Chapter 6
Are Superconductors the Future?

Are superconductors the future? Supercomputers, SQUIDS, electric power transmission, motors, and magnetically levitated trains are just some of the things superconductors can do; without wasting any energy. The Department of Energy is using much of its money for the research of high temperature superconductors. A federal study says that superconductivity could be a $15 billion dollar business by year 2000. This chapter will discuss some of the things superconductors are being used for today.

Transmission Lines
Transmission cables that carried electricity without any loss of energy would mean more electricity could be transferred than before. Regular transmission lines lose about 3% of the energy transferred. This would also mean saving money and not much amount of space would be needed.

Motors
Motors made of superconductive wire would mean they would be smaller and more efficient. These could be especially used in submarines and ships.

Generators
Generators will be able to replace iron cores with superconducting wire. This will make it lighter and get more power from less fuel.

Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage
Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) stores electricity for long periods of time in superconductive coils. SMES will be used by electrical utilities some day. SMES will be used for manufacturing plants by reducing power interruptions which cost American companies 12 billion dollars every year.

Computers
If computers used superconducting parts they would be much more faster than the computers today. They would much smaller because no space for heat would be required. Computers of today need a great deal of space for cooling.

Computers are being developed today that use Josephson junctions. These were named after Brian David Josephson of Cambridge University in England, who thought of the Josephson effect. The Josepson effect states that electrons are able to flow across an insulating barrier placed between two superconducting materials. He shared the Nobel prize in physics in 1973 for his discovery. Josephson junctions have a thin layer of insulating materials squeezed between superconductive material. Josephson junctions require little power to operate, thus creating less heat.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI) is a medical diagnostic tool to produce images inside the body. MRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves to see through bone and produce images of blood vessels, cerebrospinal fluid, cartilage, bone marrow, muscles, and ligaments. MRI is not harmful like the X rays or CAT scans, which uses radiation. The only problem with MRI is that the cost is very high due to the amount of helium needed and other maintenance, and MRI takes up much space.

Superconducting Quantum Interference Device
Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) is able to detect magnetic fields less than ten billionth that of Earth.

SQUIDs are used by physicist to search for gravitational waves. Geologists use SQUIDs to find oil and mineral deposits. Oil and mineral deposits distort the Earth’s magnetic field, letting the SQUID easily detect. Scientists use SQUIDs on airplanes or helicopters to check out the terrain of areas.

Magnetically Levitated Trains
Perhaps the most famous and fascinating superconducting invention is magnetically levitated trains, or "maglev" trains. Maglev trains have no wheels and friction. The trains float silently on a magnetic field. There has been much development of maglev trains in Japan. The MLX01 maglev train in Japan reached a record speed of 550 kilometers per hour on December 24, 1997.

Are Superconductors the Future?
Are superconductors the future? After understanding what superconductivity is and what it is doing today I am convinced they are the future of us or the generations to come. Some day superconductors will replace the conductors of electricity we use today. Superconductors will save billions of dollars for countries of the world, and make life easier for us all. I believe superconductors are the future.

"Superconductivity is perhaps the most remarkable physical property in the universe"
- David Pines, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Center for Advanced Study Professor of physics and electrical and computing engineering