Physics of Superconductors Essay example - 1323 Words

As most people know (or dont know, whichever is the case) the component of an electrical circuit that causes energy loss is called resistance, which can be defined as a materials opposition to current being passed through it. Usually, this resistance results in the production of heat, sound, or another form of energy. In many cases, this transformation of energy is useful in such applications as toasters, heaters, and light bulbs. Even though it is a useful property, resistance often gets in the way of performance in such cases as high voltage transmission wires, electric motor output, and other cases where internal system energy losses are unwanted. This is where the phenomenon of superconducting materials comes into play and may†¦show more content†¦The magnetic field for any temperature below the Tc is given by the follwoing eqution: Bc ≈ Bc(0) * [1 - (T/Tc)^2] In the early 1900s a duch physicist by the name of Heike Kammerlingh Onnes (pictured above), discovered superconductivity. Before his discovery, Onnes had spent most of his scientific career studying extreme cold. The first step he took toward superconductivity was on July 10, 1908 when he liquified helium and cooled it to an astonishing 4 K, which is roughly the temperature of the background radiation in open space. Using this liquid helium, Onnes began experimenting with other materials and their properties when subjected to intense cold. In 1911, he began his research on the electrical properties of these same materials. It was known to Onnes that as materials, particularly metals, cooled, they exhibited less and less resistance. Bringing a mercury wire to as close to absolute zero as possible, Onnes observed that as the temperature dropped, so to did the resistance, until 4.2 K was reached. There resistance vanished and current flowed through the wire unhindered. Below is an appr oximate graph displaying resistance as a function of temperature for the experiment Onnes conducted with mercury: Continuing with his experiments, OnnesShow MoreRelatedCoherence, Entanglement, And Topological Phases Of Quantum Mechanical Waves832 Words   |  4 Pagescondensed matter and solid state physics. My past research highlights coherence, entanglement, and topology in condensed matter systems. These features are unique in quantum systems, and can give rise to phenomena that do not have classical counterparts. 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