LK- 99 is the name of the superconductive material that promised to revolutionize the world. So much so that in early August, the Discovery generated a real frenzy in financial markets, with investors from all over the world betting on companies that would be impacted by advancements in technology (related to microchip development), energy, and transportation sectors, especially in China and Korea. Korean companies like Duksung, Sunam, and ShinsungDelta Tech saw their stocks rise by 30% on the Seoul Stock Exchange, while Chinese companies Jiangsu Fasten and Henan Zhongfu Industry also saw their stocks quoted as rising.

In a normal conductor, such as copper or aluminum, electrons move through the material and encounter resistance, which results in energy loss in the form of heat. In a superconductor, on the other hand, they flow because its composition allows it to conduct electricity without resistance when cooled to extremely low temperatures. This is because the electrons form parís and move through the material without dispersing, resulting in zero electrical resistance.

Superconductors have many practical applications in energy transmission because they can transmit electricity over long distances with minimal energy loss, making distribution more efficient.

However, the enthusiasm and stock market frenzy were short-lived. No one has dared to confirm that the invention is a reality and endorse the announcement. It appears that social media has played a key role in the commotion that occurred in the financial market and the scientific world. Once again highlights the tremendous power of digital platforms and the increasingly complex challenge of distinguishing the true from the false in this hybrid reality in which we operate.

Testing in Chile: the frenzy began with the dissemination of the discovery by researchers from the Korean Institute of Scientists replicating the experiment, and then it accelerated on X (formerly Twitter), Twitch, and Reddit. In various media and fórums, it was said that if true, LK-99 would be one of the most significant advances in the history of physics. However, the endorsements from the Korean team were quickly considered lacking in detail, which immediately raised doubts in the scientific community.

For the same reason, according to The Verge, various academic researchers and enthusiasts are competing to see if the conductor works by conducting tests themselves, but so far, there is no conclusive evidence.

In the country, the scientific commotion has led to more than a dozen research groups wanting to replicate this result, including a team of scientists from the Department of Physics at the Faculty of Science (DFC) of the University of Chile. The national team, led by doctoral candidate Javiera Cabezas Escares, is one of the first to study this superconductor and confirm its potential. However, they are emphatic in stating that the evidence is not yet conclusive – it is theoretical – but if it turns out to be real, it would be the holy grail of superconductivity.

“Using Density Functional Theory, we were able to see how the incorporation of the copper atom onto the apatite transforms the material from an insulator to a metal. Exploring the electron-phonon coupling (responsible for superconductivity), we found completely new and unique effects. Our results reveal characteristics that suggest possible high-temperature superconductivity,” Cabezas explains in the faculty’s newsletter.

Infinite potential: “If it is proven that LK-99 is true and capable of mass production, it would be totally transformative for many industries,” said Nick Cheng, an analyst at Jefferies Financial Group. According to the supplement CincoDías of the newspaper El País, it would have applications such as the development of supersonic levitating trains, extremely long-lasting batteries, or chips with enormous capabilities. It would allow almost lossless high-voltage lines and efficiencies that would make the renewable electrification of entire countries possible in much less time. “If true, the discovery would be one of the greatest in the history of condensed matter physics and could lead to all kinds of technological wonders,” states an article published on July 27th in Science.

The frenzy over LK-99 adds to several months of excitement surrounding the semiconductor industry, especially for the role they can play in the development of artificial intelligence, which requires strong computing capabilities. The leader in graphics cards, Nvidia, has risen 225% this year, and the largest chip manufacturer, TSMC, has risen 24%.

It remains to be seen whether the global commotion that drove up and down the prices of so many companies and drove so many investors crazy in a couple of frenzied weeks was due to hasty announcements by overly enthusiastic scientists and unorthodox methodologies, or simply something akin to fake news.”