this post was submitted on 04 Aug 2023
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There are about a zillion ways it could prove to be impractical. Apatite is a crystal, and presumably this lead apatite is also a crystal. We also don't know if it can be deposited in a useful thickness; the samples tested so far were created by gas deposition on glass. Can it be built up to a useful thickness, and maintain its superconducting properties? All unknown.
But, real progress always comes in small steps. It's exceedingly rare for any discovery to result in a useful product immediately.
Yes, a lot of people are very excited about applications that would require this material in bulk, like power transmission, and I don't see this happening with the fabrication methods we have now. Still incredibly excited about this, though, and crossing my fingers that the results can be replicated and confirmed quickly!