# Superconductor dark matter detection?

1. Nov 5, 2013

### johne1618

Sorry - a very vague question:

Could a superconductor be used to detect dark matter?

The dark matter might interact with electrons in the superconductor giving them some momentum.

These moving electrons would constitute a supercurrent which could be measured - maybe!

Perhaps the interaction with the dark matter would break the "Cooper pairs" and so destroy a supercurrent. Maybe that could be the basis of a detection method instead?

Last edited: Nov 5, 2013
2. Nov 5, 2013

### Staff: Mentor

Superconductors can help in dark matter searches, but not in the way you describe it - you have electrons with non-zero momentum in every material (and no way to see individual electrons with small momenta), it does not matter if it is a superconductor or not.

3. Nov 5, 2013

### johne1618

Perhaps one could accurately measure the supercurrent in a superconducting loop by measuring the magnetic field around it using a SQUID. Apparently they are accurate to a magnetic flux quantum $h/e$.