Hyunsung TNC Co., Ltd. announced that on September 28, 2025, it officially signed an agreement with an independent research team at the University of California, Berkeley to experimentally verify the MEL (Modulated Electron Lattice) Theory.
This international joint research project aims to validate the existence of the modulated coherent coupling structure proposed by the MEL Theory using advanced precision instrumentation.
It marks the first instance in Korea where a homegrown superconductivity theory is independently tested by a world-class university research group.
One month after the agreement, on October 28, 2025 the Hyunsung TNC team visited UC Berkeley’s Biomolecular Nanotechnology Center (BNC) to finalize the detailed schedule, procedures, and analytical protocols for the low-temperature, high-vacuum STS (Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy) experiments.
During the visit, both teams reviewed the detailed process of experimental protocols, and confirmed the experimental parameters designed to observe the electron-density modulation predicted by the MEL model (q ≈ 0.3 r.l.u., Δ ≈ 20 meV).
In addition, discussions were held on post-experiment data analysis workflows, sample fabrication and transport, personnel coordination between both sides, and long-term equipment-use agreements for extended research phases.
This collaboration represents more than a technical verification; it is recognized as a historic milestone where a Korean theory is being tested at the heart of global physics.
The MEL Theory proposes a new superconducting mechanism that overcomes the limitations of the classic BCS theory (1957) in describing electron–phonon interactions in the high-temperature regime (> 40 K).
Rather than viewing superconductivity as a passive coupling of electron pairs (Cooper pairs), MEL introduces an active mechanism in which the lattice vibrations and electron-density waves interact through a modulated coherent coupling that eliminates electrical resistance.
If the Berkeley STS experiments confirm the predicted modulation patterns, this result would signify a paradigm shift in the definition of superconductivity, from a vibration-centered interpretation to one governed by phase coherence.
Next Steps
Following successful validation, Hyunsung TNC and the Berkeley team plan to advance to the next stage: the synthesis and testing of high- and ambient-temperature superconductors designed through the MEL framework.
The first experimental targets include Sc-Zr-xx-O based and Cu-Fe-xx- O based alloy superconductors, materials expected to exhibit high processability and strong superconducting properties beyond conventional oxide systems.
Based on the MEL verification data, Hyunsung TNC will further enhance its AI-driven design engine, SuperMatics™, transforming it into a fully integrated AI platform that automates every stage of superconducting research, from prediction → design → synthesis → validation, for the first time in the world.
This agreement with UC Berkeley Independent Research Team marks not only a scientific milestone but also a turning point where Korea moves from the periphery of theoretical superconductivity to the center of experimental and industrial innovation.
Through the international verification of the MEL Theory and the development of practical ambient-temperature superconductors, Hyunsung TNC aims to establish the foundation for the next generation of materials science, evolving into what it calls the “Superconductivity OS”, the operational system for the superconducting industry of the future.
