Low-temperature thermoelectric refrigerating device using current-carrying superconducting mode/nonsuperconducting mode junctions

A refrigerating device, comprising:

• a refrigerating unit, including
• a first piece of a first material that carries current in the nonsuperconducting mode,
• a second piece of a second material that carries current in the superconducting mode.
• a third piece of a third material that carries current in the nonsuperconducting mode,
• a first junction between the first piece of material and the second piece of material, and
• a second junction between the second piece of material and the third piece of material;
• heat sink means adjacent and in thermal communication with the first junction for maintaining the second piece of material below its superconducting transition temperature;
• and
• electrical current means for causing an electrical current to flow from the first piece of material, through the second piece of material, and into the third piece of material.

A refrigerating device, comprising:

• a hot end from which heat is transferred from the device to the external environment;
• a cold end at which heat is transferred from an external cooling load to the device;
• at least one refrigerating unit, each such refrigerating unit including
• a first junction at the hot end, the first junction being formed between a material that can carry an electrical current in a nonsuperconducting mode and a material that can carry an electrical current in a superconducting mode, and
• a second junction at the cold end, the second junction being formed between a material that can carry electrical current in a superconducting mode and a material that can carry electrical current in a nonsuperconducting mode, the first junction and the second junction being in electrical communication;
• and
• means for maintaining each material that can carry an electrical current in a superconducting mode within its superconducting range.