Instructor: Jorge E. Hirsch
Kammerlingh Onnes
Walther Meissner
Fritz London
John Bardeen
Hannes Alfvén
Understanding the Meissner Effect in Superconductors
The Meissner effect is the expulsion of a magnetic field from the interior of a metal entering the superconducting state. It was discovered experimentally 90 years ago and is the most fundamental property of superconductors. It is generally believed to be well understood both macroscopically and microscopically through London’s equations (1935) and BCS theory (1957). In this course we will discuss what is wrong with the general understanding of the Meissner effect and how to understand it correctly. This leads to qualitatively different guidelines from those being used today to guide the search for materials that will superconduct at room temperature.
Announcements
- Feynman paradox.
- In-class Midterm: Tuesday October 29, 11am-11:30am. Please try to be on time. Please bring a blue book.
- Guest lecturer 10/24: Daniel Arovas. Dan's lecture notes (pdf).
- Guest lecturer 10/17: Francisco Guinea
- Watch the 4 mins video at the beginning of this paper: https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/24/1/83
(don't read the paper)- Guest lecturer 10/3: Dirk van der Marel
- Estimate the energy involved in the Meissner effect shown in the pictures above
- Read the Meissner-Ochsenfeld paper in English here
- Slides and podcasts of lectures are in Canvas page
Broad outline of topics that will be covered
Topics that will be covered, in more detail
- Basic properties of superconductors, especially the Meissner effect
- What the conventional theory of superconductivity explains and doesn't explain about the Meissner effect
- The four questions about the Meissner effect that need to be answered
- Alfven's theorem and the Meissner effect
- Superconductors as giant atoms
- Why the Meissner effect is an unknown unknown; experiments that could settle these questions
- How the correct understanding of the Meissner effect tells us where to look for room temperature superconductors
- How room temperature superconductors will change the world
Course Information:
Lectures: Tu Th 11:00am - 12:20p, PODEM 1A22
Instructor: Jorge E. Hirsch, 5310 Mayer Hall, Ext. 4-3931, e-mail: jhirsch@ucsd.edu (include 139 in subject line)
In addition, we may have some distinguished guest lecturers presenting dissenting viewpoints
Office Hours: Mon 2-3pm, Fri 2-3pm, or by appointment, in person at 5310 MH or by zoom. For zoom click here.
Course Materials:
Course requirements:
- Review what you learned in earlier courses about Newton's laws, Faraday's law, Ampere's law, the Bohr atom and the first and second laws of thermodynamics.
- Other requirements to earn an A in the course will be discussed at the first lecture, thereafter be listed here
General Information
- Students with Disabilities
- UCSD Physics Courses
- UCSD Physics Courses Homepage
- Physics Department Web page
- StudentLink - UCSD student website.
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