Superconductor Levitation

Type-II superconductor: Meissner expulsion + flux pinning keep a magnet suspended

SC
Phase
42mm
Levitation height
12
Pinned flux quanta
92T
H_c2 (YBCO)
Type-II Superconductors (e.g. YBCO, T_c ≈ 92 K): Below T_c, the Meissner effect expels magnetic flux. But in Type-II, above H_c1, flux penetrates as quantised vortices (flux quanta Φ₀ = h/2e = 2.07×10⁻¹⁵ Wb). Defects in the crystal act as pinning sites — vortices get trapped, creating a strong restoring force. Click the canvas to drag the magnet. The magnet floats because any displacement increases the pinning energy cost.