to Princeton; wherever he was could have been Princeton.

Of course, there is still a long way to go, but Chen Hui is confident.

"I read your paper with Professor Dennis, 'Elastic Deformation of Whirlpool Fiber Bundles.' Your proof on the correspondence between the vortex deformation term and the torsion tensor of the bundle connection is truly ingenious..."

Clearly, Fefferman had carefully studied the paper, and some of the questions he raised had inspired Chen Hui. Chen Hui did not hold back, revealing his next research plan in its entirety, and even mentioning his differences with Dennis, objectively analyzing his views on Dennis's approach.

“It is natural to use topology to describe the annihilation process of a three-dimensional vortex tube, but the core region of annihilation is where the singularity is born, and the physical quantities change drastically. The traditional smoothness assumption fails. I think we need to go beyond a purely topological perspective…”

This idea coincided with Chen Hui's.

The two continued their discussion into the afternoon before Fefferman, exhausted, suggested taking a break.

Chen Hui was still somewhat unsatisfied.

Looking at the radiant Chen Hui, Fefferman once again truly felt how much damage age could inflict on a mathematician.

Your math level has improved from 5 (0%) to 1%.

"I never imagined that Mr. Fefferman had such in-depth knowledge of the Navier-Stokes equations!"

Chen Hui ignored the comments on the screen and praised sincerely.

He's suddenly wavering, and perhaps going to Princeton to study for a while might not be a bad thing.

Fefferman smiled slightly, "I was the one who announced the Navier-Stokes equations, one of the seven millennium problems, at the Collège de France!"

Fefferman deliberately used a very Chinese way of expressing himself, conveying his slight smugness with a touch of modesty.

Chen Hui was genuinely unaware of this matter.

"I didn't expect Professor Fefferman to have studied Chinese."

Only then did Liang Peixuan finally feel he could join the conversation. The conversation between the two had been like gibberish to him. He said to Chen Hui with some pride, "Our China is getting better. It seems like every Westerner I've met recently can speak a few words of Chinese."

Chen Hui nodded. He had clearly felt this change as well. On several trips abroad, even the worst foreigners he encountered could still greet him with a "Nihao" in a strange accent.

Although he didn't understand why people on domestic social media would go crazy liking a few compliments from foreigners about China, he was genuinely amused when he actually came to a foreign country and heard the foreigner speaking Chinese in a strange accent.

"Is it possible that all the people you've been in contact with are interested in Chen Hui?"

Fefferman smiled and looked at Chen Hui, "Those who are interested in Professor Chen will naturally learn some Chinese, at least I am."

Liang Peixuan was taken aback, but upon careful reflection, he recalled that both Schulz and Eremets had met him along the way.

It seems that this is indeed the case.

Chen Hui also found it very strange, as this was the first time he had heard such a statement.

Isn't this also a form of cultural export?
(End of this chapter)