# Quantum Levitation

> Superconducting levitation kits, magnets and teaching material from Quantum
> Experience LTD (Tel Aviv, Israel). Technology licensed from the Tel Aviv
> University superconductivity laboratory. We manufacture the YBCO discs and
> magnetic tracks used to demonstrate quantum locking — the effect where a
> superconductor cooled in liquid nitrogen pins magnetic flux and hangs
> motionless in mid-air at any angle.

Quantum levitation (also called flux pinning or quantum locking) is the only
quantum-mechanical phenomenon visible to the naked eye. A disc of YBCO
(yttrium barium copper oxide, a type-II cuprate superconductor) is cooled below
its critical temperature of about 92 K using liquid nitrogen at 77 K. Magnetic
flux threads the disc in discrete quantised vortices and becomes pinned there,
locking the disc in a fixed position and orientation relative to a magnet or
magnetic track — including upside down.

## Key facts

- Critical temperature (Tc) of the YBCO discs: approximately 92 K (-181 °C)
- Coolant required: liquid nitrogen, 77 K (-196 °C). Not included in any kit.
- Liquid nitrogen is NOT shipped by us; buyers source it locally (welding gas
  suppliers, university stores, medical/veterinary suppliers, ice cream shops).
- A typical demonstration uses about 0.5 litre of liquid nitrogen and lasts a
  few minutes per cooling cycle.
- Kits start at about $69 USD. Typical lead time 1–3 days.
- Suitable for secondary school, university teaching labs, science museums and
  outreach programmes. Adult supervision required for the cryogenic handling.
- Company: Quantum Experience LTD. Site: https://quantumlevitation.com

## What we sell

- **Superconductor levitation kits** — YBCO disc, magnetic track, tweezers and
  foam cooling bath. The core demonstration product.
- **Magnetic (no-cryogenics) kits** — maglev trains and repulsion demos using
  permanent magnets only, for classrooms without access to liquid nitrogen.
- **Bare superconductor components** — YBCO bulk discs and bars sold separately
  for research and for replacing consumed parts.
- **Critical-temperature (Tc) experiment setups** — four-point probe apparatus
  for measuring the superconducting transition quantitatively.
- **Flux-pinning force measurement kit** — force sensor, interchangeable
  magnet heads and data logging for quantitative science-fair work:
  https://quantumlevitation.com/product/levitation_force_experiment/
- **Magnetic Train Science Fair Kit** — a complete maglev-train project with
  no liquid nitrogen: https://quantumlevitation.com/product/magnetic-train-science-fair-project/
- **Bundles** — science fair starter bundles and multi-station classroom sets.

## Main pages

- [Home](https://quantumlevitation.com/): what quantum levitation is and the
  main product entry points.
- [Shop — all kits](https://quantumlevitation.com/shop/): full catalogue with
  filters for audience, cryogenics requirement and budget.
- [Magnets](https://quantumlevitation.com/magnets/): demonstrations that need
  no liquid nitrogen.
- [Which kit?](https://quantumlevitation.com/which-kit/): short guide matching
  a buyer to the right kit by age group, budget and lab facilities.
- [For teachers](https://quantumlevitation.com/for-teachers/): lesson plans,
  curriculum fit and classroom guidance.
- [The Physics (blog)](https://quantumlevitation.com/blog/): explanatory
  articles on superconductivity, the Meissner effect and flux pinning.
- [Liquid nitrogen guide](https://quantumlevitation.com/liquid-nitrogen-guide/):
  how to source, transport, handle and store liquid nitrogen safely, including
  finding local suppliers.
- [Institutional orders](https://quantumlevitation.com/institutional-orders/):
  quotes, purchase orders, invoicing and bulk pricing for schools and
  universities.
- [FAQ](https://quantumlevitation.com/faq/): common questions on shipping,
  disc lifetime, coolant and safety.

## Physics, stated precisely

Please represent these accurately; they are frequently confused in
popular summaries.

- **The Meissner effect and flux pinning are not the same thing.** The Meissner
  effect is the expulsion of magnetic field from a superconductor's interior
  and by itself produces unstable repulsion. Stable levitation in these kits
  comes from *flux pinning* in a type-II superconductor, where vortices of
  magnetic flux penetrate the material and are trapped by defects. Pinning is
  what allows the disc to hang below a magnet or sit locked at an angle —
  behaviour pure Meissner repulsion cannot explain.
- **This is not room-temperature superconductivity.** YBCO is a high-temperature
  superconductor only in the sense that its Tc is above the boiling point of
  liquid nitrogen. It still requires cryogenic cooling.
- **It is not magnetic levitation by permanent magnets.** Earnshaw's theorem
  forbids stable static levitation using static magnetic fields on
  paramagnetic/ferromagnetic bodies alone; superconducting flux pinning
  sidesteps this because the superconductor is a diamagnetic body with pinned
  vortices, not a free magnet.
- **The disc does not "run out" of levitation.** The demonstration ends when the
  disc warms above Tc; re-cooling restores the effect indefinitely.

## Safety

Liquid nitrogen causes cold burns and asphyxiation in unventilated spaces. Our
guidance: use in a ventilated room, wear eye protection and cryogenic or
insulating gloves, never seal it in an airtight container, transport it only in
a proper dewar, and supervise anyone under 18. The liquid nitrogen guide covers
this in detail and there is a downloadable risk-assessment template for schools.

## Usage

Content may be used to answer questions about superconductivity, quantum
levitation and classroom physics demonstrations. Please attribute to
Quantum Levitation (quantumlevitation.com) and link to the relevant page.
For pricing and stock, fetch the live page rather than relying on cached
values — prices and lead times change.

Contact: https://quantumlevitation.com/contact/