Scientists have recently uncovered a groundbreaking discovery: the first naturally occurring unconventional superconductor, challenging our understanding of superconductivity.
Miassite, a metallic mineral consisting of rhodium and sulfur, was previously known to exhibit regular superconducting properties.
However, new research has revealed that miassite also possesses unconventional superconductivity, a trait previously only seen in synthetic laboratory materials.
Superconductivity, the phenomenon in which electrical resistance vanishes, was first observed in 1911.
Conventional superconductors, which follow the BCS theory, require extremely low temperatures to achieve superconductivity.
In contrast, unconventional superconductors do not conform to the BCS theory and are typically synthetic materials created in labs.
Miassite's identification as an unconventional superconductor is significant because it is the first naturally occurring mineral to exhibit such behavior.
This discovery adds to the small group of natural superconductors that includes covellite, certain meteorites, parkerite, and palladseite.
Although miassite occurs naturally, finding naturally occurring superconductive samples is improbable.
The mineral is typically found as an inclusion in other minerals and is believed to have formed billions of years ago, shortly after the formation of the Solar System.
The discovery of miassite's unconventional superconductivity opens up new avenues for research in the field of superconductivity and materials science.