On October 16 some researchers at Tel Aviv University in Isreal uploaded a video of them demonstrating what is known as "Quantum Locking", or in non-scientific terms, making things hover in mid-air.
Here's a link to the video: http://youtu.be/Ws6AAhTw7RA
Even though to most of us this seems like something strait out of a sci-fi film, it is apperently not as complex as it would appear.
To begin, the researchers started with a crystal sapphire waffer and wrapped it with a thin ceramic layer of yttrium barium copper oxide. While this ceramic layer ordinarily has no particularly distinguishing features, when cooled below -185 degrees celcius it becomes a superconductor. The final result is a frozen disc.
When placed over a magnet, the superconductor and magnet would normally repel each other. However, because the ceramic layer is so thin, some of the magnetic force is allowed through the disc at certain weak points in the ceramic layer. Now, these paths of magnetic force through the disc are called flux tubes and are the secret to the researcher's little levetation trick.
Because there are several flux tubes throughout the disc, the flux tubes will try to remain as stationary as possible. This creates a 3D locking effect, which is what the researchers demonstrate.
Here is a link to the researcher's explanation of their demonstration. http://www.quantumlevitation.com/levitation/The_physics.html
If it must be kept so cold how efficient is the supper conductor really. It would take so much power to keep it cool what was gained would be so little.
ReplyDelete@ Sean - Well, this experiment was not to demonstrate the profitability of quantum locking. They were just trying to show something cool in regards to magnetic fields. But hey, immagine how useful this would be if someone discovered/invented a superconductor that opperated at room temperature...
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