# Failed theories of superconductivity

**Authors:** Joerg Schmalian  
**arXiv:** [1008.0447](https://arxiv.org/abs/1008.0447)  
**Date:** 2010-08-03  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/1008.0447v2/

## Key points

- Superconductivity was discovered by Kamerlingh Onnes and explained theoretically by Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer almost 50 years later.
- Many physicists attempted to develop a microscopic understanding of superconductivity during this time but failed.
- Joerg Schmalian's paper "Failed Theories of Superconductivity" summarizes some of these unsuccessful attempts.
- Failed theories served as stepping stones towards the eventual formulation of the BCS theory, which is now widely accepted as the most accurate explanation for superconductivity.
- Incorrect or inapplicable theories can inspire new ideas and lead to breakthroughs.
- Fritz London's theory suggested that electrons in a superconductor formed pairs due to attractive forces between them, inspiring later work on electron pairing in superconductors.
- Lev Landau's theory proposed that superconductivity was caused by electrons forming a Bose-Einstein condensate, paving the way for later research on Bose-Einstein condensates.
- Failure is an essential component of scientific progress; without attempting and failing at various approaches to understanding phenomena like superconductivity we would not have arrived at our current level of knowledge and understanding.

## Summary

In the field of theoretical physics, the discovery of superconductivity by Kamerlingh Onnes was a groundbreaking event. However, it took almost half a century for Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer to provide a theoretical explanation for this phenomenon. During this time, many of the brightest minds in physics attempted to develop a microscopic understanding of superconductivity but failed. In his paper "Failed Theories of Superconductivity," Joerg Schmalian provides a summary of some of these unsuccessful attempts. Despite their lack of success, these theories were not without merit. They served as stepping stones towards the eventual formulation of the BCS theory, which is now widely accepted as the most accurate explanation for superconductivity. Furthermore, these failed theories illustrate that mistakes are an inevitable and healthy part of scientific discourse. Even incorrect or inapplicable theories can inspire new ideas and lead to breakthroughs. Schmalian's paper highlights several key examples of failed theories, including those proposed by Fritz London and Lev Landau. London's theory suggested that electrons in a superconductor formed pairs due to attractive forces between them. While this idea was ultimately proven incorrect, it did inspire later work on electron pairing in superconductors. Similarly, Landau's theory proposed that superconductivity was caused by electrons forming a Bose-Einstein condensate. While this theory also turned out to be inaccurate, it helped pave the way for later research on Bose-Einstein condensates. Overall, Schmalian's paper emphasizes that failure is an essential component of scientific progress; without attempting and failing at various approaches to understanding phenomena like superconductivity we would not have arrived at our current level of knowledge and understanding. As such, we should embrace failure as an opportunity for growth and discovery rather than viewing it as something negative or discouraging.