quasisuperconductive

Quasisuperconductive is an informal descriptor for transport states in which electrical conduction is exceptionally efficient, approaching the behavior of superconductivity but not fully meeting its defining criteria. It is not a standard term in the literature.

In practice, quasisuperconductive behavior can arise from superconducting fluctuations above the critical temperature, where Cooper pairs exist transiently, producing paraconductivity. It can also result from the proximity effect in normal materials adjacent to a superconductor, where superconducting correlations extend into the non-superconducting region.

It can also refer to mesoscopic or two-dimensional systems with phase-coherent transport or strongly suppressed dissipation over limited length scales, or to correlated electron states that mimic zero-resistance transport under certain conditions. However, this behavior generally exhibits finite resistance, finite critical fields, or finite temperatures where it ceases.

Distinctions from true superconductivity include the absence of a complete Meissner effect in many cases, possible residual resistance, and lack of robust, field-independent zero resistance; and sensitivity to temperature, magnetic field, thickness, or disorder.

In research contexts, quasisuperconductive is used informally, with formal analysis typically framed in terms of known concepts such as paraconductivity, proximity-induced superconductivity, and superconducting fluctuations. The term serves to describe intensely conductive states without asserting genuine superconductivity.

Related topics include superconductivity, paraconductivity, and proximity effect.