Bottom of the cryostat in which heike kamerlingh onnes and coworkers carried out the 8 april 1911 experiment that first revealed superconductivity. A few years earlier he had become the first person to liquefy helium, which has a boiling point of 4. On april 8, 1911, dutch physicist and nobel laureate heike kamerlingh onnes found that at a temperature of only 4. Superconductivity is one of most exciting phenomena in physics, both because of the vary nature of the phenomenon and also of its prospective applications of immense potential. Since that time, superconductivity has been found to occur in many metallic elements and intermetallic compounds. Some, such as william thomson lord kelvin, believed that electrons flowing through a conductor would come to a complete halt or, in other words, metal resistivity will become infinity at absolute zero. The history of superconductivity began with dutch physicist heike kamerlingh onnes s discovery of superconductivity in mercury in 1911. The phenomenon of superconductivity, in which the electrical resistance of certain materials completely vanishes at low temperatures, is one of the most interesting and sophisticated in condensed matter physics. In 1911 onnes found out the experimental fact that the electrical resistivity of mercury drops to zero below the temperature 4. A good book on superconductivity is introduction to superconductivity by michael tinkham. History and significance of the discovery of superconductivity by kamerlingh onnes in 1911.
In 1911 superconductivity was first observed in mercury by dutch physicist heike kamerlingh onnes of leiden university shown above. Kamerlingh onnes found that the electrical resistivity of a mercury wire disappears suddenly when it is cooled below a temperature of about 4 k. Kamerlingh onnes made the first discovery 1 of the phenomenon in 1911 in mercury hg as shown in fig. As already said, superconductivity was discovered in 1911 by kamerlingh onnes in leiden kamerlingh onnes, 1911.
Story of superconductivity indian academy of sciences. Onnes conducted an experiment, in 1912, on the usability of superconductivity. It was the dutch physicist heike kamerlingh onnes, who discovered phenomenon of superconductivity. Door meten tot weten through measurement to knowledge motto of kamerlingh onnes laboratory. Any material exhibiting these properties is a superconductor. He exploited the hampsonlinde cycle to investigate how materials behave when cooled to nearly absolute zero and later to liquefy helium for the first time, in 1908. Heike kamerlingh onnes and superconductivity scihi. Kamerlingh onnes, who observed an abrupt vanishing of.
Superconductivity is a unique and powerful phenomenon of nature. They studied mercury because very pure samples could easily be prepared by distillation. Superconductivity was discovered in 1911 by kamerlingh onnes. Superconductivity is widely regarded as one of the great scientific discoveries of the 20th century.
Onnes was a man attracted to cold, which no doubt added to his enjoyment of the december day in stockholm in. Ever since, researchers have attempted to observe superconductivity at increasing temperatures with the goal of finding a roomtemperature superconductor. Superconductivity is the set of physical properties observed in certain materials, wherein electrical resistance vanishes and from which magnetic flux fields are expelled. Fluid helium was carefully studied and also became an important aid for the cooling of different substances and charting their properties at low temperatures. Kamerlingh onnes and the discovery of superconductivity. Upon measuring the electric current, onnes found that its intensity did not diminish with the time. Superconductivity was discovered in 1911 by the dutch physicist heike kamerlingh onnes. The 203 k superconductivity is probably associated with a stoichiometric change to h 3 s that was predicted to be a hightemperature superconductor 5 due. The historic measurement of superconductivity in mercury is shown in figure 1. Superconductivity superconductivity was discovered in 1911 by h. Lecture notes on superconductivity a work in progress. The inaugural lecture of heike kamerlingh onnes 1882 pdf. Superconductivity theory and applications intechopen. The basic observation was the disappearance of electrical resistance of various metals mercury, lead and thin in a very small range of temperatures around a critical temperature tc characteristic of the material see fig.
Heike kamerlingh onnes s discovery of superconductivity the turnofthecentury race to reach temperatures approaching absolute zero led to the unexpected discovery of electric currents that. Heike kamerlingh onnes and the road to superconductivity. That was the day he first liquefied helium and thus opened an entirely new chapter in lowtemperature physics. Superconductivity is a transpiring technology for high performance electronics. Superconductivity property of complete disappearance of electrical resistance in solids when they are cooled below a characteristic temperature. Superconductivity wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. He was a professor of physics at leiden in western netherlands. The meissner effect and superconducting levitation. It was first discovered by the dutch physicist heike kamerlingh onnes, who was the first to.
Superconductivity is a phenomenon in which the resistance of the material to the electric current flow is zero. Heike kamerlingh onnes in 1911 at leiden, offered a glim mer of hope to make this dream possible. Onnes was able to extract about 300 liters of helium gas at 1 atm fr om the sand shipment. Onnes was born in 1853 in gronin gen, in the northeastern netherlands. Kamerlingh onnes and holst in mercury at the tempera ture of liquid helium 4. Kammerlingh onnes in 1911 was followed by the observation of other metals which exhibit zero resistivity below a certain critical temperature. Superconductivity certain metals and alloys exhibit almost zero resistivity i. Superconductivity basic phenomenon if a material is described as a superconductor, below a certain temperature the critical temperarure it loses its electrical resistivity to become a perfect conductor. Superconductivity was discovered 3 in 1911 by the dutch physicist h.
Dahl historical studies in the physical sciences, vol. The availability of a steady supply of liquid hydrogen was the key to the at tempt to liquefy helium. So superconductivity was observed on april 8, and discovered a few months later. Later the zero electrical resistivity is observed in many metals and alloys, and such a phenomenon is called superconductivity. Superconductivity kamerlingh onnes conducted in 1911 electrical analysis of pure metals mercury, tin and lead at very low temperatures. When different substances are cooled to very low temperatures, their properties change. Heike kamerlingh onnes 21 september 1853 21 february 1926 was a dutch physicist and nobel laureate. Professor heike kamerlingh onnes, 21 september 1853 21 february 1926 was a dutch physicist and nobel laureate. Superconductivity was discovered by kamerlingh onnes in 1911, in a metal solid. Abstract i sketch here the scientificbiograp hy of heike kamerlingh onnes, who in 1908 was the first to liquefy helium and in 1911 discovered superconductivity. Journal of research of the national institute of standards and technology 107 3. Onnes archive, housed at the boerhaave museum in leiden, to see whether any new clues could be found about the discovery of superconductivitythat most im portant consequence of the ability to reach liquidhelium temperatures. Kamerlingh onnes in holland while studying the electrical resistance of a sample of frozen mercury as a function of temperature.
One hundred years ago, on april 8, 1911, heike kamerlingh onnes and his staff at the leiden cryogenic laboratory were the first to observe superconductivity 1. This temperature is called transition temperature or critical temperature. Nearly a century after its first discovery, its full commercial potential is. The notebooks of kamerlingh onnes and the discovery of. Lecture notes on superconductivity a work in progress daniel arovas congjun wu department of physics. By the late 1970s, superconductivity was observed in several metallic compounds in particular nbbased, such as nbti, nb 3 sn, and nb 3 ge at temperatures that. In 1911 kamerlingh onnes and one of his assistants discovered the phenomenon of superconductivity while studying the resistance of metals at low temperatures. Superconductivity is one of the historical landmarks in condensed matter physics. It offers unique and beneficial attributes for signal processing, communication systems and industry. Of course, its roughly known when the first two superconductivity experiments were carried out. Heike kamerlingh onnes september 21, 1853 february 21, 1926 was a dutch physicist. During his investigations on the conductivity of metals at low temperature he found that the resistance of a mercury. Superconductivity was discovered on april 8, 1911 by heike kamerlingh onnes, who was studying the resistance of solid mercury at cryogenic temperatures using the recently produced liquid helium as a refrigerant.
Heike kamerlingh onnes and the road to liquid helium. Heike kamerlingh the virial equation of state article pdf available in indian journal of chemical technology 105. Kamerlingh onnes, only three years after he had succeeded in liquefying helium. His production of extreme cryogenic temperatures led to his discovery of superconductivity in 1911. Pdf advances in superconductivity and superconductors. In 1908 heike kamerlingh onnes used an ingenious apparatus to cool helium to liquid form. On 10 july 1908,in his laboratory at leiden university, the great dutch physicist heike kamerlingh onnes 1853 1926 experienced the most glorious moment of his career. Superconductivity was discovered in 1911 by heike kamerlingh onnes figure 1 as he studied the properties of metals at low temperatures. Background history kammerlingh onnes liquefying of he in 1908. Akhtar electronic and magnetic materials group, physics division, directorate of science, pinstech, p. Investigations into the properties of substances at low temperatures, which have led, amongst other things, to the preparation of liquid helium, heike kamerlingh onnes, nobel prize 19 pdf. The discovery of superconductivity europhysics news.
Heike kamerlingh onnes and the road to liquid helium dirk van delft, museum boerhaave leiden university. His scientific career was spent exploring extremely cold refrigeration techniques and the associated phenomena. He pioneered refrigeration techniques, and he explored how materials behaved when cooled to nearly absolute zero. Enough reason, then, to have a close look at the kamerlingh onnes archive, housed at the boerhaave museum in leiden, to see whether any new clues could be found about the discovery of superconductivity that most important consequence of the ability to reach liquidhelium temperatures. Soon afterwards, onnes discovered that relatively small magnetic fields destroy superconductivity and that the critical magnetic field is a. Superconductivity is the phenomenon of certain materials exhibiting zero electrical resistance and the expulsion of magnetic fields below a characteristic temperature. Just 1 week after the publication of the jump kamerlingh onnes reported his discovery in brussels to the elite of the physics world at the very first of the historic solvay conferences. Unlike an ordinary metallic conductor, whose resistance decreases gradually as its temperature is lowered even down to near absolute zero, a superconductor has a.
Onnes designed a new apparatus, using liquid air and. Heike kamerlingh onness discovery of superconductivity. Since the discovery of an oxide superconductor with critical temperature tc approximately equal to 35 k by bednorz and muller 1986, there are a great number of laboratories all over the world involved in research of superconductors with high tc values, the socalled hightc superconductors. Superconductivity an overview sciencedirect topics. Onnes introduced an electric current into a superconductive ring and removed the battery that generated it. On cooling hg to the temperature of liquid helium, he found that the resistance vanished abruptly at.
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