Electric-Field Induced Formation of Superconducting Granular Balls

Abstract

When a strong electric field is applied to a suspension of micron-sized high T c superconducting particles in liquid nitrogen, the particles quickly aggregate together to form millimeter-size balls. The balls are sturdy, surviving constant heavy collisions with the electrodes, while they hold over 106 particles each. The phenomenon is a result of interaction between Cooper pairs and the strong electric field. The strong electric field induces surface charges on the particle surface. When the applied electric field is strong enough, Cooper pairs near the surface are depleted, leading to a positive surface energy. The minimization of this surface energy leads to the aggregation of particles to form balls.