Vibration reduction using autoparametric resonance in a high-T_c superconducting levitation system

High-T_c superconducting levitation systems have very small damping and enable stable levitation without control. Therefore, they can be applied to various kinds of application. However, there are some problems that small damping produces large vibration and nonlinearity of magnetic force can generate complicated phenomena. Accordingly, analysis of these phenomena and reduction of vibration occurring in the system are important. In this study, we examined reduction of vibration without using any absorbers, but utilizing autoparametric resonance caused by nonlinear coupling between vertical oscillation and horizontal oscillation. We conducted numerical analysis and experiments in order to investigate motions of a rigid bar levitated by the electromagnetic force from high-Tc superconductors. As a result, if the ratio of the natural frequency of vertical oscillation and that of horizontal oscillation is two to one, the vertical oscillation decreases while the horizontal oscillation is excited. Thus, it was confirmed that the amplitude of a primary resonance can be reduced by occurrence of autoparametric resonance without using any absorbers.