A South Korean committee of scientific experts said that the Seoul-based research center behind the claims of a breakthrough in superconductor technology will be providing it with samples required for the validation process in as early as two weeks.
(Bloomberg) — A South Korean committee of scientific experts said that the Seoul-based research center behind the claims of a breakthrough in superconductor technology will be providing it with samples required for the validation process in as early as two weeks.
The Korean Society of Superconductivity and Cryogenics said that researchers at the Quantum Energy Research Centre will hand over samples of LK-99, the material they claim is capable of conducting electricity with zero-resistance at room temperature and ambient pressure, after a review of the research by another academic journal is complete.
“The review process is expected to take two to four weeks,” the KSSC said in an emailed response citing the research center, adding that there has been no additional communication since. The body said last week that it was “concerned” over the controversy generated by what it said were “unverified claims.”
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Sukbae Lee and Ji-Hoon Kim at the Quantum Energy Research Centre made the claims about LK-99 last month in papers shared pre-publication, meaning the work hadn’t been reviewed by expert peers. The momentousness of the claims has spurred a global drive to replicate them as fast as possible.
In addition to obtaining the samples directly from Lee and Kim for verification, the KSSC said that another method is to replicate the materials as described in the paper and measure their superconductivity in ambient, room-temperature. Three different institutions are currently trying this method using materials they have obtained independently, they said.
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The verification committee at KSSC is led by Kim Changyoung, a Seoul National University professor who is an expert in a related field.
Stocks seen as related to superconductor technology extended their rally in Seoul Tuesday, with Sunam Co. jumping as much as 22% to a fresh record and Shinsung Delta Tech Co. by the daily limit of 30% again. Sunam, which makes wires used for superconductors, has risen nearly 400% since the LK-99 research was released, but the company expressed concerns over being seen as a related stock.
“We don’t have any research collaboration or business relations with the research center that claims to have developed the room-temperature superconductor under ambient pressure,” Sunam said on its website late Monday.
–With assistance from Youkyung Lee.
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