REBCO key to research in energy technology, report says

China has released the world's first comprehensive report on high-temperature superconductors, signaling the country's rapid progress in a field seen as crucial for future energy and technology breakthroughs.

The report, issued on Monday by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Physics, focuses on a type of superconductor known as REBCO, or rare-earth barium copper oxide.

Superconductors are special materials that can carry electricity without any resistance, which means no energy is lost as heat. They are also capable of creating very strong magnetic fields, making them essential for applications ranging from medical imaging to nuclear fusion.

Traditional superconductors need to be cooled to nearly absolute zero (around minus 269 C) using liquid helium, which is expensive and hard to obtain. High-temperature superconductors like REBCO, however, can operate at around minus 196 C — the temperature of liquid nitrogen — making them cheaper and easier to use on a large scale.

According to the report, China has made major strides in producing REBCO superconducting tapes since the 1990s. These tapes have already been applied in projects such as urban power grid upgrades in Shanghai and Shenzhen in Guangdong province, as well as in medical devices, high-speed trains, and experimental nuclear fusion reactors.

But experts caution that challenges remain. REBCO tapes are made of multiple layers, and producing them consistently at high quality is difficult. The report identifies 10 key technical problems that need to be solved to expand their use, especially in large-scale energy systems and advanced research facilities.

"By looking closely at each layer of the material, we've pinpointed where performance bottlenecks occur and how to overcome them," said Fang Zhong, director of the Institute of Physics. "This gives us a clear roadmap for turning promising materials into reliable technology."

Experts say the development of high-temperature superconductors could transform energy and scientific research.

"From basic studies to applied engineering, innovations in these materials have driven major progress," said Song Yuntao, deputy director of the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science. "We have witnessed revolutionary developments in nuclear fusion alongside the transition from copper coils to mimic-copper materials, to low-temperature superconductors, and now to high-temperature superconductors."

"China is now at the forefront of both nuclear fusion and high-temperature superconductors, and combining the two could lead to even bigger breakthroughs," he said.

The report comes as countries worldwide invest heavily in advanced materials and clean energy technologies, underscoring the strategic importance of superconductors in the 21st century.