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superconductors explained simply (7 interesting uses)


does superconducting levitation fascinate you?

even if you have no physics background, you are going to exactly understand how levitation works along with 7 other applications of superconductors

so let's get started

superconductivity 

the first step to understand how things levitate is to understand what is a superconductor

definition-

it is a substance which offers no electrical resistance to any current flowing through it

 

the opposition to current in a material is a function of temperature, it increases and decreases with temperature

but, there is a particular temperature below which the resistance becomes zero

this temperature is the critical temperature(Tc)

superconductivity


  • below the temperature Tc, the material becomes a superconductor
  • conduction in metal takes place by electrons, but in superconductors, it is done by a pair of electrons
  • these pairs of electrons are called cooper pairs
  • a magnetic field induces currents in the superconductor
  • these currents repel the external magnetic field
  • the closer the magnet gets, the more is the repulsion
  • because of this repulsion superconductor repels the magnets
  • but, levitation is not only about repelling, but it's also about staying in the same place
superconductivity

for staying in place we have to lock our superconductor, by quantum locking


quantum locking


superconductors not only repeal but don't even allow a single field line to enter the material

it's like an oil drop flowing through the water

the idea of locking this material in place is the same as a string passing through a ring, confining the ring to the only move along the string

in our case, the sting is a field line and holes are impurities through which field lines can pass, called a magnetic vortex

field lines passing through vortexes help in levitating the superconducting material

on the same note here are some other interesting applications of superconductors

quantum locking


superconductor applications and uses


  1. levitating trains(maglev)
  2. superconducting quantum computers
  3. lossless cables
  4. SQUID
  5. superconducting magnets
  6. large wind turbines
  7. superconducting magnetic refrigeration

1- maglev trains-

the concept of levitating trains is gaining popularity day by day, because of the stability and control in these trains

a single moving part(i.e the train itself) is an additional advantage, which further increases the efficiency of train


2- superconducting quantum computers-

these computers use superconducting electrical circuits(a ring formed by joining 2 leads of superconductors) as q bits, and the direction of current defines the state of q bits.


3- lossless cables-

it is known that the electrical resistance of the superconductor is completely zero, so the losses in these cables are negligible.

the space taken by these cables is also less than conventional cables


4- SQUIDs

SQUIDs stands for superconducting quantum interference devices, these devices measure extremely small magnetic fields

SQUIDs can measure magnetic fields as low as 10−18 T


5- superconducting magnets

a superconducting magnet is an electromagnet using superconductors.

superconducting magnets are one of the strongest magnets known.


6- large wind turbines

in large wind turbines, large currents impose various restrictions, and superconductors help in overcoming these problems.


7- superconducting magnetic refrigeration

the temperature of a substance can change by keeping it in a varying magnetic field

In a superconducting magnetic refrigerator, superconducting magnets produce these fields.


these applications could be well known in the future, but the problem with normal superconductors is that they require extremely low temperatures, to solve this problem we need to have high-temperature superconductors


high-temperature superconductor


high-temperature superconductors(HTS) are materials showing superconductivity above -200 °C(it's low but higher than normal superconductors)

in fact, the highest accepted superconducting temperature is -23 °C.

making a high-temperature superconductor is not an easy task, and a lot of research is taking place for their development.

the main problem with HTS is that majority of them are of ceramics, and ceramics are brittle

so drawing HTSs into wires is very problematic


conclusion-

in this article, we saw the physics behind superconductors, some of their applications, and high-temperature superconductors

superconductors may be the material for building our future

we would now like to hear from you

do you have any doubts or do you know any other interesting application of superconductors

either way, you can comment and tell us



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