Superconductivity Superconductivity NarrativesNarratives

The Players: The Players:

The Applications: The Applications:

And the FutureAnd the Future: :

Graduate Students, Nobel and Graduate Students, Nobel and

Ig Nobel prizes…Ig Nobel prizes…

Subtitle: The Human side Subtitle: The Human side of “Table Top” Physicsof “Table Top” Physics

Superfluidity and Superfluidity and Superconductivity Superconductivity

Associated with at Least Associated with at Least Nine Nobel PrizesNine Nobel Prizes

And Still counting …And Still counting …

Nobel Laureates Nobel Laureates

And Possible Laureates…. And Possible Laureates….

L. Landau and Phil Anderson L. Landau and Phil Anderson

Kammerlingh OnnesKammerlingh Onnesdiscovered discovered

superconductivity 1911superconductivity 1911

Failed Theories of Failed Theories of SuperconductivitySuperconductivity

Bardeen Cooper Bardeen Cooper SchriefferSchrieffer

discovered theory of discovered theory of superconductivity 1957superconductivity 1957

Electrons pair and doElectrons pair and do

the Cooper pair “dance”the Cooper pair “dance”

Brian Josephson Brian Josephson DiscoveredDiscovered

Quantum Interference in Quantum Interference in Superconductors Superconductors

(Josephson Effect) 1964(Josephson Effect) 1964

Currently Runs Mind-Matter Unification ProjectCurrently Runs Mind-Matter Unification Project

Osheroff, with Osheroff, with Richardson and LeeRichardson and Lee

discovered superfluid discovered superfluid helium-3 in 1973helium-3 in 1973

Bednorz and MullerBednorz and MullerDiscovered High Discovered High

Temperature Temperature Superconductors 1986 Superconductors 1986

The Discovery of Higher The Discovery of Higher Tc Superconductors and Tc Superconductors and

The Paul Chu The Paul Chu Green Superconductor Green Superconductor

SagaSaga

The “Woodstock” The “Woodstock” American Physical American Physical

Society Meeting 1987Society Meeting 1987

The Human side of Physicists --all The Human side of Physicists --all night session on High Tc night session on High Tc

superconductivitysuperconductivity

Transition temperature Transition temperature vs timevs time

Key Discovery: Superconducting transition Key Discovery: Superconducting transition temperatures above liquid nitrogen boiling temperatures above liquid nitrogen boiling

temp– cheap coolant availabletemp– cheap coolant available

Highest Transition Temperature Highest Transition Temperature

-189 F ! -189 F !

Fahrenheit (oF)

Kelvin (K)

Centigrade (oC) Conventional

Superconductors (up to ~-405 F)

High-Temperature

Superconductors (up to ~150K) Boiling Water 212 100 373

Ice 32 0 273

Liquid nitrogen -290 -196 77

Absolute Zero -460 -273 0

WHAT IS SUPERCONDUCTIVITY??

For superconducting materials, the resistivity vanishes

at some low temperature.

Thus, superconductors can carry large amounts of current with no loss of energy.

What Else Can What Else Can Superconductors Do ?Superconductors Do ?

Expel magnetic fields:Expel magnetic fields:

Meissner effect Meissner effect

Allow a current in a closed circuit Allow a current in a closed circuit to persist indefinitely.to persist indefinitely.

The Meissner Effect

Superconductors acquire a polarization OPPOSITE to an applied magnetic field. This is the reason that superconducting materials and magnets repel one another.If the temperature increases the sample will lose its superconductivity and the magnet cannot float on the superconductor.

Levitation of Sumo wrestler– Ig Nobel Prize

What superfluids can doWhat superfluids can do

Flow without viscosityFlow without viscosity Dribble through molecule thin Dribble through molecule thin

crackscracks Climb up and over the sides of a Climb up and over the sides of a

dishdish Remain motionless when the Remain motionless when the

container is spun.container is spun.

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Applications using Superconductors

MRI Body scanners

Accelerator magnets

Magnetometers for medicine, seismography …

Transport

Power transmission

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Applications using Superconductors

Transport

In Jan 08, the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) announced that it plans to construct a second-generation maglev train that will run from Tokyo to

central Japan.Cost ~ 44.7 billion dollars

Completion in 2025Speed ~ 500 kilometers per hour

Length ~ 290 kilometers

Maglev train: Maglev train: Superconductivity at 500 Superconductivity at 500

km/hrkm/hr

Yamanashi Test Site, JapanYamanashi Test Site, Japan 33 km long, >500 Km/hr33 km long, >500 Km/hr Segment of Tokyo-Osaka Segment of Tokyo-Osaka

new linenew line

Existing Japanese MagLev train

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Applications using Superconductors

Superconducting power transmission- currently we waste ~ 20 % of our

energy just transporting it around- potentially the next industrial

revolution

Long Distance DC Long Distance DC Superconducting Superconducting

Electricity PipelineElectricity Pipeline

MRI Uses MRI Uses Superconducting Superconducting

MagnetsMagnets

Closed (1-3 Tesla) and open (0.3T) MRI magnets both use Nb-Closed (1-3 Tesla) and open (0.3T) MRI magnets both use Nb-Ti with a transition temperature (Tc) of only 9K, ~-450F.Ti with a transition temperature (Tc) of only 9K, ~-450F.

All are Cooled only by liquid helium until late 2006 .

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MRI - $1B annual market

Superconducting Superconducting Magnetometers based on Magnetometers based on

Josephson EffectJosephson Effect

Particle Accelerators Particle Accelerators Use Superconducting Use Superconducting

magnetsmagnetsSuperconducting Tevatron

energy-saver accelerator rings west of Chicago (Batavia, IL)

Nb-Ti at 4.5 T, 4.2 K

27 km Tunnel27 km Tunnel

Large Hadron Collider-CERN

Switzerland

France

Mont Mont BlancBlanc

Lake Lake GenevaGeneva

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Some facts about the LHC

Protons are accelerated to 99.999999991% of the speed of light

The LHC lets us glimpse the conditions 1/100th of a billionth of a second after the Big Bang: a travel back in time by 13.7 billion years

High energy collisions create particles that haven’t existed in nature since the Big Bang

Find out what makes the Universe tick at the most fundamental level

And find the Higgs boson!

Concept of Higgs Boson– Concept of Higgs Boson– comes from comes from

superconductivity theorysuperconductivity theory

LHC –Depends on LHC –Depends on SuperconductivitySuperconductivity

3286 HTS Leads3286 HTS Leads

Today:• Over 5,500 cell-phone towers contain high-temp SCs• 3 Prototype substations for power transmission in US• Other markets being developed

Applications of High-Temperature

Superconductivity

The Applied Superconductivity CenterThe Applied Superconductivity CenterThe National High Magnetic Field Laboratory - FSUThe National High Magnetic Field Laboratory - FSU

1911-2011 1911-2011 100 Years of Remarkable 100 Years of Remarkable

ProgressProgressSuperconducting devices are pervasive in science and medical technologies

•Frictionless current flow allows multiple applications.

•Deep principles behind superconductivity(esp. High Tc superconductivity) to be discovered– more Nobel Prizes(?)

What do we dream of?What do we dream of?

Materials that remain superconducting in any Materials that remain superconducting in any field.field.

Materials that carry enormous current densities Materials that carry enormous current densities so that we can make very powerful magnets.so that we can make very powerful magnets.

Materials that are cheap to make, flexible in Materials that are cheap to make, flexible in use, versatile in design and manufacture, strong, use, versatile in design and manufacture, strong, fracture resistant.fracture resistant.

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Superconductivity offers excellent science, excellent technology, excellent training and the possibility of saving the planet !!

Summary Summary

What Else Do We Dream of ?What Else Do We Dream of ?

Even Better Super Conductors! Even Better Super Conductors!