Superconductors without resistance: Microsoft is developing a compact technology for data centers that reduces size by tenfold.

Microsoft is exploring superconducting materials for new data centers

*Brief overview:*

- Microsoft is studying the use of high‑temperature superconductors (HTS) in data centers (DCs) to reduce energy consumption and shrink the footprint required for infrastructure.

- The technology has already proven effective in medicine (MRI) and on short segments of power lines in major cities.

1. Why it matters now
Problem Consequences Rising electricity demand from AI Increasing costs, network load Connection delays to grids Scaling limits of DCs Impact of DCs on local communities Social and environmental risks
HTS can reduce the area and mass of cables as well as lower energy losses in networks.

2. Current status of HTS
- Material – rare‑earth barium oxide (and others).

- Cooling – down to very low temperatures for zero resistance.

- Cost and production – more expensive and complex than copper wires; most rare‑earth elements are mined in China.

3. What Microsoft is doing
1. Research

- Last year, with Microsoft’s support, VEIR demonstrated that HTS in DCs can reduce cable size and weight by about ten times compared to copper.

2. Collaboration with utilities

- Willingness to participate in building long‑haul power lines based on HTS.

- Shrinking the clearance for overhead lines from ~70 m to just 2 m thanks to superconducting cables.

3. Focus on reliability and impact

- According to Aliser Spears, Microsoft’s global infrastructure GM, the goal is to improve grid reliability and reduce the impact of DCs on nearby communities.

4. Outlook from the scientific community
- MIT Professor Dennis White

- Leads the SPARC project (nuclear fusion device) in partnership with Commonwealth Fusion Systems, funded by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

- Nuclear fusion research requires large volumes of HTS, which could drive production growth and lower prices.

- Microsoft also signed an agreement with a company developing a nuclear fusion power plant in Washington state, strengthening the link between energy innovation and DC infrastructure.

5. Bottom line
Superconducting materials pave the way for more compact, energy‑efficient data centers. Microsoft is investing in research, partnering with utilities, and pursuing technology initiatives to accelerate HTS adoption and make digital infrastructure less dependent on traditional power sources.