Discover
/
Article

The discovery of electron tunneling into superconductors

DEC 01, 1961
Roland W. Schmitt

In August 1960, Ivar Giaever published a discovery about electron tunneling into superconductors; the discovery was elegant and had the esthetic simplicity that makes a scientist wonder why it had not been made before. It is too early to assess the importance of the discovery; it may be recorded as only a small but neat strand of science, or the train of work it has set off may produce a web of new knowledge about solids. Regardless of the final assessment that science makes of it, the discovery was surrounded by novel circumstances that dramatize the unexpected course of discovery.

This article is only available in PDF format

References

  1. 1. Giaever, I., Phys. Rev. Letters 5, 147 (1960).https://doi.org/PRLTAO

  2. 2. Goudsmit, S. A., Physics Today, June 1961, p. 18.

  3. 3. Glover, R. E., III and Tinkham, M., Phys. Rev. 108, 243 (1957).https://doi.org/PHRVAO

  4. 4. Fisher, J. C. and Giaever, I., J. Appl. Phys. 32, 172 (1961).https://doi.org/JAPIAU

  5. 5. Nicol, J., Shapiro, S., and Smith, P. H., Phys. Rev. Letters 5, 461 (1960).https://doi.org/PRLTAO

  6. 6. Giaever, I., Phys. Rev. Letters 5, 464 (1960).https://doi.org/PRLTAO

  7. 7. Darwin, Charles, Proc. Roy. Soc. A236, 285 (1956).

More about the Authors

Roland W. Schmitt. General Electric Research Laboratory, Schenectady, N.Y..

Related content
/
Article
Figuring out how to communicate with the public can be overwhelming. Here’s some advice for getting started.
/
Article
Amid growing investment in planetary-scale climate intervention strategies that alter sunlight reflection, global communities deserve inclusive and accountable oversight of research.
/
Article
Although motivated by the fundamental exploration of the weirdness of the quantum world, the prizewinning experiments have led to a promising branch of quantum computing technology.
/
Article
As conventional lithium-ion battery technology approaches its theoretical limits, researchers are studying alternative architectures with solid electrolytes.
This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1961_12.jpeg

Volume 14, Number 12

Get PT in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.