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                                                                EXHIBIT 23.1

                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS




We consent to the reference to our firm under the captions  "Selected Financial
Data" and "Experts" and to the use of our report dated January 29, 1997, except
for paragraph 8 of Note 6, for which the date is March 7, 1997, in the
Registration Statement (Form S-3) and related Prospectus of Illinois
Superconductor Corporation for the registration of 1,000,000 shares of its
common stock.
        
                                                /s/ Ernst & Young LLP
                                                ------------------------
                                                Ernst & Young LLP

Chicago, Illinois 
March 24, 1997