Chinese report draws roadmap for development of high-temperature superconducting materials

The Institute of Physics (IOP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), released on Monday the world's first strategic research report focusing on the development of high-temperature superconducting tapes, providing a clear roadmap for the large-scale application of high-temperature superconducting materials.

This report systematically reviewed the global R&D, industrialization and application status of rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) high-temperature superconducting tapes, and for the first time, presented the 10 key scientific and technological challenges facing this field.

Superconducting materials possess extraordinary properties such as zero electrical resistance and perfect diamagnetism. They are regarded as strategically important frontier materials for the 21st century, with broad application prospects in key sectors such as energy, transportation, healthcare and scientific research. They are considered a crucial foundation for driving future technological breakthroughs.

However, conventional superconducting materials require operation at extremely low temperatures, resulting in high refrigeration costs and dependence on scarce helium resources. Consequently, for the past few decades, the application of superconducting technology has been largely confined to a few areas, such as particle accelerators and MRI machines.

In contrast, high-temperature superconducting materials represented by REBCO exhibit critical temperatures above that of liquid nitrogen (196 degrees Celsius below zero), significantly reducing cooling costs while demonstrating substantially enhanced current-carrying capacity and high magnetic-field tolerance, thereby laying the foundation for broader-scale applications.

The report noted that since achieving commercial production in 2006, REBCO high-temperature superconducting tapes have demonstrated significant application potential across multiple fields, including magnetic confinement nuclear fusion, high-end medical equipment, large scientific facilities, and superconducting power devices. Overall, their applications are concentrated in two major directions: power systems and magnet systems.

Although REBCO high-temperature superconducting tapes have entered the early stage of commercialization, there remains substantial room for performance improvement. The key to future development lies in systematically advancing collaborative innovation across materials, fabrication and applications, the report said.

The report also systematically distilled for the first time the 10 key scientific and technological challenges hindering the large-scale application of REBCO tapes.

"These ten key challenges stem from our in-depth investigation of the entire industrial chain, from research and development to application," said Fang Zhong, an academician of CAS and director of IOP. "By aligning with major national needs such as nuclear fusion and superconducting power grids, and analyzing the gap between existing materials and practical applications, we have clarified the specific directions that need to be tackled to advance from 'usable' to 'excellent'."

Cheng Jinguang, deputy director of IOP, expressed hope that "by revealing these core scientific and technological challenges, we can gather innovative forces from various sectors to achieve collaborative breakthroughs and promote leapfrog development in the field of high-temperature superconductivity in China."