Magnetic Levitation

Magnetic fields are actively excluded from superconductors (Meissner effect). If a small magnet is brought near a superconductor, it will be repelled becaused induced supercurrents will produce mirror images of each pole. If a small permanent magnet is placed above a superconductor, it can be levitated by this repulsive force. The black ceramic material in the illustrations is a sample of the yttrium based superconductor.