University of Texas researchers stumbled upon a new superconducting metal that is the world’s thinnest at a mere two atoms—slightly thicker than a marathon runner by comparison.
Superconducting material is valuable because it has zero electrical resistance and can maintain a current without a power source. So far, it’s been used in a variety of high-tech equipment, including MRI machines, and the Large Hadron Collider.
Gizmag says this new metal opens up the possibility for new breakthroughs in these fields, as well as being able to use it to observe how superconductivity itself works. [University of Texas via Gizmag]
