Wingardium Leviosa! In the much-loved Harry Potter books, this magic spell prompts objects to cast off the laws of physics and float unsupported through the air, but in the real world we don’t need hocus-pocus to achieve levitation, we just need science.

You might have heard of superconductors: materials capable of astonishing physical feats. In Japan, superconducting materials have recently been introduced in transport infrastructure, leading to state-of-the-art Maglev trains that float several millimetres above the ground.

It sounds like something out of science fiction, but levitating trains are quite real, and they’re just the beginning. As we learn more about superconductors, we’re moving closer towards superfast, energy-neutral transport, advanced medical engineering and everlasting technology that never needs recharging.

The science behind superconductors is really intriguing. These strange materials are ‘diamagnetic’: they refuse to let magnetism inside. This means that if a superconductor is exposed to a magnetic field, it will form its own magnetic field to cancel out the effect. This is how superconductors can levitate: they repel magnetic fields, pushing upwards into the air.

But there’s another astonishing property that makes superconductors really special: they can hold a single charge forever.

In the past, we thought there were just two types of materials: insulators, like plastic, which can’t carry a current, and conductors, like copper, which allow electricity to pass through.

But superconductors are an entirely new class of material. The problem with regular conductors is that they lose charge over time as the current of electrons passing through them encounters resistance. The electrons bump into obstacles like ions in the material, causing their number to deplete until, eventually, the device runs out of charge and needs topping up.

But superconductors have absolutely no resistance. This means that Once charged, electrons can continue to flow through the material without ever depleting. Imagine if our infrastructure and engineering no longer relied on continual electrical charge – the world would look very different.

But there is a catch. superconductors must be kept extremely cold to work: colder than the coldest temperatures found naturally on earth –. And this is a major drawback.

Maglev trains require canisters of liquid nitrogen to be kept on board so that the superconducting elements are kept constantly cold. The need for low temperatures also prevents superconductors from being exploited in gadgetry and tech.

And so scientists are on the hunt for a solution. In Oxfordshire and around the world, researchers are working to develop superconducting materials that work at room temperature.

By subtly altering the chemical composition or exposing compounds to increased pressures, scientists are developing substances that display superconducting properties at much warmer temperatures than were previously thought possible.

Certain classes of iron-based superconductors have a lot of potential, but the process of exploring and enhancing them is extremely intricate and requires tools that can analyse material properties on the atomic scale.

Oxfordshire is a hub for atomic-scale research, and so we’re perfectly placed to support research in this area. Several groups are currently exploiting our ability to image and characterise the atomic nature of materials to try to learn more about superconductors and how to improve their function.

We’re still some way away from seeing superconductors becoming viable on a large-scale, but the potential is enormous. SuperconductorsThey could reshape our world, eliminating some of the global energy problems we currently face and providing us all with a new generation of advanced technology and engineering.

That which we once considered mere fiction could one day become a reality. Every day, we see science pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, and whilst that may not be magic, the impact can be pretty magical.