By Andrew Grant
A promising material for conducting electrical current without resistance at a relatively high temperature has passed a crucial test. New magnetic measurements, detailed by German physicists in a study posted online June 26 at arXiv.org, indicate that pressurized hydrogen sulfide is a superconductor at roughly 200 kelvins.
The fresh data bolster the controversial claim of hydrogen sulfide superconductivity made by the same researchers in December (SN: 4/4/15, p. 11). If confirmed, the discovery would nudge physicists closer to their ultimate goal of room-temperature superconductivity (about 300 kelvins). No other known material is superconducting above 164 kelvins.