Super Conducting Materials

Introduction.
Super

conductivity.
Properties of Super conductors.
BCS Theory (Qualitative).
Types of Super conductors.
High TC Super conductors.
Applications

of Super conductors.

Introduction:
o
o

o
o

Superconductors, materials that have no resistance to the flow of

electricity, are one of the last great frontiers of scientific discovery.
In 1911 superconductivity was first observed in mercury by Dutch
physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes of Leiden University When he
cooled it to the temperature of liquid helium, 4 degrees Kelvin (-452F,
-269C), its resistance suddenly disappeared.
In 1913, he won a Nobel Prize in physics for his research in this area.
Super conducting materials have extra ordinary.
electrical and magnetic characteristics.
Super Conducting materials have many important.
applications in the field of engineering & technology.

Super conductivity:
o

Definition: The phenomenon of sudden disappearance of electrical

resistance in a material, when it is cooled below a certain temperature
is known as Super conductivity.
The temperature at which a material at normal conducting state
changes into super conducting state is known as transition temperature
or critical temperature (TC).
TC of a super conducting element is in the range of 0K to 9.5K.
S.No

Element

TC(K)

1.

Indium(In)

3.40

2.

Mercury(Hg)

4.15

3.

Niobium Tin (Nb3Al )

17.5

4.

Niobium Titanium (NbTi)

10.0

Properties of Super conductors:

o

Zero electrical resistance:

- The electrical resistance of the superconductors of the superconductor is
zero below the transition temperature (TC).

- This property of Zero electrical resistance is known as

defining property of a super conductor.
o Effect of Magnetic Field:
- Below TC superconductivity can be destroyed by the application of a strong
magnetic field.
- Minimum magnetic field strength required to destroy the super conducting
property at any temperature is known as Critical magnetic field (H C),
H0 Critical M.field at 0K.
TC Super conducting transition
temperature.
T is the temperature below TC

Electrical resistance in Super

conductors:

Properties of Super conductors:

o

Effect of electric current:

- The application of very high electrical current to a superconducting
material destroys its super conducting property.
- Consider a wire made up of super conductor (i) be the current in
wire.
- Flow of high current induces a magnetic field,this induce magnetic
field in the conductor destroys the super conducting property.
- The critical current iC required to destroy the super conducting
property is given by,
iC = 2r HC
Where,
HC is the critical magnetic field.
r is the radius of the super conducting wire.

Properties of Super conductors:

o

Persistent current:
in

-Super conducting ring magnetic field current

ring- electro magnetic induction.
-In normal conducting state current decreases due
to resistance in wire since in super conducting
state it has zero resistance once current set up it
flows.

- A steady current which flows through a super conducting ring withut any
decrease in its strength as long as the material is in super conducting state
is called Persistent current.
- Persistent current persists even after the removal of the magnetic field.

Properties of Super conductors:

o

Meissner Effect:

Properties of Super conductors:

o

Isotope Effect:
- In most of the cases, the isotope of a super conducting
element is also a super conductor.
- TC of a heavier isotope is lower than that of a lighter isotope.
- Maxwell found that TC are inversely proportional to tha
atomic masses of the isotopes of a single super conductor.

Const

M Const

Properties of Super conductors:

o

Effect of Pressure:
- By applying high pressure, we can bring the TC of a
material nearer to room temperature, i.e., TC is directly proportional to
pressure.
Thermal properties:
- Entropy and specific heat decreases at transition
temperature.
- Thermo-electric effect disappears in the super conducting
state.
Stress:
- When a stress applied to a super conducting material its
dimensions varies.
Frequency:
- At very high frequencies, the zero resistance of a
superconductor is modified.The TC is not affected by the frequency
vibration.

Properties of Super conductors:

o

Impurity:
The general properties especially the magnetic property of super
conducting state are modified by the addition of impurities.
Size:
If the size of the specimen is reduced below 10-4cm, the properties of
super conducting state are modified.
Josephson Effect:
- In the year 1962, Brian Josephson, an English
Physicist discovered the tunneling of super conducting
electron pair with opposite spin and momenta through
a thin(10-20) insulating barrier between two
super
conductors. This phenomenon is
known as Josephson
Effect.

Properties of Super conductors:

- An arrangement of two super conductors or a normal metal and a
super conductor separated by a thin insulator (normally an oxide) barrier is
called Josephson junction.
- DC Josephson Effect: The tunneling of super conducting electron
pairs through Josephson junction leads to the flow of current without a
voltage drop. This phenomenon is known as DC Josephson Effect.
- AC Josephson Effect: When a DC voltage is applied across the
Josephson junction through which super current is flowing, an AC current
(high frequency current oscillations) is noticed. This phenomenon is
known as AC Josephson effect.

BCS Theory (Qualitative):

- The microscopic theory of super conductivity developed by J.Bardeen,

L.N.Cooper and J.R.Schriffer in 1957, successfully explained the
effects like zero resistivity, this theory is known as BCS Theory.
Important features of BCS theory:
- Electrons form pairs called Cooper pairs which propagate throughout the
lattice.
- The propagation of copper pairs is without resistance because the electrons
move in resonance with phonons,therefore the interaction described by the
BCS theory is known as electron-phonon interaction.

Types of Super conductors.

Based on the magnetization behavior of super conductors in an external

magnetic field, they are classified into two types,
(i) Type I super conductors.
(ii) Type II super conductors.
(i)Type I super conductors: In this super conductor, the magnetic field is totally
expelled from the interior of the material below a certain magnetising field
HC. At HC, the material loses its superconductivity abruptly and the
magnetic field penetrates fully(Soft super conductors).
(ii)Type I super conductors: In which the material losses its magnetisation
gradually rather than suddenly (Hard super conductors).

Based on the super conducting transition temperatures, the super

conductors are classified into two types,
(i) Low temperature super conductor.
If TC is low, less than 20K such super conductors are called as Low
Temperature super conductors. They are also known as elemental super
conductors. It is not in practical use due to ultra-low transition temperature.
(ii) High temperature super conductor.

Types of Super conductors.

S.No

Type I super conductors.

Type II super conductors.

1.

The material loses its

magnetisation suddenly.

The material loses its magnetisation

gradually.

2.

They exhibit complete

Meissner effect I.e they are
completely diamagnetic

They do not exhibit complete Meissner

effect

3.

There is only one critical

magnetic field (HC)

There are two critical magnetic field (HC)

ie lower critical field (HC1) and upper
critical field (HC2)

4.

No mixed state exists.

Mixed state is present.

5.

They are called soft super

conductors.

They are called Hard super conductors.

6.

Ex: lead, tin, Hg etc.,

Ex; Nb-Sn, Nb-zr, Nb-Ti etc.,

Types of Super conductors.

S.No

Type I super conductors.

Type II super conductors.

1.

The material loses its

magnetization suddenly.

The material loses its magnetisation

gradually.

2.

They exhibit complete

Meissner effect I.e they are
completely diamagnetic

They do not exhibit complete Meissner

effect

3.

There is only one critical

magnetic field (HC)

There are two critical magnetic field (HC) ie

lower critical field (HC1) and upper critical
field (HC2)

4.

No mixed state exists.

Mixed state is present.

5.

They are called soft super

conductors.

They are called Hard super conductors.

6.

Ex: lead, tin, Hg etc.,

Ex; Nb-Sn, Nb-zr, Nb-Ti etc.,

High TC Super conductors.

In a super conductor if the transition temperature is high ie.,greater than 20K,

then it is called as high-temperature super conductors.
In 1986, Muller and Bednorz discovered high tempertaure super conductor in
Ceramics.
Some of the high TC super conductors and their TC values,
S.No

TC in K

1.

High TC Super
conductors
La1.85Ba0.15CuO4

2.

YBa2Cu3O6.9

90

3.

Tl2Ba2Ca2Cu3O10

125

4.

HgBa2CaCu2O6

133

36

High TC Super conductors.

High TC Super conductors.

Crystal structure of YBa2Cu3O9-x
- crystal structure is of the product obtained is related to the cubic
perovskite structure.
- Three BCC are placed one above the another.Te distribution of atoms in
the unit cells is as shown,
Cu atom at the body corners
: 8x1/8x3=3.
Ba atom at two body centres
: 1x2 = 2.
Yt atom at one body centre
: 1x1=1.
O at mid-points of edges
: 12x1/4x3=9.

Applications of Super conductors:

SQUID :
-SQUID stands for Super conducting QUantum Interference Device.
-It is an ultra-sensitive instrument used to measure very weak magnetic field
of the order of 10-14 tesla
Application:
- SQUID can be used to detect the
variation of very minute signals
in terms of quantum flux.
- It can also be used as storage
device for magnetic flux.
-SQUID is useful in the study of earth
quakes, removing paramagnetic impurities,
detection of magnetic signals from the
brain and heart.
o

Applications of Super conductors:

o

Cryotron:
- Cryotron is a magnetically operated current switch.
Magnetic levitation:
- When a super conducting material shows the Meissner effect. Due to
this effect, super conducting materials strongly repel external magnets. This
leads to a levitation effect.
- When a magnet is placed over a super conductor, it floats. This
phenomenon is known as Magnetic Levitation.
- Magnetic levitated Train(Maglev train)
Additional applications:
- Super conducting Magnets.
- Electrical Machines.
- Power cables.
- Computer memory devices.

Applications of Super conductors:

Super conductors:

Thank you