In one minute

Inan, Thompson and Chiao apply the Helmholtz decomposition to linearised general relativity to get a gauge-invariant description of gravitational waves in matter. A London-like equation describes gravitational waves entering a superconductor, and in the static limit the magnetic-like gravitational field is expelled, a gravitational Meissner-like effect. The Cooper pair density follows a Ginzburg-Landau free energy in curved spacetime, while the ionic lattice is modelled as quantum harmonic oscillators coupled to the gravitational wave. Because the wave modulates the zero-point energy of the lattice phonons, the model predicts a possible dynamical Casimir effect. The Cooper pairs respond far less than the ionic lattice, which predicts a charge separation in the superconductor driven by the gravitational wave.

Interaction of gravitational waves with superconductors