World News

Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World

UK News

Latest news and developments in the United Kingdom

Products

Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology

Features

General articles, applications and industry analysis

Approaching absolute zero without helium

CHINA: Chinese scientists claim to have synthesised a supersolid material that can be cooled to near absolute zero without relying on increasingly scarce helium.

Said to be the first evidence of supersolidity in a real-world solid material, if confirmed this groundbreaking discovery has the potential to revolutionise cooling technology.

A supersolid is a special spatially-ordered quantum state of matter where particlest also flow with zero viscosity. 

This newly synthesised supersolid, Na2BaCo(PO4)2, is said to possess a giant magnetocaloric effect being capable of cooling to near absolute zero (-273.15ºC), the coldest possible temperature, without needing helium.

Helium is currently required for advanced research and technologies like superconducting magnets and MRI machines. However, with limited reserves and rising extraction costs, scientists and industries face a helium shortage.

Describing their research, Prof Su Gang of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, one of the lead scientists of the scientific team, said: “We put this material into magnetic fields and then tried to remove the fields while keeping the heat from leaking. As we slowly reduce the magnetic fields, the temperature of the material also lowered slowly, eventually reaching 94mK.” 

The concept of supersolidity has been occupying physicists since the 1970s, but proving its existence in real materials has remained elusive. 

This new study is published in the scientific journal Nature.

Latest News

14th February 2025

Two convicted of R22 refrigerant smuggling

USA: Two men have been convicted for separate instances of smuggling R22 refrigerant into the USA from Mexico.
14th February 2025

REHVA and ASHRAE extend co-operation

USA: REHVA, the Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations, took advantage of this week’s ASHRAE winter meeting to renew its partnership with the US-based organisation.
14th February 2025

Manage Panasonic heat pumps in cascade

UK: Panasonic is launching its new Cascade Manager, Aquarea Cascade Edge, including P-Smart Edge and P-Smart Nexus. 
14th February 2025

Eurovent calls for recognition of HVACR sector

BELGIUM: The European manufacturers' group Eurovent is calling for the recognition of the HVACR sector in the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal and related policies, to preserve the industry's competitiveness.
14th February 2025

Swegon acquires American Geothermal 

SWEDEN/USA: Swegon has signed an agreement to acquire American Geothermal, a US manufacturer of heat pumps and chillers for the concrete industry and commercial HVAC sectors.
14th February 2025

China’s HFC emissions more than 20% of global total

CHINA: Figures claiming that China’s emissions of high GWP refrigerants now represent more than 20% of the global total have been described as untenable by the Environmental Investigation Agency.