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0 pointsp-e-w2y ago0 comments

> because they just got a few mm^3

But why? The base materials are cheap and easily available, and the synthesis process seems rather straightforward. Why don't they have kilograms of this stuff by now?

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lll-o-lll2y ago

> synthesis process seems rather straightforward

They’ve been working on this for years. To me it looks like whatever their process is, they don’t have something that’s repeatable. So maybe a couple of small samples are all there are after 1000s of attempts doing more or less the same thing.

p-e-wOP2y ago

So the groups trying to replicate right now are basically wasting their time?

lll-o-lll2y ago

> So the groups trying to replicate right now are basically wasting their time?

If a few dozen groups all try and replicate, and there is something to replicate, then odds are good someone will get lucky (birthday paradox and all that). Each individual group is definitely wasting their time, but the aggregate time spent may not be a waste.

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mrguyorama2y ago

No, this still needs replication. A room temp and pressure superconductor being possible at all, verifiably, implies there are probably better versions to be discovered. This could really improve the funding in the area, and labs that attempt replication and fail could benefit from that.

j16sdiz2y ago

These are crystals. Getting large (millimeters scale), pure crystal of the required structure is not easy.

You can't do superconducting experiments on powder.

adastra222y ago

The synthesis process is not at all straightforward.

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