Academic body invalidates superconductor research results

The Korean Society of Superconductivity and Cryogenics (KSSC), an academic organization, has dismissed the research outcomes of a team of Korean scientists who asserted the creation of a room-temperature superconductor. The KSSC expressed doubt over the validity of the findings, highlighting that the data presented by the Quantum Energy Research Centre exhibited distinct physical properties from those of conventional superconducting materials. Additionally, the KSSC indicated that the movement displayed in the video footage provided by the Quantum Energy Research Centre could potentially be replicated using non-superconducting materials.

This assessment implies that the material in question, LK-99, purported by the research team to achieve superconductivity at room temperature, fails to demonstrate attributes such as zero resistivity and the Meissner effect, which involves the expulsion of a magnetic field.

Led by CEO Lee Suk-bae, the Quantum Energy Research Centre, a privately-owned entity based in Seoul, asserted that they had developed the world's first room-temperature, ambient-pressure superconducting material. Such a discovery is highly anticipated within the science and technology communities due to its potential for energy-efficient electrical current transmission.

The initial papers, authored by Lee and five other researchers, describe a compound labeled LK-99, composed of lead, copper, phosphorus, and oxygen, proposed to exhibit superconductivity under room temperature and atmospheric pressure. However, these papers are self-archived, necessitating peer review for scientific validation.

To verify these claims, the KSSC recently established a committee, led by physics professor Kim Chang-young from Seoul National University. The verification team includes representatives from various research institutions, including Seoul National University, Korea University, Pohang University of Science and Technology, and Sungkyunkwan University.

Coincidentally, the Quantum Energy Research Centre faced scrutiny for incorrectly naming local companies and research institutes as partners on its website. This prompted the company to take down its website. Notable names, including Samsung SDI, SKC solmics (now SK enpulse), LG Innotek, Posco, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, and Japan's Sumimoto Corporation, appeared as partners alongside local research organizations and universities. However, several of these entities denied any affiliation with the research center and demanded removal of their logos from the website. Despite the previous message of excessive traffic causing a blockage, the company's website is now completely offline with a message indicating construction.