Superconductivity

C. Sivakumar Kashyap Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur May 26, 2013

An element, inter-metallic alloy, or compound that will conduct electricity without resistance below a certain temperature. Once set in motion, electrical current will ow forever in a closed loop of superconducting material - making it the closest thing to perpetual motion in nature. It is a macroscopic quantum phenomenon.

Applications
Magnetic Levitation can be put to use in high speed trains Bio-magnetism : Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) double relaxation oscillation. Electric generators made with superconducting wire are far more ecient than those made from copper wire.

Types of Superconductors
Type I Superconductor Soft Superconductors Very sharp transition to superconducting state Exhibit perfect diamagnetism and repel magnetic eld completely Mostly comprised of metals and metalloids that show some conductivity at room temperature Type II Superconductor Hard Superconductors Gradual transition to superconducting state Exhibit mixed state diamagnetism and allow some penetration by an external magnetic eld Mostly comprised of metallic compounds and alloys

Meissner Eect
When a material makes the transition from the normal to superconducting state, it actively excludes magnetic elds from its interior. This is called Meissner Eect.

Critical Temperature
The critical temperature for superconductors is the temperature at which the electrical resistivity of a metal drops to zero. 1

Critical Magnetic Field

The superconducting state cannot exist in the presence of a magnetic eld greater than a critical value, even at absolute zero. This critical eld is strongly correlated with the critical temperature for the superconductor, which in turn is correlated with the bandgap. Type II superconductors show two critical magnetic eld values, one at the onset of a mixed superconducting and normal state and one where superconductivity ceases. Bc (T ) = Bc (0) 1 T Tc
2

Critical Current Density

Superconductors also lose their superconductivity when the current density is more than a critical current density Jc .