MATERIALS ENGINEERING 10

ENGINEERING
MATERIALS
Creative Report
SUPERCONDUCTORS:
Properties, Synthesis, &
Applications
Romar Angelo Avila
Von Deuda
Recall from Physics 72:
Recall from Physics 72:
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
The complete disappearance of
all electrical resistance at low
temperatures
However, superconductors
also have interesting magnetic
properties.
The T
c
changes when the material is
exposed to an external magnetic field B.
As B increases, T
c
decreases.
Once the magnetic field reaches a certain
amount, the material stops being
superconductive regardless of the
temperature.
CRITICAL FIELD
The minimum magnitude of magnetic field
required to remove superconductivity at a
temperature below T
c
Critical Field is denoted as H
c
MEISNER EFFECT
A material in a superconducting transition will
repel a magnetic field.
MEISNER EFFECT
Classifications of Superconductors
According to:
- Response to magnetic field
- Critical Temperature
- Observance of the BCS theory
Response to Magnetic Field
Type I
- First superconductors discovered
- Very low T
c
- Perfect diamagnetism
- Metals & metalloids that show some
conductivity at room temperatures
- Examples: Mercury (4.2 K), Lead (7.2 K),
Tin (3.7 K)
Response to Magnetic Field
Type II
- Mostly ceramics & alloys, plus vanadium,
niobium, & technetium
- Have 2 critical fields
H
c1
field starts to flow inside material
H
c2
field stops superconductivity
- Preferred for industrial use in magnets
Response to Magnetic Field
*carbon will only show superconductivity as nanotubes
Critical Temperature
High-Temperature Superconductor
- Can function as a superconductor by
cooling with liquid nitrogen (T
c
> 77 K)
Low-Temperature Superconductor
- Requires greater degree of cooling
(approaching 0 K) to show
superconductivity
Observance of the BCS Theory
If the superconductivity of the material can
be explained by the BCS theory, it is said
to be conventional.
Otherwise, it is known as unconventional.
But what is the BCS theory?
BCS Theory
- Published by American physicists John
Bardeen, Leon Cooper, and Robert
Schrieffer (hence BCS)
- Provided a model to explain how
superconductivity works
BCS Theory
Structure
Type I Superconductors
- Cu, Au, Ag, even though they are some of
the best conductors, cannot be
superconductors.
- Metals with FCC structure are packed so
tightly that Cooper-pairing is hindered.
- Some FCC metals will superconduct
because of a low elastic modulus which
affects the crystal lattice.
Structure
Type II Superconductors
- Most common are
niobium alloys (with Zr,
Ti, Sn)
- Recently discovered
ceramic superconductors
have an imperfect
perovskite structure
Structure
Ceramics with perovskite
structures have special
electrical & magnetic
properties. This is due to
the flexibility of the bonds
present in the crystal
lattice.
This degree of flexibility
allows electrons traveling
through the lattice to
undergo Cooper pairing
at low temperatures.
Structure
- Other recent research
suggests the oxygen
vacancies in the
copper planes of the
lattice somehow
contribute to these
properties.
Superconductor Fabrication
Sintering
- The process of heating a material until just
below its melting point
- A stoichiometric powder mixture of the
components is placed in a furnace to allow
the solid-state reaction to occur
Annealing
- To slowly cool a material after heating
which increases ductility
- Oxygen lost during sintering is replenished
(for ceramics)
The superconductor is now ready!
Just add coolant (Liquid N
2
, H
2
, He, etc.)
Superconductor Fabrication
Superconductor Fabrication
Thin Film Deposition
- A high-powered laser or an electron beam
is used to vaporize the material
- The vapor deposits as a thin film on a
substrate
- Used to make superconducting tapes
Thin Film Deposition
Superconductor Fabrication
Applications of Superconductors
Maglev Trains
- Superconducting
magnets eliminate friction
between train and tracks
Particle Accelerators
- The Large Hadron Collider in
CERN consists of 27 km of
superconducting magnets
Applications of Superconductors
Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (MRI)
- A stronger magnetic field
gives a higher resolution
and accuracy
Power
Transmission
- High temperature
superconductors (HTS)
can transmit power without
loss of energy
Applications of Superconductors
Basically, anything that operates with
electricity or has a magnetic field can be
greatly improved by the use of
superconductors
Superconducting Motor Superconducting Generator
References
Eck, J. Superconductor Information for the
Beginner. Feb 2014. Web. 01 Jan 2014.
Callister, W. Materials Science and
Engineering, 8
th
Edition; John Wiley &
Sons: USA, 2012.
Young, H.; Freedman, R.; Ford, L. Sears
and Zemanskys University Physics with
Modern Physics, 13
th
Edition; Pearson
Education: USA, 2012