In 2024, superconductivity—the flow of electric current with zero resistance—was discovered in three distinct materials. Two instances stretched the textbook understanding of the phenomenon, while the third defied it entirely. “It’s an extremely unusual form of superconductivity that a lot of people would have said is not possible,” said Ashvin Vishwanath, a physicist at Harvard University who was not involved in the discoveries.

Over 150 research and industry experts gathered in London for a Cryogenic Hydrogen Research Conference delivered by the ATI’s Hydrogen Capability Network (HCN) in partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority this week. This inaugural HCN conference with a cryogenics focus brought together academics, students, and industry engineers working in the field of cryogenic hydrogen to share knowledge and foster a collaborative community.

Entering its 65th year of operation, Demaco Holland B.V., based in Noord-Scharwoude, The Netherlands, proudly announces the release of its new logo and brand identity. The refreshed branding signifies Demaco’s integration as a core member of OPW Clean Energy Solutions, a business unit of OPW, a Dover company, following its acquisition in the summer of 2024.

West Coast Solutions (WCS) has experienced remarkable growth since its founding in 2015 by Dr. Carl Kirkconnell. From its origins as a one-person operation, the company has expanded to a team of over 40, 80% of whom are engineers. Anchored by a core group of seasoned professionals—many former Raytheon colleagues—and bolstered by a dynamic team of early-career engineers, WCS has cultivated a unique balance of experience and innovation. Cryogenics remains a central focus, reflecting Dr. Kirkconnell’s expertise in the field. This foundation, combined with technical adjacencies, has enabled WCS to establish three thriving business sectors: cryogenics, aerospace and electronics and power.

Volcanism is one of Earth’s most powerful forces, reshaping landscapes and impacting ecosystems in dramatic ways. To advance the prediction of volcanic eruptions, INFICON GmbH, a leader in measurement and sensor technologies, is partnering with scientists and research institutions to monitor volcanic activity on Italy’s Vulcano and Stromboli islands. This collaboration uses INFICON’s advanced instruments to perform geochemical measurements of gases emitted from the ground, offering insights that could help forecast eruptions with greater accuracy.

By streamlining the acquisition, recertification and repair of gas cylinders, industrial gas distributors can increase profitability. Industrial gas distributors, responsible for filling and supplying compressed gas cylinders for sale or rental, are crucial to diverse sectors. They deliver essential gases like nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, helium, methane and propane to a variety of industries, including electronics, government, medical, welding, food and beverage, fire protection and aviation.

Given the theme of this issue of Cold Facts, Stirling Cryogenics would like to take you on a tour of our 70-year history, telling about our recent and vintage cryogenerators and systems all around the world. Universities worldwide have been our customers from the very beginning, cheering in the 1950s that they could now produce their own LN2.  In South America, proud examples include systems at the Universidad de Chile since 1964 and IVIC in Venezuela where the old Philips Cryogenerator was replaced with a new system after 45 years of operation. The University of Buenos Aires in Argentina has several systems in operation of which the oldest cryogenerator was installed in 1958 providing 66 years of service!

CoolCAD Electronics is a leading provider of electrical test services (current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, noise, transients, etc.) and compact modeling (SPICE) for companies and agencies fabricating and/or designing electronics for low temperature operation. CoolCAD Electronics is a leading-edge company specializing in cryogenic electronics design, testing, and characterization of semiconductor devices operating at ultralow temperatures. With the growing importance of cryogenic technologies in fields like quantum computing, superconducting circuits, and high-performance computing, CoolCAD addresses the unique challenges posed by extreme environments. The company’s work enables precise device characterization at temperatures as low as 4 K, offering insights into semiconductor behavior and performance in cryogenic conditions. As demand for robust, high-performance cryogenic electronics increases, CoolCAD provides the tools and expertise required to ensure reliability and functionality in these challenging environments.

As the Cryogenic Society of America moves into an exciting era of innovation and exploration, we’re thrilled to introduce the talented professionals who will help guide our organization forward. This year’s new board members bring a wealth of expertise from diverse sectors within the field, as well as a shared passion for advancing cryogenic science and technology. Join us as we highlight their unique journeys, perspectives, and vision for the future of cryogenics—a future they’re already shaping through their leadership and commitment.

Astoriom, a global leader in life sciences R&D sample stability and biorepository storage, has unveiled a cutting-edge cryogenic storage suite at its Tramore facility in County Waterford. This new development brings unparalleled capabilities for biological sample storage to Ireland.

Thermal management solutions provider Advanced Cooling Technologies has received a $1 million order from Hamilton Storage to support its biological sample storage freezers. The order includes cryogenic cold walls integral to Hamilton Storage’s ongoing cold plate programme, which ensures consistent temperatures for sensitive biological specimens.

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) has developed an analytical model that predicts diffusion between two gases during piston purging of liquid hydrogen (LH2) tanks. This model helps explain dramatic helium savings seen in a recent Kennedy Space Center (KSC) purge, shows that undesired turbulent mixing occurred in Space Shuttle External Tank purges, and is applicable to future helium purges of the Space Launch System Core Stage LH2 tanks.

The University of Nottingham has kicked off a £5.3 million program of research to support the development, manufacture and testing of a revolutionary cryogenic hydrogen-electric propulsion system. The news was announced at the Farnborough International Airshow 2024 and is part of a pioneering £44 million project led by GKN Aerospace, in partnership with Parker Meggitt and the universities of Manchester and Nottingham, supported by the UK government through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) program.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) announced a significant breakthrough in propulsion technology as the CE20 cryogenic engine passed a critical sea-level test, marking a vital step forward for its future space missions.

Japanese auto giant Toyota has developed a system to recycle “boil-off” gas for liquid hydrogen-fuelled vehicles. While liquid H₂ has a higher energy density by volume than compressed gas, which would reduce refuelling costs, the molecules must also be kept at temperatures below minus-253°C, or close to absolute zero.

Standex International Corporation (SXI) has acquired Michigan-based advanced cryogenic equipment manufacturer Custom Biogenic Systems (CBS) for around $6.2m cash. Under terms of the deal, CBS will become part of SXI’s scientific business segment.

A research team led by Professor Jaedong Lee from the Department of Chemical Physics at DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee) has unveiled a groundbreaking quantum state and an innovative mechanism for extracting and manipulating quantum information through exciton and Floquet states.

Leon Cooper, who has died aged 94, helped to solve a problem that had stumped many of the greatest minds in twentieth-century physics. With his colleagues John Bardeen and Robert Schrieffer, he deciphered the dance of electrons that causes superconductivity, or the sudden drop in electrical resistance experienced by certain materials, such as mercury, when they reach temperatures only a few degrees above absolute zero. This phenomenon has since served to generate, for example, the very high magnetic fields needed to operate technology such as magnetic resonance imaging body scanners. The Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer (BCS) theory of superconductivity won them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1972.

A Yale-led team has found the strongest evidence yet of a novel type of superconducting material, a fundamental science breakthrough that may open the door to coaxing superconductivity — the flow of electric current without a loss of energy — in a new way.