A Statistical Mechanical Model of Critical Currents in Superconductors

• Published in: Journal of superconductivity and novel magnetism Vol. 26; no. 4; pp. 763 - 767
• Main Author: Long, N. J.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.04.2013; Springer
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Critical current (superconductivity); Entropy; Exact sciences and technology; Magnetic fields; Magnetic Materials; Magnetism; Mathematical models; Maximum entropy; Original Paper; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Strongly Correlated Systems; Superconducting materials (excluding high-tc compounds); Superconductivity; Thermal properties of condensed matter; Thermal properties of crystalline solids; Thermodynamic properties; Wire; Superconductors; Maximum entropy; Critical currents; Information theory; Coils; Critical current; Statistical models; Maximum entropy methods; Wires; Mechanical model; Magnetic field effects; Entropy
• ISSN: 1557-1939; 1557-1947
• DOI: 10.1007/s10948-012-2063-6

We present a statistical mechanical model for critical currents which is successful in describing both the in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic field angle dependence of  J c . This model is constructed using the principle of maximum entropy, that is, by maximizing the information entropy of a distribution, subject to constraints. We show the same approach gives commonly assumed forms for J c ( B ) and J c ( T ). An expression for two or more variables, e.g. J c ( B , T ), therefore, follows the laws of probability for a joint distribution. This gives a useful way to generate predictions for J c ( B , T ) for the DC critical current in wires, cables or coils.