Lecture notes

last updated 08.04.2025 (lectures 1-6 and 8-11), work in progress, use with caution (and do let me know about any problems and errors)

Problem sheets and tutorials

Things get difficult when you reach the boundary: a critical blow to London's best theory

surface energy, Landau theory of phase transitions

superconducting tapes

Lev Landau

About Landau's theory minimum, seminar, and workstyle
Landau and superfluidity (and some personal history related to his arrest)
Applications of Landau theory (not a fun reading, but it gives some real-world examples)

Spatial distribution of field and supercurrent, 10 years to measure the flux

penetration depth, London theory

flux quantization

Fritz London

Superconductor vs. magnetic field, and how they see each other

Meissner effect, demagnetization, latent heat

magnetic levitation (trains)

Paul Ehrenfest

Early history of superconductivity, or why it took 20 years to discover Meissner effect
Magnetic levitation: with and without a superconductor
Classification of phase transitions in the historical perspective, or why first order and second order is not always enough

We will learn why superconductors do not like magnetic field, and how to make things cool

ideal conductor and ideal diamagnet

cryogenics

mercury

Heike Kamerlingh Onnes

History of Kamerlingh Onnes' discovery: short version and longer version
How bad is the helium shortage situation? – Summary and detailed report
Cryogenic helium refrigeration for middle and large powers: a 700-page treatise with an exhilarated description of cryostats and liquefiers

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