Structure of the Intermediate State in Superconducting Lead

Abstract

The Faraday effect in a cerous nitrate-gl\ifmmode \grave{}\else \`{}\fi{}ycerol mixture has been employed to study the structure of the intermediate state. A lead alloy containing antimony and tin was used as a specimen, and behavior characteristic of the hard superconductors was observed. Photographs were taken showing the distribution of normal and superconducting material at various magnetic fields. The configurations observed are briefly discussed in terms of current theories of the intermediate state.