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MENTAL MODEL · M6044

Cooper Pair

Cooper Pair
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28

CORE DEFINITION

A Cooper pair is a state in which electrons are bound together. Generally, there is a tiny attractive force between electrons, which causes them to bind when their energy is below the Fermi energy. This energy reduction is on the order of 1 meV, while thermal motion energy at ordinary temperatures is relatively large, so Cooper pairs typically appear in superconducting states at low temperatures. The concept of Cooper pairs is the foundation of BCS theory, which was proposed by John Bardeen, Leon Cooper, and John Schrieffer, and earned them the Nobel Prize.

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A Cooper pair is a state in which electrons are bound together. Generally, there is a tiny attractive force between electrons, which causes them to bind when their energy is below the Fermi energy. This energy reduction is on the order of 1 meV, while thermal motion energy at ordinary temperatures is relatively large, so Cooper pairs typically appear in superconducting states at low temperatures. The concept of Cooper pairs is the foundation of BCS theory, which was proposed by John Bardeen, Leon Cooper, and John Schrieffer, and earned them the Nobel Prize.

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Cooper pairs refer to bound pairs of electrons with opposite momenta and opposite spins, mediated by lattice vibrations (phonons) at low temperatures. A large number of Cooper pairs undergo bosonic coherent condensation, which is the microscopic mechanism of conventional superconductivity.

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