Exploring Cooper Pairs and the Casimir Effect

In summary: Phase transition and sudden kick:Well, if you say that resistivity appears as soon as 1 electron in 10.000 is unpaired or hot or out-of-crystalline-order or any other effect, then you get a very sudden kick from any kind of transition that would be smooth for each single electron, like a standard Fermi statistics.In other words, the probability of an electron being at 5+ sigma is MUCH lower than at 5 sigma. This slope is steeper at 5 sigma than at 1 sigma.Within such an explanation, the transition energy for a single electron (or a pair if you prefer, this is a separate question) must be several times higher than
  • #1
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Just a general question, can cooper pairs be explained using the casimir effect?
 
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  • #2
No - Cooper pairs are bound by phonons.
 
  • #3
Vanadium 50 said:
No - Cooper pairs are bound by phonons.

... in conventional superconductors.

Casimir effect is extremely weak! No way can it form such coupling strength we see not only in conventional superconductors, but also high-Tc cuprates. Besides, there's no explanation for it to suddenly kick in at Tc via a phase transition-like phenomenon.

Zz.
 
  • #4
Phase transition and sudden kick:

Well, if you say that resistivity appears as soon as 1 electron in 10.000 is unpaired or hot or out-of-crystalline-order or any other effect, then you get a very sudden kick from any kind of transition that would be smooth for each single electron, like a standard Fermi statistics.

In other words, the probability of an electron being at 5+ sigma is MUCH lower than at 5 sigma. This slope is steeper at 5 sigma than at 1 sigma.

Within such an explanation, the transition energy for a single electron (or a pair if you prefer, this is a separate question) must be several times higher than the superconductor's critical temperature.

I strongly believe this is the fundamental reason for resistivity to appear so brutally over a narrow temperature span.
 
  • #5
Enthalpy said:
In other words, the probability of an electron being at 5+ sigma is MUCH lower than at 5 sigma. This slope is steeper at 5 sigma than at 1 sigma.

True, but I don't think this has anything to do with a phase transition. What would be the order parameter?
 
  • #6
Enthalpy said:
Phase transition and sudden kick:

Well, if you say that resistivity appears as soon as 1 electron in 10.000 is unpaired or hot or out-of-crystalline-order or any other effect, then you get a very sudden kick from any kind of transition that would be smooth for each single electron, like a standard Fermi statistics.

In other words, the probability of an electron being at 5+ sigma is MUCH lower than at 5 sigma. This slope is steeper at 5 sigma than at 1 sigma.

Within such an explanation, the transition energy for a single electron (or a pair if you prefer, this is a separate question) must be several times higher than the superconductor's critical temperature.

I strongly believe this is the fundamental reason for resistivity to appear so brutally over a narrow temperature span.

Er.. a "phase transition" is a collective behavior, not the behavior of "one electron". This is certainly true for a superconductor. You can't have just one electron (or two, or three, etc) undergoing such a transition.

The rest of your post, I don't understand. Note that I can make the width of the transition region change by changing either the impurity of the material, the crystalline order of the material, putting magnetic atoms, etc. Not only that, the transition region here also in the magnetic susceptibility measurement, which is a more stringent test of a superconductor than simply the resistivity measurement. So it isn't just a matter of electrical transport transition.

Zz.
 

1. What are Cooper pairs?

Cooper pairs are a phenomenon in condensed matter physics where two electrons with opposite spin and momentum form a bound state, resulting in superconductivity.

2. What is the significance of Cooper pairs?

Cooper pairs play a crucial role in understanding the behavior of superconductors, which have zero resistance to electrical current. They also provide evidence for the existence of an energy gap in superconductors.

3. How is the Casimir effect related to Cooper pairs?

The Casimir effect is a quantum phenomenon where two uncharged plates placed in close proximity experience an attractive force due to the fluctuations in the vacuum energy. In the context of Cooper pairs, the Casimir effect is used to explain the decrease in the critical temperature of superconductors under the influence of a magnetic field.

4. Can the Casimir effect be observed in everyday life?

Yes, the Casimir effect has been observed in various experiments, such as the measurement of the attractive force between two parallel plates or the change in the frequency of a vibrating membrane due to the presence of a nearby plate.

5. How does understanding Cooper pairs and the Casimir effect contribute to advancements in technology?

Studying Cooper pairs and the Casimir effect has led to the development of superconducting technologies, such as MRI machines and particle accelerators, which have numerous applications in medicine, research, and energy production. Additionally, a deeper understanding of these phenomena could potentially lead to the creation of new materials with unique properties and applications.

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