In October 2011, Boaz Almog demonstrated how a superconducting disk can be trapped in a surrounding magnetic field to levitate above it, a phenomenon called “quantum levitation.” This demonstration, seemingly taken from a sci-fi movie, is the result of many years of R&D on high-quality superconductors. By using exceptional superconductors cooled in liquid nitrogen, Almog and his colleague Mishael Azoulay at the superconductivity group at Tel Aviv University (lead by Prof. Guy Deutscher) were able to demonstrate a quantum effect that, although well known to physicists worldwide, had never been seen and demonstrated in such a compelling way.
Experiment credits:
Prof. Guy Deutscher, Mishael Azoulay and Boaz Almog
High Tc Superconductivity Group
School of Physics and Astronomy
Tel Aviv University
Watch more footage from this demo >>
“It looks like something out of a magic show, where the magician is able to defy gravity and float or levitate an object in midair with no apparent explanation.” — CNN.com
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Continue readingBoaz Almog demonstrates “quantum locking” — which causes a small, supercooled superconductor to levitate above a magnetic track — in this amazing raw footage from TEDGlobal, shot by photographer James Duncan Davidson. Want to know when Boaz Almog’s full TEDTalk goes online? Sign up for an email notification >>
Continue readingAfter rescuing his equipment from UK customs, where it had been stuck for several days, Boaz Almog take the stage to demonstrate his remarkable research. It uses a well-known phenomenon of superconductivity — a state of matter where the electrical resistance drops to zero. Normally, electrons moving through a conductor collide occasionally, losing energy to […]
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