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Room-temperature superconductors, those that do not offer any electrical resistance at ambient temperatures, are all the rage these days, given fast-paced developments on this front and the game-changer characteristics of any breakthrough that does materialize. LK-99 has now been touted as one of the most promising candidates yet to unlock the long-held utopian dream of a world dominated by room-temperature superconductors. Should this claim pass scientific rigor, veritable fortunes could be made within seconds.

LK-99: Where is the Proof of Room-Temperature Superconductivity?

Last week, we had examined the likelihood of a nitrogen-doped lutetium hydride compound as the first viable candidate for room-temperature superconductivity. On the 22nd of July 2023, a research team hailing from Korea University rocked the scientific world by claiming that LK-99, a gray-black compound of lead, copper, phosphorus, and oxygen, formally known as copper-substituted lead phosphate apatite, exhibited superconductivity characteristics at ambient temperature and pressure.

The South Korean team has submitted two preprint papers (here and here), claiming that the electrical resistivity of LK-99 dropped to zero (with the associated noise) at room temperature and pressure.

The Meissner effect refers to the expulsion of magnetic fields as a superconductor transitions toward its superconducting state. The South Korean team has claimed that it observed this effect in LK-99, even going so far as to release a video of the copper-substituted lead phosphate apatite levitating at room temperature and pressure.

Another paper, submitted on the 31st of July, attempted to perform density functional theory calculations on LK-99, managing to identify “correlated isolated flat bands at the Fermi level,” which are a hallmark of superconducting crystals.

First claimed successful replication of LK-99

Accomplished by a team at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology and posted 30 minutes ago.

Why this is evidence:

The LK-99 flake slightly levitates for both orientations of the magnetic field, meaning it is not simply a… pic.twitter.com/bh0x9oqaz2

— Andrew Cote (@Andercot) August 1, 2023

What’s more, a team at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology has already claimed the replication of the Meissner effect on LK-99, as shown in the above Xeet/tweet.

The product is blueish purple powder with faint metal shine as in literature pic.twitter.com/ooi9m401zL

— Iris (@iris_IGB) July 29, 2023

Another X account has followed the South Korean team’s footsteps to allegedly make the LK-99.

There are certain caveats, however. Some scientists have raised early flags regarding a data plot that details LK-99’s magnetic properties and is contained in both of the original papers submitted by the South Korean team. Both plots are sourced from the same dataset and, therefore, should be identical. However, one of the data plots has a y-axis that is 7,000 times larger than the other. While these discrepancies do not discredit the South Korean team’s findings on their own, they do entail the need for caution.

Which Investments Benefit if LK-99 Does Turn Out to be the Miracle Room-Temperature Superconductor?

If LK-99 does end up passing scientific rigor, it can change the world as we know it, transforming everything from electricity transmission and transportation to electronics and nuclear fusion. Here are the investment themes that stand to benefit the most:

Commodities, especially lead and copper futures.Lead is a byproduct of Zinc mining, so companies such as Teck Resources (NYSE: TECK) stand to benefit.Stocks of companies that produce phosphate fertilizers, such as Coromandel International (NSE: COROMANDEL), also stand to benefit.VanEck Rare Earth ETF (REMX).Top electrical wire manufacturers such as Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. (TYO: 5802) and Dacon Systems.Producers of medical imaging equipment such as General Electric (NYSE: GE) and Siemens Healthineers (ETR: SHL).

Do you think LK-99 is about to transform our world as we know it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Note:

The post has been edited to rectify an error regarding the critical temperature for superconductivity.