MODULE 3

UNIT 2
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
• In 1911, a Dutch physicist H.
Kamerlingh Onnes
discovered the phenomenon
of superconductivity

• It was found that at a

temperature below 4.15 K,
the resistance disappeared
almost instantaneously.
What is superconductivity?
• Superconductivity is the phenomenon of exactly zero
electrical resistance and the exclusion of interior magnetic
field when the specimen is cooled below its critical
temperature.
• Thus two basic properties of superconductivity include:
1. Zero electrical resistivity
2. Perfect diamagnetism
CRITICAL TEMPERATURE

• The critical temperature TC is defined as the temperature at which

a normal conductor loses its resistivity and becomes a
superconductor. It is a constant for a particular material

• The value of this critical temperature varies from material to material.

Superconductors usually have critical temperatures below 20 K (down
to less than 1 K).
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF A SUPERCONDUCTOR

• There is no D.C. resistance for a superconductor below the

critical temperature, TC..
• Below a critical temperature the resistance of the
superconducting material becomes almost zero causing the
current to flow indefinitely with no power loss.
• No potential difference is needed to maintain the current.
Hence, there can be a current in a ring shaped
superconducting material even in the absence of a potential
difference. Such currents are called super currents
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF A SUPERCONDUCTOR
- the critical field at 0K
TC- the transition temperature.
MEISSNER EFFECT
The exclusion (expulsion)
of magnetic flux from the
interior of the
superconductor as the
material undergoes a
transition to the
superconducting phase is
known as Meissner
effect.
• In other words, Meissner effect is the phenomenon in which the
materials become diamagnetic at the superconducting temperature
and cancels all the flux entering inside or the process of excluding
magnetic field.
 MAGLEV TRAINS
• Maglev (derived from magnetic
levitation) is a transport method that
uses magnetic levitation to move
vehicles without touching the ground.
• With maglev, a vehicle travels along a
guideway using magnets to create both
lift and propulsion, thereby reducing
friction by a great extent and allowing
very high speeds.
• Magnetic levitation, maglev, or magnetic suspension is a
method by which an object is suspended with no support
other than magnetic fields.
CLASSIFICATION OF SUPERCONDUCTORS
Superconductors are classified into different categories based on the
following properties.
• By their response to a magnetic field
• By the theory to explain them
• By their critical temperature
• By material
1. By their response to a magnetic field

• Type I superconductors – These

superconductors have a single critical field,
above which all superconductivity is lost.
• Type II superconductors – These
superconductors have two critical fields,
between which they allow a partial penetration
of the magnetic field.
2. By the theory to explain them

• Conventional superconductors – For these types of

superconductors, BCS theory and its derivatives can
be used to explain superconductivity.
• Unconventional superconductors - These types of
superconductors cannot be explained using BCS
theory of superconductivity.
3. Based on critical temperature

• Low temperature superconductors- These

superconductors reach their superconducting state by
just cooling them with liquid Nitrogen i.e . if TC<77K.
• High temperature superconductors- These
superconductors need other techniques to be cooled
under their critical temperature, such as mixing,
calcination, sintering etc.. TC>77K.
4. Based on the type of material used

• Chemical superconductors- These types of

superconductors use Mercury or lead as the
material.
• Alloys- These superconductors use niobium-
titanium alloys, germanium-niobium alloys or
niobium nitride as the material.
TYPE I SUPERCONDUCTORS
TYPE II SUPERCONDUCTORS
Vortex formation
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TYPE I AND TYPE II
SUPERCONDUCTORS
Type I superconductors Type II superconductors
1. Type I superconductors exhibit Meissner effect 1. Type II superconductors do not exhibit complete
Meissner effect.

2. They behave as perfect diamagnetic materials 2. Do not behave as perfect diamagnetic materials
3. These types of superconductors have only one 3. There are two critical magnetic field values
critical magnetic field value represented as lower and upper critical fields.

4. In Type I superconductors mixed state is not 4. In Type II superconductors, a mixed state is

present present, consisting of a Meissner state and a
normal state
5. It is known as soft superconductor 5. It is known as hard superconductor
6. Sudden loss of magnetization occurs in Type I 6. Gradual loss of magnetization occurs in Type II
superconductors superconductors
7. Eg – Pb, Sn. Hg 7. Eg – Nb-Sn, Nb-Ti
BCS THEORY OF SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
COOPER PAIR

• Cooper pairs are a bound pair of electrons formed by

the interaction between the electrons with opposite

spin or momentum in a phonon field.

JOSEPHSON EFFECT
• Three important types of Josephson Effect include:
• DC Josephson effect
• AC Josephson effect
• Inverse AC Josephson effect
SQUID
HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS
• The high temperature superconductors represent a new class of
materials which bear extra ordinary superconducting and magnetic
properties and great potential for wide ranging technological
applications.
• Ordinary or metallic superconductors usually have transition
temperatures of about 30K whereas the high temperature
superconductors have been observed with critical temperatures as
high as 138K.
• Compounds such as bismuth strontium calcium copper oxide (BSCCO)
and yitrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) act as high temperature
superconductors.
 APPLICATION OF SUPERCONDUCTORS
• Superconductors play an important role in particle accelerators
• Some railway networks are using Maglev techniques
• MRI scanners use magnetic fields and radio waves to form images
of body parts
• In SQUIDs
• Superconductors are used in power transmission.
• Superconducting motors are new types of AC synchronous motors
that employ HTS (high temperature superconductor) windings in
place of conventional copper coils.
• Superconducting materials are used for the development of
quantum computers