Phys.org May 17, 2023
Researchers in China attempting to replicate the superconductivity results from an experiment conducted by a team at the University of Rochester (UoR) doping a lutetium-hydrogen chemical with nitrogen. The team in China found that the process did lead to the formation of a compound that at first glance appeared to be identical to that created by the team at UoR. A closer look using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed its structure, a hydrogen-lutetium-nitrogen compound, that looked nearly identical to the UoR compound. The Chinese team even found the same color changes reported by the UoR team as the material was subjected to high pressure. However, things did not look the same when the material was tested for superconductivity. The team in China was not able to detect any transition changes, even when they tested it at super-cold temperatures. The Chinese team is not rejecting the results obtained by the team at UoR—instead, they suggest it is possible that the nitrogen dopant present in their material was of insufficient quantity to produce the desired effect. They also note that in their sample, the dopant was unevenly distributed. They suggest further testing is needed to verify the results obtained by the group at UoR… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Schematic rendering of the new a.c calorimetry technique… Credit: Nature (2023)