Levitation for Quantum Magnetomechanics

In the rising field of magnetomechanics, we have developed a general theoretical framework to obtain analytical formulations for a superconducting ring levitating in an anti-Helmholtz quadrupole field and a dipole field for both zero-field and field cooling. Unlike what is commonly observed in bulk superconductors, lateral and rotational stabilities are not granted for this idealized geometry. We, therefore, discuss the requirements for simple superconducting structures to achieve stability in all degrees of freedom.

More information: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.103.174436

We have theoretically investigated the properties of magnetically levitated superconducting ellipsoids confined in anti-Helmholtz traps for application in magneto-mechanical experiments. The ellipsoidal shape allows librational (rotational vibrations) modes that levitated spheres cannot access. The idea is to study the stability of the equilibrium position and compare it with other shapes (cylinders and cuboids).

More information: https://journals.aps.org/prresearch/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.043046