\documentclass[a4paper, 11pt]{article} \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc} % Took inspiration from % https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/tarea-mfm-ii/rkqcbsjyyksm % From aga-homework.cls \usepackage[ a4paper, headheight = 20pt, margin = 1in, tmargin = \dimexpr 1in - 10pt \relax ]{geometry} \usepackage{fancyhdr} % for headers and footers \usepackage{graphicx} % for including figures %\usepackage{mathpazo} % use Palation font %\usepackage{amsmath} % use AMS math package %\usepackage{amssymb} % use AMS symbols %\usepackage{amsthm} % for writing proofs %\usepackage{array} % for setting up arguments to columns \usepackage{booktabs} % for professional tables %\usepackage% % [tworuled, linesnumbered, noend, noline]% % {algorithm2e} % for typesetting pseudo-code %\usepackage{xcolor} % for colored text (comments in algorithms) %\usepackage{trimspaces, xstring} % for multiple author parsing \setlength{\headheight}{14pt} \fancypagestyle{plain}{ \fancyhf{} \fancyhead[L]{\sffamily Radboud University Nijmegen} \fancyhead[R]{\sffamily Superconductivity (NWI-NM117), Q3+Q4} \fancyfoot[R]{\sffamily\bfseries\thepage} \renewcommand{\headrulewidth}{0.5pt} \renewcommand{\footrulewidth}{0.5pt} } \pagestyle{fancy} \usepackage{siunitx} \usepackage{hyperref} %\usepackage{href} %\usepackage[nottoc,numbib]{tocbibind} \usepackage{float} \usepackage{mathtools} \title{Superconductivity - Assignment 1} \author{ Kees van Kempen (s4853628)\\ \texttt{k.vankempen@student.science.ru.nl} } \AtBeginDocument{\maketitle} \begin{document} \section{Electron-phonon coupling in elements} Conventional superconductors (sc) are described by considering Cooper pairs: pairs of electrons mediated by electron-phonon coupling. This is usually described by BCS theory. The hypothesis is that stronger electron-phonon coupling results in enhanced critical temperatures for the superconducting phase transition. In order to investigate this, we need a way to determine the electron-phonon coupling strength. We will attempt to do this by looking at the room temperature resistivity of superconducting elements. For metals, we have the following familiar relation for resistivity $\rho$ over temperature $T$. \begin{equation} \rho = \underbrace{\rho_0}_\text{{impurities}} + \underbrace{aT^2}_{\text{electron-electron coupling}} + \underbrace{bT^5}_{\text{electron-phonon coupling}} \end{equation} At $T = 0$, only resistivity due to impurities and lattice defects is left in the material. Then, at low temperatures, electron-electron coupling increases resistivity. The effect that is the largest at room temperature, is due to electron-phonon interaction, due to the fifth power in temperature. The constants $a$ and $b$ differ from material to material. If the hypothesis is correct, an increasing trend of critical temperature $T_c$ over room temperature resistivity $\rho_{300K}$ should be observed. For a collection of superconducting elements, this relation is plotted in figure \ref{fig:scelements}. The data on critical temperatures $T_c$ and (approximately) room temperature resistivity $\rho_{\SI{300}{\kelvin}}$ is from various sources, as can be found in the table in appendix \ref{appendix:scelements}. \begin{figure}%[H] \label{fig:scelements} \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{sc_elements.pdf} \caption{In this plot of the critical temperature $T_c$ versus the room temperature resistivity $\rho_{300K}$ for elemental superconductors, not one clear relation can be distinguished. For most elements, resistivity is taken at room temperature $T = \SI{300}{\kelvin}$. If it was unavailable in consulted references, the value at the temperature closest to \SI{300}{\kelvin} was chosen. See the table in appendix \ref{appendix:scelements} for the raw data including their source. The mess in the left bottom corner was hard to filter out. A log-log plot was attempted and improved separation, but obscured the observed two branches in this linear plot.} \end{figure} Looking at the plot, there is no obvious positive trend between $T_c$ and $\rho_{300K}$. As a way to quantize this (lack of) correlation, we can take a look at the Pearson correlation coefficient: $r = 0.165415$. % I used df.corr() to calculate $r$. Pearson's $r$ is a measure of linear correlation. If $|r| = 1$, there is a perfectly linear relation. The lower $|r|$ is, the less correlated the points are. The sign of $r$ gives the direction of the trend. This slightly positive value found for the superconducting elements suggests a slightly positive but uncertain correlation. \section{Exam question electrodynamics in superconductors} No idea yet. \section{Difference between type-I and type-II superconductors} Type-I superconductors are thought to be described by BCS theory. They are phonon-mediated. They have different phase diagrams from type-II superconductors, with two critical fields but one critical temperature. There is a superconducting phase and a vortex phase. Something about quantized flux by the Meissner-Ochsenfeld effect. \bibliographystyle{vancouver} \bibliography{references.bib} \appendix \section{Superconducting elements} \label{appendix:scelements} \input{sc_elements.tex} \end{document}