BCS Theory

Discovered by: John Bardeen, Leon Cooper and John Robert Schrieffer, received the Nobel Prize in Physics for this theory in 1972.

What is it? The first microscopic theory of superconductivity since Heike Kamerlingh Onnes's 1911 discovery. The theory describes superconductivity as a microscopic effect caused by a condensation of Cooper pairs.

Why is it important? BCS is able to give an approximation for the quantum-mechanical many-body state of the system of electrons inside the metal.