Thursday, October 20, 2011

New Scientist TV: Superconducting disc locked in upside-down levitation

New Scientist TV: Superconducting disc locked in upside-down levitation: Almog's disc can be locked in place thanks to tiny gaps in the ultra-thin superconducting coating that allow some of the magnetic fields to seep in. Since the superconductor hates magnetic fields, it traps them in weak areas. So the tiny spaces act as pins, holding up the disc in space.

"We have achieved what was thought to be impossible up until today: growing high quality superconducting layers on sapphire wafers," says Almog. "Since the superconductor is of the highest quality, it allows a micron thick layer to be locked in space with enough power."

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