Superconducting bearing device

A superconducting bearing device comprises an annular permanent magnet portion disposed concentrically with a rotary body in the form of a vertical shaft, and superconductors opposed to the lower end face of the magnet portion and vertically spaced apart therefrom. The permanent magnet portion comprises a disk fixedly mounted on the rotary body, and annular permanent magnets embedded in the disk at a spacing radially of the rotary body. Each of the magnets has upper and lower ends magnetized to polarities opposite to each other, and the adjacent magnets are magnetized to polarities opposite to each other at the upper ends, as well as at the lower ends. The radial spacing between the magnets is optimized in accordance with the radial dimension (width) of the magnets. This improves the device in load capacity and rigidity and prevents the deflection of axis of the rotary body, enabling the bearing device to support the rotary body in a noncontact state with good stability.