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A superconductor is a material that can conduct electricity with zero electrical resistance. This means that once a current is started in a superconductor, it can flow indefinitely without any loss of energy. Superconductivity occurs at very low temperatures, typically below a critical temperature (Tc). The phenomenon was first discovered in 1911 by Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes.

When a material becomes superconducting, it also exhibits the Meissner effect, which is the expulsion of a magnetic field from its interior. This effect is responsible for the levitation of magnets above superconductors, a demonstration often used to illustrate superconductivity.

There are two main types of superconductors. Type I superconductors are typically pure metals like mercury or lead that exhibit a sharp transition to the superconducting state. Type II superconductors, which include many alloys and ceramic compounds, have a more complex behavior with two critical magnetic fields.

Superconductors have potential applications in various fields, including high-efficiency power transmission, magnetic levitation for high-speed trains, powerful electromagnets for medical imaging (MRI) and particle accelerators, and in quantum computing. Research continues to explore new superconducting materials with higher critical temperatures, which would make their practical applications more widespread and less costly.