A Simple, Inexpensive Device for Measuring the Critical

Temperature of a High-Temperature Superconductor

David 6. Green, Dijon Douphner, and Bennett Hutchinson
Natural Science Division, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA90263

The relatively small cost, ease of preparation, and novelty of demonstration of the YBa2C~307.r
high-temperature
superconductor has allowed a wide variety of students to
participate in this exciting scientific advance.' This note
describes a simule. inexuensive method of measurine the
temperature at;uk;ich tKe Meissner effect exists in a-disk
of YBa7Cu107.- - . - The Meissner effect can he demonstrated
by floating a small magnet over a superconductor disk
below its critical temuerature (TJ.
The T, of a supercondudor depends on applied current
and auulied external magnetic field. This method involves
no appiied current and only a very small applied magnetic
field: therefore, the temperature value obtained is an
uppe; limit of T, . The 1eAtation of the magnet will vary
with the magnetic field strength and its mametic geometry, as well i s the sample's porosity. As such, levitation of
the magnet demonstrates that superconductivity is present. Since the flux exclusion is more a n intraaain rather
than bulk effect, additional insight into the b u k properties
and their auolications reauires other methods including
resistivity measurement.'
With these limitations recomized. the method described
herein allows students to adapt a thermocouple system for
use with a functionine high temperature commercial2 or
student-prepared sup&&ducto< Students then measure
an important property of a high-temperature superconductor, are introduced to the thermocouple method of temperature measurement, and handle a cryogenic liquid.
Caution: Safety goggles and insulated gloves
should be worn when performing this experiment, and
eye protection should be worn by those observing it a t
close range.
.A

Schematic diagram of the apparatus.

a. the plastic screw cap from 25 g reagent bottle
C.1-2 rnm hole for thermocouple
d. bonle neck cut offat bottle shoulder
b. expanded polystyrene disk
e. superconducting disk
f. CuICu-Ni thermocouple junction
The suuercondudor holder is constructed from a common plaskc25 g screw cap reagent bottle that has a 21 mm
i.d. (25 mm 0.d.) neck. The cap is removed and a 1-2 mm
hole drilled in the side 3-4 mrn from the top (figure, part
A) as the thermocouple feed-through. Athin, circular piece
of expanded polystyrene from a foam coffeecup is cut to fit
inside the cau and reulaces the waxed cardboard seal.
The screw-in bushing that holds the superconductor
disk in place is made by carefully cutting the neck of the

bottle off a t the shoulder (the dotted line in the figure, part
B). The completed cell accommodates superconductor
disks with diameters between 2.1 and 2.5 c i .
The thermocouple system, consisting of a sample and
reference junction, is prepared by twisting the ends of the
constantan leads tiehtlv toeether and immersing the reference junction in a stirred deionized waterlice bath. Copperlconstantan (CulCu-Ni) thermocouples made from
0.005-in. diameter wire were purchased from Omeaa E n d neering, Inc. The copper leadof the sample junction is &tached to the positive input of a millivolt meter and the
copper lead of the reference junction to the negative input.
Any error in the thermocouple system is determined by
measurine the voltaee obtained when the samule
. "iundion
is immersed directly in liquid nitrogen. Voltages are converted to temperatures using a conversion table (as found
in the Omega Engineering, Inc. Temperature catalog, for
example). Normally, voltage corrections do not have to be
applied.
The complete cell is shown in Figure C. The cap is laid on
a dense closed-cellfoam pad and the sample junction of the
thermocouple threaded through the hole and centered on
the expanded polystyrene pad. The superconductor disk is
then carefullv
. ulaced in the cao on the thermoconule. The
superconductor is fixcd in piace by screwing down the
bushing snugly against the disk." The thermocouple is
held in place by the superconductor.
Liquid nitrogen is poured directly onto the superconductor until the Meissner effed is observed.' The superconductor is then allowed to warm while the voltage on the
millivolt meter is monitored. The voltage is wcoried when
the maenet falls. The Meissner effect can be reestablished
by adding a small amount of liquid nitrogen to the cell. In
this way the T, may be determined several times in only a
few minutes so that errors due to nonuniform warming
may be minimized.
A high-temperature superconductor purchased from
Flinn Scientific, Inc., described as having a T, of "about
90Kn,was used in the experiment. General chemistry students4 were able to assemble and use the device to determine the T,of the high-temperature superconductor in less
than 2 h. ~ e n c r a l l ~ , s t u d e naveragcddata
ts
from fivc mcasurements to obtain a T, of 92 I2 K. Students also found
as much as a 4 'C increase in superconductors with higher
porosity than the purchased disks.

- .

'Harris, D. C.; Hills, M. E.; Hewston, T. A. J. Chem Educ 1987, 64,

847.

A SLperconduCtor k ~ that
t
nclLaes a superconoLnor w ~ t hor w thout a 0~111n tnermocoLple system can be p-rchasea from F Inn SCIentificlnc., Batavia, IL. The cost per student or group except forthe
plastic cell holder described in the text and the millivolt meter is less
than $30.00.
If the suoerconductor disk twists when the bushino is screwed
down. the diik mav
~,be held in dace while turnino the bishino
'G&&; hem stry ~aborai&r/itude"lia1 ~ e a v e r ~e&.
o l Pep
peroine Unwersty, assemalea rh~soev ce and measured me T, as
part of the first-yearchemistry honors laboratory
~

~~

Volume 69 Number 4 April 1992

343