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Unit 5 Superconducting Materials

The document discusses superconducting materials and their properties. Superconductivity occurs below a critical temperature when electrical resistance drops to zero. Different materials have different critical temperatures. There are two types of superconductors based on their magnetic behavior. Type-I superconductors have one critical magnetic field while Type-II have two. Applications include MRI, power transmission, and Maglev trains.

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39 views12 pages

Unit 5 Superconducting Materials

The document discusses superconducting materials and their properties. Superconductivity occurs below a critical temperature when electrical resistance drops to zero. Different materials have different critical temperatures. There are two types of superconductors based on their magnetic behavior. Type-I superconductors have one critical magnetic field while Type-II have two. Applications include MRI, power transmission, and Maglev trains.

Uploaded by

rohinisonje18
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Superconducting materials

Maglev Train
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
Superconductivity is the one of the most interesting phenomenon in physics.
Scientist Kamerling onnes had discovered this phenomenon in 1911 and he
received Nobel Prize for same in 1913.

“Electrical resistance of certain materials is suddenly drop to zero when it is cooled below the
certain temperature that state of material is known as Superconductivity”.
The state of zero electrical resistance is called superconductivity and the substance showing
this property is called superconductor.

Superconductor: The materials in which electrical resistance suddenly drop to zero when it
is cooled below the certain temperature are called superconductor.

Superconducting Materials: Al (1.9 0K), Hg (4.2 0K), Nb (9.46 0K), Te (7.8 0K).
Effect of Temperature:
At high temperature, resistance of material is similar to normal metal but at low
temperature (few K) resistance suddenly drop to zero and material behave like
superconductor.
Critical temperature (Tc): The temperature at which electrical resistance of
material suddenly drop to zero is called critical temperature. Or
The temperature at which normal material turns into superconductor is called
critical temperature.
It is denoted by Tc.
As T is the temperature of material and Tc is the critical temperature, then T > Tc the
material is in normal state and T < Tc material is in superconducting state.
Effect of magnetic field:
It is observed that superconductivity vanishes if sufficiently strong magnetic field is
applied.
“The magnetic field require to turn superconducting state into normal state is called
critical magnetic field” and it is denoted by Hc.
Let H0 is the magnetic field required to turn the superconductor to a normal
conductor at 00K. The dependence of critical magnetic field with temperature is
given by relation,
 T  
2

Hc = Ho 1 −   
  Tc  
Meissner’s effect:
“When a material is placed in a magnetic field and cooled below the critical temperature then it repel the
magnetic lines of flux completely, this phenomenon is called Meissner effect”.
When a normal material is in a magnetic field, magnetic lines of flux passes through it. When a
superconducting material kept in a magnetic field, repel the magnetic lines of flux away from its body.

Material which attains Meissner effect exhibit perfect diamagnetism and its susceptibility is -1.

Where, μ0 = absolute permeability


normal state, magnetic induction inside the specimen is given by, H= External field applied.
B = μ0 (H + I) I= Magnetism produced within the specimen.
B = μ0 (H + I)

At T< Tc, in superconducting state B = 0


∴ μ0 H + I = 0
H=-I
i.e. magnetization is equal and opposite to applied field.
The susceptibility of material is,
I
𝜒 = = −1
H
Hence superconductors have ∴ 𝜒 = −1 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜇𝑟 = 0 ;
Means perfectly diamagnetic materials.

Utilization:
Meissner effect is utilizing in levitation effect, by using it we can design the
1) Magnetically levitation train (MAGLEV train)
2) Frictionless bearings.
Types of superconductor:

Based upon magnetic behavior superconductor are classified into two types:

I) Type-I superconductor
II) Type-II superconductor

Type-I superconductor are perfectly diamagnetic below critical magnetic field


(Hc) and completely repel the magnetic field.
Magnetization of material increases with increase in magnetic field ‘H’ upto
critical value ‘Hc’ and then suddenly drops to zero. Beyond critical magnetic field
superconductor turns into normal material.
In type-I superconductor transition from superconducting state to normal state
occurs sharply at critical magnetic field Hc.
Type-I superconductor exhibit complete Meissner effect.
Ex. Aluminum, Indium, lead etc.
Type-II superconductor:
Type-II superconductor is characterized by two critical magnetic fields HC1 and
HC2.
The curve of magnetization vs. magnetic field for type-II superconductor is as
shown in fig.
For H < HC1:- superconductor exhibit complete Meissner effect and act as
perfect diamagnetic i.e. completely repel the magnetic field from its body. It
has similar behavior as type-I superconductor.
For Hc1 < H < HC2: Material starts losing its diamagnetic properties slowly,
means it is in the magnetically mix state but electrically in the
superconducting state.
For H = HC2: materials completely lose its superconducting properties and act
as normal material.
Ex: Transition metals and alloys consisting of niobium, silicon, vanadium etc.
Comparison between Type-I and Type-II superconductors:

Type-I superconductor Type-II superconductor


i) They exhibit complete Meissner i) They do not exhibit complete Meissner
effect. effect.
ii) They have only one critical magnetic ii) They have two critical magnetic fields HC1
field HC1. & HC2.
iii) They show perfect diamagnetism. iii) They do not show perfect diamagnetism.
iv) It has low value of critical magnetic iv) It has high value of critical magnetic field.
field.
v) They suddenly lose their v) They slowly lose their superconducting
superconducting properties at critical properties at critical magnetic field HC2.
magnetic field HC1.
vi) Ex. Al, Sn, Pb, Hg, etc. vi) Ex. Nb-Sn, Nb-Ti, Nb-Zr, Va-Ga etc.
Applications:
• Due to small size and low cost superconducting magnets are used to controlled fusion reaction, MRI
scanning.
• Superconductors have zero electrical resistance, hence power loss I2R can be made zero, and therefore
they can be used in cables to transit high power without any loss over a long distance.
• Superconducting coil in transformers, generators and other electrical machines produce much stronger
magnetic field. Hence superconductor making them smaller, lighter and highly efficient.
• They can be used to design frictionless bearings to operate all kind of rotating machines.
• They can be used n switching devices and memory devices in computers.
• The most spectacular application of superconductor would be in the magnetically levitation train or
MAGLEV train.
• It can also used in SQUID (Superconductor Quantum Interference Device) to detect very weak magnetic
field of the order of 10-14 Tesla.

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