After an exhaustive data search for new compounds, researchers at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering have discovered a theoretical "metal sandwich" that is expected to be a good superconductor. The new lithium monoboride (LiB) compound is a binary alloy consisting of two layers of boron -- the "bread" of the atomic sandwich -- with a lithium metal "filling" in between, the researchers said. Once the material is synthesized, it should be superconductive at a higher temperature than other superconductors in its class, according to their results.

"To the best of our knowledge, this alloy structure had not been considered before," said Stefano Curtarolo, professor of mechanical engineering and materials sciences. "We have been able to identify synthesis conditions under which the LiB compound should form. We believe that if the material can be synthesized, it should superconduct at a higher temperature, perhaps more than 1% greater, than any other binary alloy superconductor."

"The significance of the work is not only the discovery of lithium monoboride itself, but also that this opens the door to finding derivatives that could aid in the search for additional novel superconductors," added Aleksey Kolmogorov, lead author of the study.

Superconductors have the potential to produce more efficient electronics and electric generators, according to the researchers. The materials also have unique magnetic capabilities that may enable their use in transportation applications, such as maglev trains that glide over their tracks with virtually no friction.

However, today's superconductors perform only when cooled to extremely low temperatures near absolute zero, which is -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit, or 0 degrees Kelvin. This requirement makes their use prohibitively expensive, the researchers said.