Superconductors are materials that have zero electrical resistance, a phenomenon that can maximize efficiency by reducing energy losses. This article describes the history of their discovery, their commercialization, and their potential to help solve the energy problem.
Modern science tells us that energy is conserved throughout the universe. It’s just that energy that is useful to mankind turns into useless energy. In everyday life, when people do work, not all of the energy used is used for work. Due to the resistance of objects, some of the energy is transformed into heat energy. This is a voluntary phenomenon in thermodynamics, and the transformation of heat energy into other energy is involuntary, which means that some of the energy that is useful to us is wasted every time it is used. This natural waste of energy has a profound impact on every aspect of our lives, and humans have long sought ways to reduce energy losses and use energy more efficiently.
But what if there was a material that could prevent this waste? When it comes to electrical energy, there is a material that can prevent energy from being lost. That material is a superconductor. Superconductors are conductors that exhibit superconductivity below a certain temperature (called the critical temperature). Superconductivity is when the electrical resistance of a material goes to zero and the material becomes antiferromagnetic. Antiferromagnetism is when a material repels internal magnetic fields. When an object is antiferromagnetic, magnetic fields cannot penetrate into the material. Superconductors are classified into type 1 superconductors and type 2 superconductors. Type 1 superconductors are those that do not allow magnetic fields to penetrate into the material at all. Superconductors that allow some magnetic fields to penetrate the material are class 2 superconductors. In other words, class 2 superconductors are materials that retain superconductivity without being completely antiferromagnetic. Type 1 superconductors are mostly pure materials, while type 2 superconductors are usually synthetic materials synthesized out of necessity. Most technologies that utilize superconductors use type 2 superconductors.
How were superconductors discovered? As with many other discoveries, the discovery of superconductors happened by accident. In 1911, Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes conducted an experiment on the relationship between the temperature of solid mercury and its resistance. “Heike Kamerlingh Onnes found that the resistance of mercury decreases linearly with temperature as the temperature decreases, and then suddenly drops to zero when the temperature of mercury reaches 4.2 K. This discovery shocked the physics community at the time and led to a new understanding of the physical phenomena that occur when the temperature drops to an absolute zero.
In 1933, after the first observation of superconductivity, Fritz Walther Meißner and Robert Ochsenfeld discovered that type 1 superconductors have antiferromagnetic properties. This paved the way for a deeper understanding of superconductors. Their discovery marked a major turning point in the study of superconductors and led to a vigorous investigation of their potential for commercial applications. Then, in 1950, Lev Landau and Vitaly L. Zarevich Ginzburg published a theory explaining the properties of superconductors. “Aleksei Alekseevich Abrikov predicted that superconductors would be divided into two classes. In 1962, the first commercial superconductor was developed. Since then, engineers have been trying to develop superconductors that exhibit superconductivity at room temperature.
Type 1 superconductors are almost impossible to find commercial applications for because of their properties. Type II superconductors, on the other hand, have many applications. A typical example of a superconductor application is the superconducting electromagnet. Electromagnets are magnets that only become magnetized when an electric current flows through them. Electromagnets are used in speakers, for example, and by using a superconductor with no resistance, the electromagnet doesn’t waste power when used. Superconductors are also used in circuits. Circuits that use superconductors operate faster than circuits that do not. Faster circuit operation not only reduces the time it takes to experiment with the circuit, but also allows for the development of faster electronic devices.
If superconductors can be developed that exhibit superconductivity at room temperature, they can be used in power transmitters (wires), capacitors, transformers, maglev trains, motors, and many other applications. Superconducting wires ensure that no electrical energy is lost during the transportation of electricity. Eliminating unnecessary energy losses means that less power needs to be generated, which prevents wasting resources. Maglev trains using superconductors can travel at very high speeds. This would contribute to the development of transportation. Currently, engineers have increased the critical temperature of superconductors to 52 K, and research is still ongoing.
“The accidental discovery of superconductors by Heike Kamerlingh Onnes is a great achievement in the history of science, especially in the modern world, where energy is in short supply. Since its discovery, superconductors have had a profound impact on physics, electronics, materials science, and many other fields. Superconductors are no longer just an object of physical curiosity, but an important technological tool with practical applications. Furthermore, they have the potential to contribute significantly to the development of society. The development of superconductors that can be commercialized at room temperature is crucial in an age of limited resources. If engineers can develop a material that exhibits superconductivity at room temperature, humanity will take a step forward. The more commercial applications of superconductors expand, the more efficiently and sustainably we will be able to use energy. This will play an important role in solving many of the problems facing humanity, especially energy and environmental issues.
