For decades, high-temperature superconductors (HTSs) have promised to revolutionize energy transmission, quantum computing, and medical imaging—yet their real-world use has been stymied by two critical barriers: extreme pressure requirements and relatively low critical temperatures (Tc), the point at which materials lose all electrical resistance. In a breakthrough published in Nature Materials in June 2025, a team from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, shattered this impasse: they developed a nickel-based HTS that achieves a Tc of 40.2 Kelvin (-232.95°C) under ambient pressure (1 atmosphere)—a first for nickel-based systems, which have long lagged behind copper-based HTS in performance. This advance not only redefines the potential of nickel-based superconductors but also brings practical, low-cost superconducting technology closer to mainstream adoption.

The new material builds on a layered perovskite structure, engineered via doping engineering (incorporating small amounts of cobalt and oxygen vacancies) to enhance electron pairing—the quantum effect that enables superconductivity. Unlike copper-based HTS, which require pressures exceeding 100,000 atmospheres to reach Tc above 30K, the nickel-based superconductor operates at standard atmospheric pressure. This eliminates the need for expensive high-pressure equipment, which previously added fifty thousand United States dollars or more to prototype systems. “Copper-based HTS were a breakthrough, but their pressure demands made scaling impossible for grid or computing use,” explains Dr. Li Jiawei, lead researcher on the project. “Our nickel-based material solves that—its ambient pressure operation cuts infrastructure costs by 70%, making large-scale testing feasible.”

The 40K Tc milestone is strategically significant, as it aligns with the cooling capacity of commercial closed-cycle refrigerators—devices far more accessible than the liquid helium systems needed for lower-Tc superconductors. For context, traditional low-temperature superconductors (like niobium-titanium) require Tc below 10K, relying on liquid helium that costs approximately two hundred United States dollars per liter. In contrast, the nickel-based HTS can be cooled using refrigerators that run on electricity, with operational costs dropping to roughly fifteen United States dollars per day for a small-scale system. This affordability opens doors for applications like high-efficiency power grids: conventional transmission lines lose 5–7% of electricity to resistance, but superconducting cables could cut losses to less than 1%—a savings of billions of kilowatt-hours annually for global grids.

Beyond energy, the breakthrough accelerates progress in quantum computing. Quantum bits (qubits) rely on ultra-stable environments to avoid decoherence, and superconductors are key to maintaining this stability. Current quantum computers using niobium-based superconductors require liquid helium cooling, limiting their deployment to specialized labs. The nickel-based HTS, operating at 40K, can be integrated with smaller, cheaper refrigeration units, potentially enabling compact quantum devices for industrial use. “We’re already in talks with European quantum tech firms to test the material in qubit circuits,” Dr. Li notes, adding that initial tests show the material maintains superconductivity even when patterned into thin films—critical for device fabrication.

Challenges remain, primarily around material scalability and mechanical durability. The nickel-based superconductor currently has a brittle structure, making it hard to form into long cables for grids. The team is addressing this by developing a composite material, combining the superconductor with flexible metallic substrates, which they aim to test by early 2026. Another goal is to push Tc above 77K (the boiling point of liquid nitrogen), a threshold that would further reduce cooling costs and expand applications to areas like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, which now rely on bulky, helium-cooled systems.

This breakthrough signals a turning point for HTS technology. By overcoming pressure and temperature limitations, nickel-based superconductors bridge the gap between lab innovation and real-world use. For industries racing to decarbonize energy systems and advance quantum technologies, this development isn’t just a scientific win—it’s a practical step toward a more efficient, sustainable future. As Dr. Li puts it: “Superconductivity has been a ‘promised land’ for decades. Now, with ambient pressure nickel-based materials, we’re finally building the road to get there.”

（Writer：Laurro）