Group Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fırat Karaboğa

Researchers: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sait Barış Güner, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Abdioğlu

Superconductivity is one of the most significant discoveries of our time, first identified in 1911 with Hg and Pb metals. Over the years, many materials with superconducting properties have been discovered. Each new superconducting material has become the focal point for new researchers and research groups.

Superconducting materials are known for their ability to conduct electrical energy without loss (resistanceless) and to exhibit perfect diamagnetic properties under certain conditions (low temperatures). Since its discovery, superconductivity has become an important technology that enhances our quality of life. Despite more than a century of research, the field remains scientifically mysterious and relevant. To date, six Nobel Prizes in Physics have been awarded to eleven scientists in the field of superconductivity and its applications, making it one of the most honored areas in terms of Nobel Prizes and maintaining its significance as an active area of research and development worldwide. According to Web of Science (WoS) data, there has been substantial interest in superconductivity research. In Turkey, around 300 scientists have co-authored publications in SCI-indexed journals, and Turkish researchers and research groups are now ranked among the top in the world in the field of superconductivity.

Superconducting materials have a vast spectrum of applications. They not only enhance the performance of traditional electrical machines but also enable the discovery of new technological devices. Key superconducting applications in research include high-speed supercomputers, magnetic field sensors (SQUIDS - magnetoencephalography, magnetocardiography, ultra-sensitive magnetic field sensors, etc.), superconducting analog-to-digital converter circuits (telecommunications and satellite technologies), superconducting radiation detectors, SMES (superconducting magnetic energy storage systems), MagLev (superconducting magnetic levitation trains), electromagnets (CERN), ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), SFCL (superconducting fault current limiters), transformers, power cables, wind turbines, ship engines, and hydrogen level sensors.

Superconductivity has partially but significantly entered today's technology, and it is expected to become much more widespread with Industry 4.0 in the near future. The largest commercial market for superconducting materials is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. Over 5,000 new MRI systems are installed worldwide each year. Research is rapidly progressing to increase the applications of superconductors and reduce the costs of existing systems.