Pl Classification ot Superconductors = © 2 <—> 2 o e ge ‘ 3 Superconducting Normal ate state sta| re impotant characteristics of type | Superconductors are: » They exhibit complete Meissner effect, (i The critical values of magnetic field He at whicl i) 7 a own critical field for type I superconductor is of the order of 0.1 T. The low value of yokes these materials unsuitable for use in high field Superconducting magnets, Ic The magnetisation curve shows that transition at H, e i at He is reversible. This means that if the id is reduced below H, the material again Acquires superconducting property and the +h magnetisation drops are very low. The + agnetc fie lis expelled. ra (i) Below H, the material is superconductor and above He it becomes a conductor. Dprype II (or hard) Superconductors A go The superconductors in which the t vi naterial loses magnetisation gradually rather = Type II ' 3 ta suddenly are termed as type I or hard oe superconductors. 5 7 ot The magnetisation curve for these ®& superconductors is shown in Fig. 42.2. 3 * Normal The important characteristics are : to State es lor He H (i) They do not show complete Meissner \ Applied Magnetic Field Hea effect, (i) These superconductors have two critical felds: Ho, (the lower critical field) and //¢, (the upper critical field). The specimen is diamagnetic ‘low H, ie. the magnetic field is completely excluded below He). At Ho, the flux begins to Penetrate the specimen, and the penetration of flux increases until the upper critical field H,, is ‘ached. At H[, the magnetisation vanishes and specimen returns to normal conducting state. The Talue of His greater than H.. The value of critical field for type II materials may be 100 times or Tore higher than the value of H for type I superconductors. Critical fields H,, up-to 30 T have been (bserved, Fig. 42.2 The materials which display type II behaviour are essentially inhomogeneous and include . Pr Nb-Ti alloys and Va-Ga and Nb-Sn inter-metallic compounds. These are technically more ful than type 1 Superconductors due to tolerating high magnetic fields.