Quantum Locking

In Quantitative Engineering Design, our team investigated both the Meissner Effect, and Quantum Locking by chilling Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YCBO) superconductors either in a magnetic field, or outside a magnetic field and moving the superconductors in to the field.

The intention of the investigation was to try and develop a low-cost alternative to super-conducting demonstration sets already on the market as they were all priced in the neighborhood of $5000. We worked with a science educator to develop a portable kit that was safe enough to be used in a classroom of elementary school students. Our solution using materials purchased at retail prices cost around $300, however, performance was not as good as we were hoping. We believed that for $500 we could build a demonstration set that rivaled the quality of commercially available $5000 kits while providing the durability and safety required to operate in a classroom.