Every day millions of people save digital data to cloud services provided by large tech companies. While the word "cloud" conjures up an image of weightless and efficient data storage, the reality is very terrestrial. When information is saved to an online service, that data gets transferred to a building that is stuffed full of internet-connected servers and hard drives. These buildings take up enormous tracts of land, and require incredible amounts of electricity. That combination has scientists searching for new computing systems that will provide a more efficient data storage solution.

Superconducting computers and an efficient future
Today's computers use semiconductors to transfer data electronically. The name semiconductor reflects an unfortunate reality for these systems. When electricity passes through semiconductors, the resistance of the metal wires results in some electricity being lost as heat energy. That energy loss increases the electrical cost for the enormous server farms that back up humanity's cloud-stored data, as it creates heat that must be dissipated and means that the computers need more power to function.

The efficiency issues with the semiconductors that are present in every piece of electronics we use daily can be solved with superconductors. These materials can conduct electricity with perfect efficiency, according to IEEE Spectrum. They do not waste any energy and superconductors don't produce heat like a semiconductor would. If current semiconducting systems were replaced with superconductors, significantly less energy would be used for data storage each year. While the benefits of superconductors are clear, the details on how to implement them into widespread systems are not.

Problems with implementation
Superconducting materials do not naturally occur. Instead, scientists need to induce a superconductive state in materials that already exist. This is where magnets enter the equation. Superconduction often occurs in response to certain combinations of low temperatures and magnetic fields.  Further development of these technologies could create superconducting computer storage systems that can hold enormous amounts of data in a small space, Phys.org reported. The implications for this type of technology extend far beyond servers and data storage, but these areas will likely be some of the first affected.

Today, scientists struggle to maintain the superconducting state in materials for any length of time, but the enormous effort being devoted toward this type of research ensures progress in the coming years. Powerful magnets are already used in hard drives to write and store data every day. While computer systems will look very different in the future, magnets will still be a crucial component.