Afterword
In electromagnetism, the fundamental electromagnetic properties of substances are
only described based on simple rules, without regards to the detailed mechanisms
in each substance. It is astonishing, however, that this principle holds over a wide
range, from the quantum scale to the astronomical scale. In addition, it won the
argument against mechanics, which had been believed to be perfectly rigorous for
hundreds of years, and opened the way to the principle of relativity. As shown in
this book, the superconductor, which had not yet been discovered when Maxwell’s
theory was completed, has its own position in the present theory of electromagnetism,
based on the E-B analogy. The fact that zero electrical resistivity in diamagnetic
superconductors can be derived by Maxwell’s theory itself represents the profound
rigor of this theory. In other words, the superconductor could have been predicted in
the 19th century. This means that superconductors are not special, but one type of
the common materials. In fact, many kinds of materials show superconductivity.
The electromagnetic phenomena associated with flux pinning in the superconductor, especially irreversibility and the longitudinal magnetic field effect, have been
explained in this book. The physical properties of superconductors have attracted
attention, and clarification of the mechanism of high temperature superconductivity
in cuprates and further searching for room temperature superconductors are expected
in the future. On the other hand, if we look at the electromagnetic phenomena in the
superconductor, we can also find interesting subjects associated with irreversible thermodynamics and classic electromagnetism, as shown in this book. Further scientific
development in these fields is expected in the future. For this reason, enrichment of
the education of young scientists on primary electromagnetism is desirable as a first
step.
The contents in this book are based on the research and education conducted by the
author. Looking back at these, the sequence is not simple. The author started the study
of applied superconductivity in 1969 for his graduate thesis in the group of Profs.
Irie and Yamafuji of the Department of Electronics in the Faculty of Engineering in
Kyushu University. This is the year in which the human being reached the moon.
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license
to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
T. Matsushita, Superconductivity and Electromagnetism, Springer Series
in Solid-State Sciences 195, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67568-4
173
In electromagnetism, the fundamental electromagnetic properties of substances are
only described based on simple rules, without regards to the detailed mechanisms
in each substance. It is astonishing, however, that this principle holds over a wide
range, from the quantum scale to the astronomical scale. In addition, it won the
argument against mechanics, which had been believed to be perfectly rigorous for
hundreds of years, and opened the way to the principle of relativity. As shown in
this book, the superconductor, which had not yet been discovered when Maxwell’s
theory was completed, has its own position in the present theory of electromagnetism,
based on the E-B analogy. The fact that zero electrical resistivity in diamagnetic
superconductors can be derived by Maxwell’s theory itself represents the profound
rigor of this theory. In other words, the superconductor could have been predicted in
the 19th century. This means that superconductors are not special, but one type of
the common materials. In fact, many kinds of materials show superconductivity.
The electromagnetic phenomena associated with flux pinning in the superconductor, especially irreversibility and the longitudinal magnetic field effect, have been
explained in this book. The physical properties of superconductors have attracted
attention, and clarification of the mechanism of high temperature superconductivity
in cuprates and further searching for room temperature superconductors are expected
in the future. On the other hand, if we look at the electromagnetic phenomena in the
superconductor, we can also find interesting subjects associated with irreversible thermodynamics and classic electromagnetism, as shown in this book. Further scientific
development in these fields is expected in the future. For this reason, enrichment of
the education of young scientists on primary electromagnetism is desirable as a first
step.
The contents in this book are based on the research and education conducted by the
author. Looking back at these, the sequence is not simple. The author started the study
of applied superconductivity in 1969 for his graduate thesis in the group of Profs.
Irie and Yamafuji of the Department of Electronics in the Faculty of Engineering in
Kyushu University. This is the year in which the human being reached the moon.
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license
to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
T. Matsushita, Superconductivity and Electromagnetism, Springer Series
in Solid-State Sciences 195, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67568-4
173