Päivi Törmä, a professor of quantum physics at Aalto University, describes her work by saying that it’s better to study something whose significance is absolutely clear, even if success is uncertain, than something less important where success is guaranteed. Törma leads an international consortium trying to realise one of physics’ great ambitions by 2033: finding a superconductor that works at room temperature.
‘At this stage of my career and life, I wanted to do something truly meaningful. I thought about where I have deep expertise and a strong track record, and what would also be extremely important for the world.’
Superconductivity is a quantum phenomenon in which electrical resistance and energy loss disappear when a material is cooled to extremely low temperatures. It’s already used in applications such as large magnets, medical imaging, and quantum devices.
Superconductivity was first discovered more than a century ago in mercury. Yet achieving it still requires large amounts of energy, expensive equipment, and non-renewable natural resources such as helium, which is used to cool electrons near absolute zero. The most commonly used superconducting material is niobium and its alloys.
A breakthrough would have enormous significance for information and communication technology, potentially reducing its global energy consumption by as much as 25 percent. The need is becoming increasingly urgent in the age of data centres and artificial intelligence. New superconductors could also be used in medical imaging devices, maglev trains, and the development of quantum technologies and fusion energy.
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