prt01prt02prt03prt04prt05prt06prt07prt08prt09prt10prt11prt12prt13prt14prt15prt16prt17prt18prt19prt20prt21INTRODUCTIONelcome to the fascinating new world of ceramic superconductors. Colorado SuperconductorInc.'s growing family of High Temperature Superconductor Kits emphasize both the underlyingphysics, and also the new applications of these versatile new materials. Furthermore, in an effortto keep abreast of the rapid advances in this field, we are pleased to provide several ComparisonKits that compare the properties of the leading high temperature superconductors availabletoday.hese Kits are designed to introduce the new ceramic superconductors in a `cookbook' fashion.This experiment guide has detailed explanations to help you implement the various experimentsand to understand their physical basis. The materials in these Kits can be also be used to designand perform several additional experiments.olorado Superconductor is continuously introducing new Kits to demonstrate newlydiscovered physical phenomena and also new materials. Applications for these materials arebeing pursued at a rapid pace.elow is a list of the Experiment Kits manufactured by Colorado Superconductor Inc. If you areinterested in these and other superconductor products, please write to us or call us at thelocation listed on our Company Profile page.he Kits are quite complete in that one can investigate the basic phenomena ofsuperconductivity with very little in addition to the Kit contents themselves. The only item thatthe investigator needs to provide is the liquid nitrogen. For the Critical Temperature Kits, asimple, inexpensive digital voltmeter is also needed. The Complete Exploration Kit , SuperExploration Kit, and Magnetic Susceptibility Kit contain superconducting probe devices whichcan be used for the experiments described in this guide, or extended far beyond that by theinterested experimenter. These Kits will require several different items of measurement apparatusdepending on the particular experiment being performed.hile the various items (other than the superconductors on account of their chemicalconstituents) provided with the Kits pose no special safety concerns, the experimenter will needto use liquid nitrogen which is not provided. Liquid nitrogen is widely used, but because it isIntroduction http://www.users.qwest.net/~csconductor/Experiment_Guide/Introduction.htm1 of 4 1/12/2012 4:47 PMextremely cold, it does possess the potential to cause harm to the user. Each kit, therefore,comes with an instruction manual outlining some guidelines for obtaining and safely handlingliquid nitrogen.ead this guide carefully, click Order Form to order a kit,, and then get ready for an adventure.THE KITS AND THEIR PURPOSEhe Demonstration Kits and their primary intent is listed below. Please call or write us foradditional information.Levitation Kit (Kit K1): Demonstrates the Meissner Effect and the low friction magneticbearing.Critical Temperature Kit (Kit K2): Demonstrates the determination of Critical Temperature,Meissner Effect, and the low friction magnetic bearing.Complete Exploration Kit (Kit K5): Supports seven experiments built around the electricalfour point probe with its attached thermocouple. These include the measurement of ElectricalResistance as a function of Temperature, Critical Temperature, Critical Current, CriticalMagnetic Field, Demonstration of the reverse ac Josephson Effect. Also included are theMeissner Effect and low friction magnetic bearing experiments. A CSI Sand Cryostat isrecommended for use with this kit.Suspension & Levitation Kit (Kit K6): Demonstrates the phenomena of Flux Pinning throughthe suspension of a superconductor disk below a rare earth magnet. This Kit also demonstratesthe Meissner Effect and the low friction magnetic bearing.Levitation Comparison Kit (Kit K11): Compares the Meissner effect between American-invented YBa2Cu3O7 and the Japanese Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10.Critical Temperature Comparison Kit (Kit K12): Compares the Critical Temperature andMeissner Effects between YBa2Cu3O7 and Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10.Super Exploration Kit (Kit K15): Compares physical properties of YBa2Cu3O7 andBi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10 using the four point probe. A CSI Sand Cryostat is recommended for usewith this kit.Grand Compendium Kit (Kit K17): This kit contains one of each of all elements of Kits K1through K18. In one simple purchase, the investigator can study the Meissner Effect, Four PointProbe experiments, the Suspension Effect, and the Superconducting Energy Storage Device.Both YBa2Cu3O7 and Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10 materials are included for the Meissner and Four PointProbe experiments for material property comparisons.Introduction http://www.users.qwest.net/~csconductor/Experiment_Guide/Introduction.htm2 of 4 1/12/2012 4:47 PMSuperconducting Energy Storage Kit (Kit K18): This exciting Kit directly delves into one ofthe key application areas of the new superconductors. A toroidal superconductor is used toinvestigate the mechanics of electrical energy storage in superconductors. A disk superconductoris provided for comparison studies of the Meissner Effect.Magnetic Susceptibility Kit (Kit K20): Developed in cooperation with a research team atWhittier College, this kit introduces a new way to measure critical temperature using a magneticinduction coil. A CSI Sand Cryostat is strongly recommended for better temperature control..Laboratory Kits (Kits K3 and K4): Are similar to the Levitation Kit and the CriticalTemperature Kit. They are designed to provide six experimental stations for the laboratory class.While no such Kits have been listed, we will be pleased to supply Kits containingBi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10 devices alone.LECTURE PLANThe material in this guide is laid out to guide you step by step through the fundamentals of hightemperature superconductors. The booklet traces the history, physics, chemistry, and preparationtechnology of the new materials. Special emphasis has been placed on the safety aspects of theexperiments. It is expected that a teacher of physics would choose to prepare students for the useof the Kit by means of a classroom lecture in the fundamentals.We would suggest that a classroom lecture begin with an exposition of the physical properties ofsuperconductors, and how they differ from normal conductors. Any introductory text in solidstate physics will be a good source of basic information on the physics of superconductivity. Inaddition, the American Physical Society publication, Physics Today,