2. Applications specific to superconductivity

2.1 Magnetic bearings and suspensions

A permanent magnet floating stably above a superconductor is certainly the most spectacular and fascinating experiment in superconductivity. This stable static levitation is linked to the development of "permanent" currents in a superconductor subjected to a temporal variation in magnetic induction (Lenz's law, see [D 2 702] ). Induced currents flow "indefinitely", even in the absence of subsequent variations in magnetic induction. This is because the currents are not...