Meissner effect

American  

[mahys-ner] / ˈmaɪs nər /

noun

Physics.

1. the loss of magnetism that a superconductor displays when cooled to its transition temperature in a magnetic field.

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Meissner effect British  

/ ˈmaɪsnə /

noun

1. physics the phenomenon in which magnetic flux is excluded from a substance when it is in a superconducting state, except for a thin layer at the surface

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Etymology

Origin of Meissner effect

After German physicist Fritz Walther Meissner (1882–1974), who contributed to a description of the effect in 1933

Example Sentences

This so-called critical current behavior and the Meissner effect are the two key features of superconductors.

From Science Daily • Nov. 13, 2023

The South Korean researchers provided a video of what they say is LK-99 exhibiting the Meissner effect, but superconductors aren’t the only things that float above magnets—graphite, for example, also levitates.

From Scientific American • Jul. 27, 2023

Not only do superconductors carry electricity with essentially zero electrical resistance, but they also possess the strange ability known as the Meissner effect that ensures zero magnetic field inside the material.

From New York Times • Mar. 8, 2023

To confirm that a material superconducts, however, physicists also look for a second telltale indicator, known as the Meissner effect, in which the material expels magnetic fields below Tc.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 21, 2021

Since superconductors repel magnetic fields, a phenomenon called the Meissner effect, the magnet remains suspended in midair.

From Time Magazine Archive