IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,239,030
Granted Patent B2
US 12,239,030 · App. 18/483,504 · Granted Feb 25, 2025

High temperature superconductor

Inventors: Philipp Braeuninger-Weimer (Seattle, WA); Nathan P. Myhrvold (Bellevue, WA); Conor L. Myhrvold (Bellevue, WA); Cameron Myhrvold (Bellevue, WA); Clarence T. Tegreene (Mercer Island, WA); Roderick A. Hyde (Redmond, WA); Lowell L. Wood, Jr. (Bellevue, WA); Muriel Y. Ishikawa (Livermore, CA); Victoria Y. H. Wood (Livermore, CA); David R. Smith (Durham, NC); John Brian Pendry (Surrey, GB); Charles Whitmer (North Bend, WA); William Henry Mangione-Smith (Kirkland, WA); Brian C. Holloway (Snoqualmie, WA); Stuart A. Wolf (Bowie, MD); Vladimir Z. Kresin (Oakland, CA)
Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC
H10N60/858
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,239,030
App. No.
18/483,504
Granted
Feb 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A superconductor device includes a high superconductivity transition temperature enhanced from the raw material transition temperature. The superconductor device includes a matrix material and a core material. The enhancing matrix material and the core material together create a system of strongly coupled carriers. A plurality of low-dimensional conductive features can be embedded in the matrix. The low-dimensional conductive features (e.g., nanowires or nanoparticles) can be conductors or superconductors. An interaction between electrons of the low-dimensional conductive features and the enhancing matrix material can promote excitations that increase a superconductivity transition temperature of the superconductor device.

Claims (41)

1. A superconductor device, comprising:

an enhancing matrix material, wherein the enhancing matrix material comprises a polymer; and

a core material, wherein the core material and the enhancing matrix material together create a system of strongly coupled carriers.

2. A superconductor device, comprising:

an enhancing matrix material, wherein the enhancing matrix material is ice; and

a core material, wherein the core material and the enhancing matrix material together create a system of strongly coupled carriers.

3. The superconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the core material comprises a plurality of low-dimensional conductive features.

4. The superconductor device of claim 1 , wherein superconductivity occurs in the core material.

5. A superconductor device, comprising:

an enhancing matrix material, wherein the enhancing matrix material comprises zirconium hydride; and

a core material, wherein the core material and the enhancing matrix material together create a system of strongly coupled carriers.

6. The superconductor device of claim 1 , wherein a superconductivity transition temperature of the superconductor device is at least 273 K.

7. The superconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the core material comprises a plurality of low-dimensional conductive features.

8. A superconductor device, comprising:

an enhancing matrix material comprising:

a ferroelectric enhancing matrix material that has a spontaneous electric polarization that can be reversed by application of an external electric field, and

at least one additional matrix material, selected from the group of matrix materials consisting of: zirconium hydride, ice, and a polymer; and

a core material, wherein the core material and the enhancing matrix material together create a system of strongly coupled carriers.

9. The superconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the core material comprises a plurality of low-dimensional conductive features.

10. A superconductor device, comprising:

an enhancing matrix material comprising:

a ferromagnetic enhancing matrix material, and

at least one additional matrix material, selected from the group of matrix materials consisting of: zirconium hydride, ice, and a polymer; and

a core material that includes a p-wave like superconductor material, wherein the core material and the enhancing matrix material together create a system of strongly coupled carriers.

11. The superconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the core material comprises a plurality of low-dimensional conductive features.

12. A superconductor device, comprising:

an enhancing matrix material comprising at least one matrix material, selected from the group of matrix materials consisting of: zirconium hydride, ice, and a polymer; and

a core material comprising a plurality of low-dimensional conductive features, wherein the core material and the enhancing matrix material together create a system of strongly coupled carriers.

13. The superconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the low-dimensional conductive features are embedded in the enhancing matrix material.

14. The superconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of low-dimensional conductive features includes at least one of: a two-dimensional conductive monolayer, a two-dimensional multilayer stack, one-dimensional conductive nanoscale wires, one-dimensional nanoribbons, zero-dimensional nanoscale particles, or zero-dimensional nanoscale crystals.

15. The superconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of low-dimensional conductive features includes nanoribbons, the nanoribbons having a width that is of an order of a superconducting coherence length of the superconductor device.

16. The superconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of low-dimensional conductive features includes nanotubes, the nanotubes having a diameter that is of an order of a superconducting coherence length of the superconductor device.

17. The superconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of low-dimensional conductive features includes nanoscale wires, the nanoscale wires having a diameter that is of an order of a superconducting coherence length of the superconductor device.

18. The superconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of low-dimensional conductive features includes nanoscale particles, the nanoscale particles having a diameter that is of an order of a superconducting coherence length of the superconductor device.

19. The superconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of low-dimensional conductive features includes nanoscale crystals, the nanoscale crystals having a diameter that is of an order of a superconducting coherence length of the superconductor device.

20. The superconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of low-dimensional conductive features are superconductors, and a superconductivity transition temperature of the superconductor device is higher than a superconductivity transition temperature of the plurality of low-dimensional conductive features.

21. The superconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of low-dimensional conductive features includes at least one of a metal, a doped semiconductor, or a doped semi-metal.

22. The superconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the enhancing matrix material includes a plurality of phonons of a lattice of the enhancing matrix material, the plurality of phonons of the lattice of the enhancing matrix material to interact with a plurality of electrons of the plurality of low-dimensional conductive features.

23. The superconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the enhancing matrix material includes an interface adjacent to the plurality of low-dimensional conductive features and wherein a plurality of electrons couple via phonons across the interface.

24. The superconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the enhancing matrix material includes a plurality of phonons of a lattice of the enhancing matrix material to interact with a plurality of electrons of the plurality of low-dimensional conductive features to cause an increase in a superconductivity transition temperature of the superconductor device.

25. The superconductor device of claim 12 , wherein a plurality of electrons of the plurality of low-dimensional conductive features interact with the enhancing matrix material to cause a plurality of excitations that increase a superconductivity transition temperature of the superconductor device.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 4, 2024
From: HYDE, RODERICK A.
To: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES MANAGEMENT, LLC
Reel/Frame 066024/0198 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 4, 2024
From: BRAEUNINGER-WEIMER, PHILIPP; MYHRVOLD, NATHAN P.; MYHRVOLD, CONOR L.; MYHRVOLD, CAMERON; TEGREENE, CLARENCE T.; WOOD, LOWELL L., JR.; ISHIKAWA, MURIEL Y.; WOOD, VICTORIA Y.H.; SMITH, DAVID R.; PENDRY, JOHN BRIAN; WHITMER, CHARLES; MANGIONE-SMITH, WILLIAM HENRY; HOLLOWAY, BRIAN C.; WOLF, STUART A.; KRESIN, VLADIMIR Z.
To: DEEP SCIENCE, LLC
Reel/Frame 066024/0216 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 4, 2024
From: DEEP SCIENCE, LLC
To: ENTERPRISE SCIENCE FUND, LLC
Reel/Frame 066206/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 4, 2024
From: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES MANAGEMENT, LLC
To: DEEP SCIENCE, LLC
Reel/Frame 066206/0158 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16268388 · Feb 5, 2019
Provisional Application 62627168 · Feb 6, 2018
Related Publication 20240122080A1 · Apr 11, 2024
References Cited (76)
US 6420318B1 · Holcomb · 2002 [cited by examiner]
US 7482298B2 · Nepela · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 8278643B2 · Bowers · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8354323B2 · Bowers · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8426842B2 · Bowers · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8455981B2 · Bowers · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8563965B2 · Bowers · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8703651B2 · Harshman · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8735985B2 · Bowers · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8927969B2 · Bowers · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 11785866B2 · Braeuninger-Weimer · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20020180006A1 · Franz · 2002 [cited by examiner]
US 20110130292A1 · Kawashima · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20160093420A1 · Urzhumov · 2016 [cited by examiner]
EP 1018171B1 · 2006 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2017040598A1 · 2017 [cited by examiner]
Esquinazi, P.D., Precker, C.E., Stiller, M. et al. Evidence for room temperature superconductivity at graphite interfaces. Quantum Stud.: Math. Found. 5, 41-53 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40509-017-0131-0 (Year: 20… [cited by examiner]
Boukhvalov et al., “Chemical Functionalization of Graphene with Defects,” Nano Letters, American Chemical Society, Sep. 25, 2008, vol. 8 , No. 12, pp. 4373-4379. [cited by applicant]
Buzdin, “Proximity Effects in Superconductor-Ferromagnet Heterostructures,” Rev. Mod. Phys., 2005, 77 (3), 935-976. [cited by applicant]
Cao et al., “Evidence for High TCsuperconducting Transitions in Isolated AI [cited by applicant]
Da Silva et al., “Indication of Superconductivity at 35 K in Graphite-Sulfur Composites,” Phys. Rev. Lett., 2001, 87 (14), 1-4. [cited by applicant]
Di Bernardo et al., “P-Wave Triggered Superconductivity in Single-Layer Graphene on an Electron-Doped Oxide Superconductor,” Nat. Commun., 2017, 8, 1-9. [cited by applicant]
Drozdov et al., “Conventional superconductivity at 203 kelvin at high pressures in the sulfur hydride system,” Nature, vol. 525, Sep. 3, 2025, p. 73+. [cited by applicant]
Duan et al., “Pressure-Induced Metallization of Dense (H2S)2H2with High-Tc Superconductivity,” Sci. Rep., 2014, 4, 30-32. [cited by applicant]
Duffe et al., Softlanding and STM Imaging of Ag561 clusters on a C60 monolayer, Eur. Phys. J. D, 2007, 45 (3), 401-408. [cited by applicant]
Edwards et al., “Abstract: T60.00102: Development of a Nanocluster-Graphene Proximity Device,” In Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Mar. 2018 Meeting. [cited by applicant]
Esquinazi et al., “Evidence for Room Temperature Superconductivity at Graphite Interfaces,” Quantum Stud. Math. Found., 2017, 5 (1), 41-53. [cited by applicant]
Esquinazi, “Invited Review: Graphite and Its Hidden Superconductivity,” Pap. Phys., Jan. 2013, 5, 050007. [cited by applicant]
Gor'kov et al., “Colloquium: High Pressure and Road to Room Temperature Superconductivity,” Rev. Mod. Phys., 2018, 90 (1), 11001. [cited by applicant]
Hartman et al., “Photo-Double-Ionization Mechanisms in Aromatic Hydrocarbons,” Phys. Rev. A, 2013, 87 (6), 1-8. [cited by applicant]
Harshman, et al., “Compressed H3S: inter-sublattice Coulomb coupling in a high-TC superconductor,” Institute of Physics Publishing, Nov. 4, 2017, 8 pp., https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-648X/aa80d0. [cited by applicant]
Harshman, et al., Theory of high-TC superconductivity: transition temperature, Jul. 8, 2011, 17 pp., https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/23/29/295701. [cited by applicant]
Heersche et al., “Bipolar Supercurrent in Graphene,” Nature, 2007, 446 (7131), 56-59. [cited by applicant]
Hirsch et al., “Meissner effect in nonstandard superconductors,” Physica C: Superconductivity and its applications, 2021, 587, 1353896, pp. 1-4. [cited by applicant]
Jacobberger et al., “Direct Oriented Growth of Armchair Graphene Nanoribbons on Germanium,” Nature Communications, Macmillan Publishers Limited, Aug. 10, 2015, 8 pages. [cited by applicant]
Jiao et al., “Narrow Graphene Nanoribbons from Carbon Nanotubes,” Nature, Macmillan Publishers Limited, Apr. 16, 2009, vol. 458, p. 877-880. [cited by applicant]
Kawashima et al., “Protolytic Decomposition of N-Octane on Graphite at near Room Temperature,” Sci. Rep., Jun. 2016, 6, 1-8. [cited by applicant]
Kawashima, “Observation of the Meissner Effect at Room Temperature in Single-Layer Graphene Brought into Contact with Alkanes,” Arch. X, 2018, 1-12. [cited by applicant]
Kawashima, “Possible Room Temperature Superconductivity in Conductors Obtained by Bringing Alkanes into Contact with a Graphite Surface,” AIP Adv., 2013, 3 (5), 052132. [cited by applicant]
Kim et al., “Remote Epitaxy through Graphene Enables Two-Dimensional Material-Based Layer Transfer,” Nature, 2017, 544 (7650), 340-343. [cited by applicant]
Kimouche et al., “Ultra-Narrow Metallic Armchair Graphene Nanoribbons,” Nat. Commun., 2015, 6, 1-6. [cited by applicant]
Kopelevich et al., “Ferromagnetic-and Superconducting-like Behavior of Graphite,” J. Low Temp. Phys., 2000, 119 (5/6), 691-702. [cited by applicant]
Kopelevich et al., “Landau Level Quantization and Possible Superconducting Instabilities in Highly Oriented Pyrolitic Graphite,” Phys. Solid State, 1999, 41 (12), 1959-1962. [cited by applicant]
Kosynkin et al., “Longitudinal Unzipping of Carbon Nanotubes to Form Graphene Nanoribbons,” Nature, Macmillan Publishers Limited, Apr. 16, 2009, vol. 458, pp. 872-877. [cited by applicant]
Kotov et al., “Electron-Electron Interactions in Graphene: Current Status and Perspectives,” Rev. Mod. Phys., 2012, 84(3), 1067-1125. [cited by applicant]
Kresin et al., “Effects Related to Pair Correlation of p Electrons,” J. Chem. Phys., 1975, 63 (8), 3613-3623. [cited by applicant]
Kresin et al., “Structure and Strengthening of Superconducting Pair Correlation in Nanoclusters,” ArchiveX, 2006, 74 (2), 1-44. [cited by applicant]
Kresin et al., Superconducting State: Mechanism and Properties, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2014. [cited by applicant]
Kresin et al., “Shell Structure and Strengthening of Superconducting Pair Correlation in Nanoclusters,” Phys. Rev. B, 2006, 74 (2), 1-11. [cited by applicant]
Kresin, “Pair Correlation Of Superconductive Type in Polycyclic Molecules,” Phys. Lett., 1967, 24 (13), 749-750. [cited by applicant]
Larkins et al., “Evidence of Superconductivity in Doped Graphite and Graphene,” Supercond. Sci. Technol., 2015, 29 (1), 15015. [cited by applicant]
Li et al., “Growth of Adlayer Graphene on Cu Studied by Carbon Isotope Labeling,” Nano Lett., 2013, 13 (2), 486-490. [cited by applicant]
Li et al., “The Metallization and Superconductivity of Dense Hydrogen Sulfide,” J. Chem. Phys., 2014, 140 (17). [cited by applicant]
Little, “Possibility of Synthesizing an Organic Supercondutor,” Phys. Rev., 1964, 134 (6A), 1416-1424. [cited by applicant]
Liu et al., “Magnetization of Potassium-Doped p-Terphenyl and p-Quaterphenyl by High-Pressure Synthesis,” Phys. Rev. B, 2017, 96 (22), 1-5. [cited by applicant]
Mitsuhashi et al., “Superconductivity in Alkali-Metal-Doped Picene,” Nature, 2010, 464 (7285), 76-79. [cited by applicant]
Mousavi et al., “Graphene Nanoribbon Superconductor,” J. Low Temp. Phys., 2018, 193 (1-2), 12-20. [cited by applicant]
Ovchinnikov et al., “Theoretical Investigation of Josephson Tunneling between Nanoclusters,” Phys. Rev. B, 2010, 81 (21), 1-6. [cited by applicant]
Pathak et al., “Possibility of High Tc Superconductivity in Doped Graphene,” Arch. X, 2008, 1-6. [cited by applicant]
PCT Int'l Patent App. No. PCT/US2019/016701, International Search Report mailed Jul. 23, 2019, pp. 1-4. [cited by applicant]
Precker et al., “Identification of a Possible Superconducting Transition above Room Temperature in Natural Graphite Crystals, ” New J. Phys., 2016, 18 (11), 1-18. [cited by applicant]
Pumera et al., “Graphane and Hydrogenated Graphene,” Chem. Soc. Rev., The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2013, vol. 42 No. 14, pp. 5987-5995. [cited by applicant]
Savini et al., “First-Principles Prediction of Doped Graphane as a High-Temperature Electron-Phonon Superconductor,” Phys. Rev. Lett., 2010, 105 (3), 1-4. [cited by applicant]
Scheike et al., “Can Doping Graphite Trigger Room Temperature Superconductivity? Evidence for Granular High-Temperature Superconductivity in Water-Treated Graphite Powder,” Adv. Mater., 2012, 24 (43), 5826-5831. [cited by applicant]
Scheike et al., “Granular Superconductivity at Room Temperature in Bulk Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite Samples,” Carbon, N. Y., 2013, 59, 140-149. [cited by applicant]
Senkovskiy et al., “Making Graphene Nanoribbons Photoluminescent”, Nano Letters, American Chemical Society, 2017, 17, 7 , pp. 4029-4037. [cited by applicant]
Tonnoir et al., “Induced Superconductivity in Graphene Grown on Rhenium,” Phys. Rev. Lett., 2013, 111 (24), 1-5. [cited by applicant]
Uchoa et al., “Superconducting States of Pure and Doped Graphene,” Phys. Rev. Lett., 2007, 98 (14), 1-4. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 16/268,388, Non-Final Office Action mailed Mar. 3, 2023, 15 pp. [cited by applicant]
Velasco-Velez et al., “Atmospheric Pressure X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Apparatus: Bridging the Pressure Gap,” Rev. Sci. Instrum., 2016, 87, 053121. [cited by applicant]
Wang et al., “Superconductivity above 120 Kelvin in a Chain Link Molecule,” Arch. X, Mar. 2017, 1-19. [cited by applicant]
Wehlitz et al., “Photoemission of Cooper Pairs from Aromatic Hydrocarbons,” Nov. 2012, 193001, 1-5. [cited by applicant]
Whangbo, “Probable Cause for the Superconductor-like Properties of Alkane-wetted Graphite and Single-layer Graphene above Room Temperature under Ambient Pressure,” Arch. X, 2018, 1-9. [cited by applicant]
Yan et al., “Observation of Meissner Effect in Potassium-Doped p-Quaterphenyl,” Arch. X, Jan. 2018, 1-6. [cited by applicant]
Yang et al., “Birch Reduction of Graphite. Edge and Interior Functionalization by Hydrogen,” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012, 134 (45), 18689-18694. [cited by applicant]
Ye et al., “Liquid-Gated Interface Superconductivity on an Atomically Flat Film,” Nat. Mater., 2010, 9 (2), 125-128. [cited by applicant]