How superconductors work so efficiently
Superconductors may seem like perfectly ordinary materials, but turn down the temperature and their superpowers are revealed
Superconductors are metals – such as lead – or oxides which conduct electricity with no resistance. There’s just one catch – to display their superpowers, they need to be kept at a frosty -265 degrees Celsius, or thereabouts.
Peer inside a chunk of lead and you’ll see row upon row of neatly packed ions, bathed in a swarm of electrons. These loose electrons are what conduct electricity – set them into motion and you have an electrical current. At room temperature the lead ions vibrate away frenetically. From an electron’s perspective, it’s like trying to move across a crowded dance floor without spilling your drink. Constant collisions between electrons and ions convert electrical energy into heat – this is resistance.