Superconductivity
Phenomenon of zero electrical resistance and magnetic field expulsion.
Superconductivity is a set of physical properties observed in certain materials called superconductors, where electrical resistance drops to exactly zero and magnetic fields are expelled from the interior.
- discoverer
- Heike Kamerlingh Onnes
- field
- Condensed matter physics
- key_phenomena
- Zero electrical resistance, Meissner effect
- critical_temperature_range
- From 4.2 K (mercury) to 92 K (YBCO)
Lore & Background
At 4.2 K, the resistance abruptly disappeared. In subsequent decades, superconductivity was observed in tin (3.8 K), lead (7 K), and niobium nitride (16 K).
Reader's Guide
Superconductivity's significance lies in its complete loss of electrical resistance and the Meissner effect, which cannot be explained by classical physics. Superconducting magnets, using materials like niobium–titanium and niobium–tin, have become essential in research and industry, enabling fields up to 20 tesla. The phenomenon remains a vibrant area of research, with ongoing debates about generalizations to unconventional superconductors.
Did You Know?
- In the same experiment where he discovered superconductivity, Onnes also observed the superfluid transition of helium at 2.2 K without recognizing its significance.
- YBCO (yttrium barium copper oxide) has a critical temperature of 92 K, above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (77 K).
More in Materials And States Of Matter 1-22
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