From top student in college to scientific research powerhouse

Chapter 77 contains both 1 and 2, officially releasing information to the public!
The materials were sent to the Institute of Optics the following day.

Under Deng Jiashan's meticulous operation, the material was divided into thin lines, each one millimeter wide and one centimeter long.

This small piece of thread, secured in a plastic box, was sent to the Dongchuan Provincial Institute of Testing Technology.

Tan Yanming took Zhang Minghao to find Professor Zhao Xu and talked about their testing needs.

"Precise measurements of resistivity, current carrying capacity, superconducting critical transition temperature, and the upper limit of Ising superconductivity under ultra-strong magnetic conditions..."

"Also, try not to damage the internal structure of the material."

Zhao Xu frowned and asked in surprise, "Is this the Ising superconductor?"

After saying that, he stood up, looked at the materials on the table from all angles, and then exclaimed, "You've created the Ising superconductor? Really?!"

His tone wasn't one of doubt, but rather one of surprise.

The Ising superconductivity is a relatively new term in the field of physics, referring to the ability of superconducting materials to maintain their superconducting properties even under extremely strong magnetic fields.

Conventional superconducting materials will have their superconducting properties compromised in extremely strong magnetic field environments.

Theoretically, two-dimensional 'olefin materials' possess Ising superconducting properties.

Some research teams believe that certain special materials, such as molybdenum disulfide crystals, may also be Ising superconductors, but this is only a "possibility" and there is no clear evidence to support it.

Therefore, the Ising superconductor remains a conceptual material to this day.

"Whether it's an Ising superconductor or not, you can find out by testing it."

Tan Yanming replied with a smile.

Zhao Xu continued to stare at the material. He nodded and said with some difficulty, "This material is too small, and thin film materials are very fragile. It is very difficult to test it without damaging the structure."

"Moreover, several tests could compromise the results, such as current carrying capacity, and whether the material can withstand an overload of current?"

"You'd better think carefully before doing the testing. I can't guarantee that it won't damage the structure at all..."

He spoke very frankly, and that was the truth.

Some materials may be directly damaged when subjected to high-power current, and no one can guarantee that the structure of the material will not be damaged at all during the testing process.

Tan Yanming immediately looked at Zhang Minghao.

Zhang Minghao said, "Professor Zhao, please put the tests that might damage the structure later."

"We mainly measure resistivity and current carrying capacity, which is sufficient. The superconducting properties of Ising can be measured later."

Zhao Xu nodded, "That makes things simple."

He stood up again, picked up the materials, and walked out the door. "Let's go to the lab. I'll do a quick test first."

They went to the laboratory together.

Tan Yanming and Zhang Minghao sat in the outer room and talked quietly about the testing issue.

"Isn't current carrying capacity also important?"

Tan Yanming asked doubtfully, "Does this data need to be accurate to determine its application value?"

"A valuation will suffice."

Zhang Minghao explained, "Stanene is a topological insulator; the middle part is an insulator, and only the edges of the material are conductive."

"The edge is neither the upper layer nor the lower layer; it refers to the edge of the atomic layer, where the conductive area is extremely small, so the current carrying capacity will certainly not be very high."

"If it is to be used in the future, it will definitely need to be cut into very fine shreds, so for now, an estimated figure is sufficient."

Tan Yanming immediately understood.

Topological insulators conduct electricity only at their edges, and because they are thin-layered materials, the narrow cross-section of the conductive material will definitely affect the current carrying capacity.

However, the near-zero edge resistance also increases current carrying capacity.

For now, a preliminary estimate is sufficient, since it's not yet at the stage of practical application.

The two waited together outside.

Not long after, Zhao Xu walked out of the laboratory with a very strange expression, a mixture of curiosity, excitement, and an exaggerated, eccentric laugh.

Upon getting closer, his smile turned ingratiating: "Academician Tan, let's discuss something!"

"This material is extremely difficult to test, it's hard to get the data, and the testing costs are not low."

"How about this, our team will do the testing for you, providing detailed data for every item, and it's all free, not a penny. After the testing is finished, could you keep this small piece of material?"

"Uh……"

Tan Yanming paused for a moment, then asked, "Didn't you say that some tests are difficult to perform without damaging the structure? What if the materials are damaged by then...?"

"That's another team!"

Zhao Xu patted his chest and said confidently, "Our team is strong enough to tackle any challenging test!"

"But this material..."

Tan Yanming immediately looked at Zhang Minghao again, but he couldn't make that decision.

Zhang Minghao thought for a moment and nodded, "That's fine, but Professor Zhao Xu, your team must ensure that every piece of data is accurate."

"Do not worry!"

Zhao Xu patted his chest excitedly, "Not to mention Dongchuan Province, our team's strength is second to none in the field of metal conductor testing, not only in the whole country and the world."

He was so happy he wanted to jump for joy.

When I brought the material into the lab, I thought it was a special Ising superconductor, but after a simple resistivity test, I found that I couldn't get a reading at all.

This indicates that its resistivity is more than 10,000 times smaller than that of conventional metals.

At room temperature, the resistivity of a certain material is more than 10,000 times smaller than that of a metal. Isn't that room temperature superconductivity?

This tiny, thread-like material is actually a room-temperature superconductor?

My darling!
This is a real treasure!
……

Materials testing doesn't yield results immediately.

The news that the applied electromagnetics laboratory had successfully created room-temperature superconducting materials spread like wildfire to the ears of various higher-level leaders.

This time, it wasn't a group visit; rather, most of the leaders remained silent.

Many people are also waiting for the test results.

Last time, the electromagnetics lab claimed to have discovered a new physical phenomenon. Song Kaifeng, the head of the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, came to check it out. After confirming it, the report was submitted to the higher authorities for acceptance.

The fact that room-temperature superconducting materials have now been manufactured sounds incredible, and most people don't even believe it.

Room temperature superconducting materials?

how can that be possible!
They all wanted to confirm the information before proceeding with the next steps, otherwise it would be bad if a false alarm got out.

Meanwhile, some leaders also took action.

For example, Vice Principal Xu Peijun went to the Applied Electromagnetism Laboratory to talk with Zhu Bingkun and Zhang Minghao, and then went to the Dongchuan Provincial Institute of Testing Technology to inquire about the progress of materials testing.

He couldn't get any information out of him.

Zhao Xu knew very well that it was a room-temperature superconducting material, but Xu Peijun's level was not high enough, and he was also worried about what might happen if he revealed it.

Xu Peijun could only go back and wait for the results.

It wasn't until three days later that Zhao Xu's team produced a test report, which clearly showed three important data points: resistivity, current carrying capacity, and critical transition temperature.

"The data for the Ising superconductivity will take another week. The detection of this value is very complex and needs to be carried out in conjunction with experiments."

Zhao Xu explained.

All teams are conducting research on Ising superconductivity, not testing for it.

The testing of the Ising superconductor is not within the scope of the routine testing of the Testing Technology Research Institute. They need to design a special testing plan and adjust the equipment in order to give a rough result.

However, resistivity and current carrying capacity are sufficient data.

After receiving the test results, the applied electromagnetics laboratory was called to a meeting at the school administration office just two hours later.

Conference room of the administrative office.

Song Kaifeng, head of the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Shi Chengqian, president of Jiangzhou University, and Xu Peijun, vice president of Jiangzhou University, were all present, along with several other provincial government officials.

There were also several academicians, professors, and heads of various departments within the university.

They all wanted to confirm one thing—"Is the room-temperature superconducting material real?" Song Kaifeng asked directly.

He was asking Zhu Bingkun.

Zhu Bingkun nodded immediately, "Of course it's true, the materials are right there, and we've received the report from the testing and research institute."

He then handed out a copy to everyone.

Tan Yanming was also seeing the report for the first time. When he saw the data on resistivity and current carrying capacity, he couldn't help but gasp.

The measured resistivity value is 10 to the power of negative 7 microohms per centimeter.

This value is seven orders of magnitude smaller than the resistivity of conventional metallic conductors.

Although it is far from reaching the level of low-temperature superconductivity, it is still lower than the actual resistivity of some high-temperature superconducting materials when they enter the superconducting state.

High-temperature superconducting materials do not have zero electrical resistance when they enter the superconducting state.

The resistance is zero, but only in theory.

High-temperature superconducting materials often have complex compositions, which means that even after entering the superconducting state, the movement of electrons is still slightly hindered, and resistance can be clearly detected by precise measurements.

However, when it comes to the application of materials, it is meaningless to define whether they meet the superconducting standard. In reality, as long as the resistivity is 5 orders of magnitude smaller than that of conventional metals, the resistance can be considered to be zero.

It is seven orders of magnitude smaller than that of a 'super-low resistivity material', which is strictly speaking 'ultra-low resistivity material', but in a less strict sense, it can also be called a room-temperature superconducting material.

Another important data point is current carrying capacity, which is directly related to application issues.

The current carrying capacity data in the report is not high, only about one-tenth that of pure copper wire.

If you don't understand the material, you might think that the current carrying capacity data is not high, which could greatly limit its application.

Tan Yanming was aware of this.

He stared at the current carrying capacity data and asked Zhang Minghao in a low voice, "Is this what you meant by the current carrying capacity data not looking good?"

"That piece of material is also one millimeter wide, and its conductivity on both sides is one-tenth that of copper. If it is cut into a thin line 100 micrometers wide, wouldn't it meet the standard of copper?"

Zhang Minghao was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "Is it very high?"

"Uh~~~"

Tan Yanming didn't want to talk anymore.

Many materials have a current carrying capacity far exceeding that of copper, especially superconducting materials, whose current carrying capacity at ultra-low temperatures may be several orders of magnitude higher than that of copper.

However, it's important to know that copper is a pure metal, and pure metals are the most conductive. Over 99.9% of composite materials and alloys cannot carry a current exceeding that of copper, and some are even significantly weaker.

Therefore, even in high-tech fields, copper is the most common conductor material, and only silver can directly replace copper.

Everyone was looking at the report intently.

Zhu Bingkun then explained each point in detail, confirming to everyone that they had indeed created room-temperature superconducting materials, and that these materials had significant application value.

Song Kaifeng announced with full approval, "The Provincial Department of Science and Technology will fully support this research!"

After he finished speaking, he asked, "I heard from Academician Tan that you hope to create more materials, right? This is definitely something we should support."

How much more funding do you need?

Zhu Bingkun hesitated for a moment. He wasn't the type of person who was good at discussing funding on the spot, especially with a bunch of leaders watching.

How do I ask for that? How much would be appropriate?

Zhang Minghao said directly, "Director Song, of course the more funding the better. Even if you give us a hundred million, we won't mind!"

After he finished speaking, everyone burst out laughing.

Song Kaifeng stopped laughing. "One hundred million? You really dare to say that."

"Your research might be worth that price, but we can't afford it!"

"I've also heard there's a technical agreement, right? Are you asking us to invest money to help you make money?"

Zhang Minghao retorted nonchalantly, "These shouldn't be the same thing, right? We've already researched the technology."

"Now we need to produce more materials. We won't lose money by producing them; we just need some financial support."

"Or we could apply to higher authorities..."

"no!"

Song Kaifeng immediately denied it, saying, "There's no problem with funding. You can focus all your efforts on making the second and third pieces of material. The province will cover all the expenses!"

After he finished speaking, he glared at the others.

Apply to higher authorities? Request funding from higher-level departments to support the fabrication of materials?
Of course not!

This research result must not be associated with any higher-level departments; it would be best if it all remained in Dongchuan Province, or even Jiangzhou City.

With the funding from higher authorities, some of the credit will be distributed later.

……

The Science and Technology Department provided a large grant, along with support from the university.

The Applied Electromagnetism Laboratory quickly launched large-scale manufacturing, with the primary goal of creating a second piece of material.

Although it is mass-produced, the manufacturing process still needs to be kept secret. The most important thing to keep secret is the substrate, which is the core of the core.

Only Zhu Bingkun and Xue Kun had access to the substrate.

Others are only responsible for testing.

After rapidly producing a large quantity of multilayer tinene thin film materials, the testing lab does indeed require a significant number of personnel.

Those involved in the testing also learned of the situation and discussed it privately in surprise, "Is it a multilayer tinene thin film material?"

"To test insulation properties, does that mean 100% conductivity?"

"Can it really be built?"

"Of course! Some materials do have insulating properties, but the area covered is very small..."

Another three days passed.

In just three days, the laboratory produced two batches of materials, each containing more than a dozen multilayer tinene thin film materials, and many of these materials were found to have insulating properties.

However, what they need is a whole piece of material, to directly detect that the middle part is an insulator, rather than detecting an insulation signal.

During the second batch of material testing, the testing personnel finally found a complete piece of insulation material.

"Professor Fang, come and take a look at this piece of material!"

"The adjacent locations are all insulated, so no current pattern can be detected!"

"The whole thing is like that!"

The inspector was visibly excited; it was the first time he had ever encountered such a situation.

Fang Huimin immediately went over to check.

After conducting detailed testing, she confirmed that she had successfully manufactured the entire piece of material.

She cut the material off the edge, and after retesting it, she confirmed that the material's properties were consistent with the previous piece.

After the materials are manufactured, they are still taken to the optical research institute for cutting.

After the cutting was completed, the material was sent back to the electromagnetics laboratory for routine testing, which further confirmed that a second piece of the same material had been created.

The second piece is different in meaning; this is the purpose of their large-scale experiments.

Many people are eyeing the applied electromagnetics laboratory.

After the second piece of material was produced, the news spread to the school, the provincial science and technology department, and even higher-level leaders at an extremely fast pace.

With point 1 and point 2, we can now confirm it!
Song Kaifeng, the head of the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, immediately submitted the prepared materials to the Ministry of Science and Technology. The submitted results directly announced that the Applied Electromagnetism Laboratory of Jiangzhou University had developed room-temperature superconducting materials.

After the report was submitted, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology and Jiangzhou University jointly released the information to the public.

The title of the announcement from the Provincial Department of Science and Technology is as follows:

Major Scientific and Technological Achievement in Dongchuan Province: Manufacturing Room-Temperature Superconducting Materials!

Jiangzhou University is—

Room-Temperature Superconductivity: One of the Greatest Technological Challenges of the 21st Century Has Been Overcome by Our University's Applied Electromagnetism Laboratory!

(End of this chapter)