[Reading Science] The Elusive 'Dream Material' Room-Temperature Superconductor

Related Paper Retracted Again
Scientific Community: "Once Manipulated, It Becomes a Habit"
Suspicions Mount Over Another Paper Published Last March

Questions have once again been raised about the credibility of the world's first room-temperature superconductor discovery paper, which caused a major sensation earlier this year. The discovery and commercialization of this 'dream material' that could trigger an energy revolution are becoming more distant once again.

The international academic journal Nature reported on the 26th (local time) that the renowned physics journal Physical Review Letters (PRL) retracted a related paper by Professor Ranga Dias of the University of Rochester, published in 2021, due to plagiarism and data manipulation.

▲A superconductor running while levitating in the air. Stock photo. Not related to the article.

Although the paper was not directly related to room-temperature superconductors, it presented research results on the electrical properties of manganese disulfide (MnS2), a key material used by Professor Dias. Prior to this retraction, PRL reportedly formed an independent verification committee to examine the integrity of the paper, including plagiarism, data accuracy, and manipulation. Nature confirmed that "PRL editors concluded that the allegations of data manipulation and fabrication were credible."

Notably, Ashkan Salamat, a longtime colleague of Professor Dias and a physics professor at the University of Nevada, submitted a statement to PRL, but it backfired. After thorough review, four investigators confirmed that the experimental figures Salamat provided did not match those in the paper. Two of the investigators explicitly stated in their report that "there is clear data manipulation with attempts to hide or conceal facts," and they "urge the immediate retraction of the paper." Consequently, PRL agreed with the investigation committee's conclusion that Salamat's submission of so-called 'raw data' was a deliberate attempt to obstruct the investigation and decided to retract the paper.

However, Professor Dias continues to deny any issues with the paper. In a statement sent to Nature, he asserted, "We still clearly state that there was no scientific misconduct or data fabrication/manipulation related to our research results," and added, "Despite this retraction, we will continue our research with passion."

Previously, in October 2020, Professor Dias's research team published a paper in Nature claiming to have created a room-temperature superconductor operating at 15 degrees Celsius under extremely high pressure exceeding one million atmospheres, attracting worldwide attention. Until then, superconductors had only operated below 200 Kelvin (minus 73.15 degrees Celsius) at best. The problem was that other researchers could not reproduce the same results under the experimental conditions described by the team. Ultimately, in September last year, Nature retracted the paper, citing data processing irregularities, although no illegal acts were found.

Undeterred, Professor Dias's team announced another remarkable research result in March this year. They published a paper in Nature reporting the creation of a room-temperature superconductor made from lutetium, hydrogen, and nitrogen (Lu-H-N). This paper has not yet faced allegations of plagiarism or data manipulation.

However, following last year's Nature retraction and now PRL's retraction, skepticism is growing. David Muller, a physics professor at Cornell University, remarked, "The retraction of Professor Dias's paper reminds me of the case of John Hendrik Sch?n at Bell Labs 20 years ago," adding, "From experience, those who falsify data do not stop after just one instance."

Meanwhile, superconductors are materials that exhibit zero electrical resistance and diamagnetism, expelling magnetic fields, under specific conditions such as ultra-high pressure and extremely low temperatures. They are realized at temperatures near absolute zero (around minus 273 degrees Celsius) using enormous amounts of electricity and special materials. Globally, research on developing room-temperature superconductors, the 'dream material,' is active. These materials can maintain superconductivity at room temperature without the need for additional equipment, resources, or costs. If discovered, it would be possible to recreate the 'Unobtanium' from the movie Avatar on Earth.

This would maximize the efficiency of electricity production, storage, and transmission. It could enable 'palm-sized' quantum computers, ultra-low power semiconductors, sleek and fast spacecraft like those in the movie Star Trek, and the commercialization of magnetic levitation trains, which have been stalled due to high costs and resource demands. Ultra-small generators minimizing inefficiencies from wind, tidal, and nuclear power could produce ultra-high-capacity electricity. Transmission and distribution facilities or storage devices (batteries) with zero power loss could also emerge.