Rotating Cryocooler for Superconducting Motor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ko, Junseok; Jeong, Sangkwon; Kim, Hongseong; Jung, Jeheon; Choi, Jaeyoung; In, Sehwan; Sohn, Myunghwan; Kwon, Young-Kil

2006-04-01

A single-stage coaxial pulse tube refrigerator has been designed for HTS (High Temperature Superconductor) motor application. This paper discusses a practical realization of an advanced cooling method for superconducting rotor, on-board cryocooler. When a cryocooler is considered to be mounted on the superconducting rotor, the following two factors must be satisfied for practical application. First, the on-board cryocooler should not disturb the high-speed revolution of the rotor. Second, at the same time, the high-speed revolution of the rotor should not deteriorate the cooling performance of the cryocooler. These mutual technical demands restrict the type of cryocooler suitable for high-speed rotating environment. We select a Stirling-type coaxial pulse tube cryocooler and incorporate it on the 1800-rpm superconducting motor mock-up. The pulse tube cryocooler is designed with an adiabatic model and a various loss mechanism analysis. The no-load temperature is approximately 100 K with less than 150 W electric input power. The axisymmetric configuration of the fabricated cryocooler does not produce any undesirable effect at high-speed rotation. Even if the thermal performance of the rotating pulse tube cryocooler is not satisfactory, the feasibility of simple on-board cooling method for superconducting rotor is confirmed in this paper.

Tunable, Flexible and Efficient Optimization of Control Pulses for Superconducting Qubits, part II - Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AsséMat, Elie; Machnes, Shai; Tannor, David; Wilhelm-Mauch, Frank

In part I, we presented the theoretic foundations of the GOAT algorithm for the optimal control of quantum systems. Here in part II, we focus on several applications of GOAT to superconducting qubits architecture. First, we consider a control-Z gate on Xmons qubits with an Erf parametrization of the optimal pulse. We show that a fast and accurate gate can be obtained with only 16 parameters, as compared to hundreds of parameters required in other algorithms. We present numerical evidences that such parametrization should allow an efficient in-situ calibration of the pulse. Next, we consider the flux-tunable coupler by IBM. We show optimization can be carried out in a more realistic model of the system than was employed in the original study, which is expected to further simplify the calibration process. Moreover, GOAT reduced the complexity of the optimal pulse to only 6 Fourier components, composed with analytic wrappers.

Laboratory demonstrations of superconducting gravity and inertial sensors for space and airborne gravity measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paik, Ho J.; Canavan, Edgar R.; Kong, Qin; Moody, M. V.

1992-01-01

The paper describes the superconducting gravity gradiometers (SGGs) and superconducting accelerometers being developed at the University of Maryland, which take advantage of many exotic properties of superconductivity to obtain the required low noise, high stability, and large dynamic range. Results of laboratory demonstrations of some of these instruments are presented together with the design and operating principles. Particular attention is given to the three-axis Model II SGG and a six-axis superconducting accelerometer model (Model I SSA). Model II SGG, after a residual common-mode balance, exhibited a noise level of 0.05/sq rt Hz above 0.1 Hz and a 1/f-squared noise below 0.1 Hz. All six channels of Model I SSA operated simultaneously with linear and angular acceleration noise levels of 3 x 10 exp -10 g(E)/sq rt Hz and 5 x 10 exp -8 rad/sec per sec per sq rt Hz, respectively.

CARE activities on superconducting RF cavities at INFN Milano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosotti, A.; Pierini, P.; Michelato, P.; Pagani, C.; Paparella, R.; Panzeri, N.; Monaco, L.; Paulon, R.; Novati, M.

2005-09-01

The SC RF group at INFN Milano-LASA is involved both in the TESLA/TTF collaboration and in the research and design activity on superconducting cavities for proton accelerators. Among these activities, some are supported by the European community within the CARE project. In the framework of the JRASRF collaboration we are developing a coaxial blade tuner for ILC (International Linear Collider) cavities, integrated with piezoelectric actuators for the compensation of the Lorenz force detuning and microphonics perturbation. Another activity, regarding the improved component design on SC technology, based on the information retrieving about the status of art on ancillaries and experience of various laboratories involved in SCRF, has started in our laboratory. Finally, in the framework of the HIPPI collaboration, we are testing two low beta superconducting cavities, built for the Italian TRASCO project, to verify the possibility to use them for pulsed operation. All these activities will be described here, together with the main results and the future perspectives.

Superconducting transmission line particle detector

DOEpatents

Gray, K.E.

1988-07-28

A microvertex particle detector for use in a high energy physic collider including a plurality of parallel superconducting thin film strips separated from a superconducting ground plane by an insulating layer to form a plurality of superconducting waveguides. The microvertex particle detector indicates passage of a charged subatomic particle by measuring a voltage pulse measured across a superconducting waveguide caused by the transition of the superconducting thin film strip from a superconducting to a non- superconducting state in response to the passage of a charged particle. A plurality of superconducting thin film strips in two orthogonal planes plus the slow electromagnetic wave propagating in a superconducting transmission line are used to resolve N/sup 2/ ambiguity of charged particle events. 6 figs.

Superconducting transmission line particle detector

DOEpatents

Gray, Kenneth E.

1989-01-01

A microvertex particle detector for use in a high energy physic collider including a plurality of parallel superconducting thin film strips separated from a superconducting ground plane by an insulating layer to form a plurality of superconducting waveguides. The microvertex particle detector indicates passage of a charged subatomic particle by measuring a voltage pulse measured across a superconducting waveguide caused by the transition of the superconducting thin film strip from a superconducting to a non-superconducting state in response to the passage of a charged particle. A plurality of superconducting thin film strips in two orthogonal planes plus the slow electromagnetic wave propogating in a superconducting transmission line are used to resolve N.sup.2 ambiguity of charged particle events.

Superconducting transmission line particle detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gray, K.E.

A microvertex particle detector for use in a high energy physic collider including a plurality of parallel superconducting thin film strips separated from a superconducting ground plane by an insulating layer to form a plurality of superconducting waveguides. The microvertex particle detector indicates passage of a charged subatomic particle by measuring a voltage pulse measured across a superconducting waveguide caused by the transition of the superconducting thin film strip from a superconducting to a non- superconducting state in response to the passage of a charged particle. A plurality of superconducting thin film strips in two orthogonal planes plus the slowmore » electromagnetic wave propagating in a superconducting transmission line are used to resolve N/sup 2/ ambiguity of charged particle events. 6 figs.« less

Progress of applied superconductivity research at Materials Research Laboratories, ITRI (Taiwan)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, R. S.; Wang, C. M.

1995-01-01

A status report based on the applied high temperature superconductivity (HTS) research at Materials Research Laboratories (MRL), Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is given. The aim is to develop fabrication technologies for the high-TC materials appropriate to the industrial application requirements. To date, the majorities of works have been undertaken in the areas of new materials, wires/tapes with long length, prototypes of magnets, large-area thin films, SQUID's and microwave applications.

Superconducting transmission line particle detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gray, K.E.

This paper describes a microvertex particle detector for use in a high energy physic collider including a plurality of parallel superconducting thin film strips separated from a superconducting ground plane by an insulating layer to form a plurality of superconducting waveguides. The microvertex particle detector indicates passage of a charged subatomic particle by measuring a voltage pulse measured across a superconducting waveguide caused by the transition of the superconducting thin film strip from a superconducting to a non-superconducting state in response to the passage of a charged particle. A plurality of superconducting thin film strips in two orthogonal planes plusmore » the slow electromagnetic wave propogating in a superconducting transmission line are used to resolve N{sup 2} ambiguity of charged particle events.« less

Enabling cost-effective high-current burst-mode operation in superconducting accelerators

DOE PAGES

Sheffield, Richard L.

2015-06-01

Superconducting (SC) accelerators are very efficient for CW or long-pulse operation, and normal conducting (NC) accelerators are cost effective for short-pulse operation. The addition of a short NC linac section to a SC linac can correct for the energy droop that occurs when pulsed high-current operation is required that exceeds the capability of the klystrons to replenish the cavity RF fields due to the long field fill-times of SC structures, or a requirement to support a broad range of beam currents results in variable beam loading. This paper describes the implementation of this technique to enable microseconds of high beam-current,more » 90 mA or more, in a 12 GeV SC long-pulse accelerator designed for the MaRIE 42-keV XFEL proposed for Los Alamos National Laboratory.« less

Investigations of current limiting properties of the MgB2 wires subjected to pulse overcurrents in the benchtop tester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Lin; Majoros, M.; Campbell, A. M.; Coombs, T.; Harrison, S.; Sargent, P.; Haslett, M.; Husband, M.

2007-04-01

A laboratory scale desktop test system including a cryogenic system, an AC pulse generation system and a real time data acquisition program in LabView/DAQmx, has been developed to evaluate the quench properties of MgB2 wires as an element in a superconducting fault current limiter under pulse overcurrents at 25 K in self-field conditions. The MgB2 samples started from a superconducting state and demonstrated good current limiting properties characterized by a fast transition to the normal state during the first half of the cycle and a continuously limiting effect in the subsequent cycles without burnouts. The experimental and numerical simulation results on the quench behaviour indicate the feasibility of using MgB2 for future superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) applications. This work is supported by Rolls-Royce Plc and the UK Department of Trade & Industry (DTI).

Superconducting traveling wave accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farkas, Z.D.

1984-11-01

This note considers the applicability of superconductivity to traveling wave accelerators. Unlike CW operation of a superconducting standing wave or circulating wave accelerator section, which requires improvement factors (superconductor conductivity divided by copper conductivity) of about 10/sup 6/ in order to be of practical use, a SUperconducting TRaveling wave Accelerator, SUTRA, operating in the pulsed mode requires improvement factors as low as about 10/sup 3/, which are attainable with niobium or lead at 4.2K, the temperature of liquid helium at atmospheric pressure. Changing from a copper traveling wave accelerator to SUTRA achieves the following. (1) For a given gradient SUTRAmore » reduces the peak and average power requirements typically by a factor of 2. (2) SUTRA reduces the peak power still further because it enables us to increase the filling time and thus trade pulse width for gradient. (3) SUTRA makes possible a reasonably long section at higher frequencies. (4) SUTRA makes possible recirculation without additional rf average power. 8 references, 6 figures, 1 table.« less

Pulsed-laser capabilities at the Laser-Hardened Materials Evaluation Laboratory (LHMEL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Royse, Robert W.; Seibert, Daniel B., II; Lander, Michael L.; Eric, John J.

2000-08-01

Pulsed laser capabilities at the Laser Hardened Material Evaluation Laboratory are described relevant to optical coupling, impulse generation and laser propulsion. Capabilities of the Nd:Glass laser are presented as well as supporting test systems.

Optimization of cathodic arc deposition and pulsed plasma melting techniques for growing smooth superconducting Pb photoemissive films for SRF injectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nietubyć, Robert; Lorkiewicz, Jerzy; Sekutowicz, Jacek; Smedley, John; Kosińska, Anna

2018-05-01

Superconducting photoinjectors have a potential to be the optimal solution for moderate and high current cw operating free electron lasers. For this application, a superconducting lead (Pb) cathode has been proposed to simplify the cathode integration into a 1.3 GHz, TESLA-type, 1.6-cell long purely superconducting gun cavity. In the proposed design, a lead film several micrometres thick is deposited onto a niobium plug attached to the cavity back wall. Traditional lead deposition techniques usually produce very non-uniform emission surfaces and often result in a poor adhesion of the layer. A pulsed plasma melting procedure reducing the non-uniformity of the lead photocathodes is presented. In order to determine the parameters optimal for this procedure, heat transfer from plasma to the film was first modelled to evaluate melting front penetration range and liquid state duration. The obtained results were verified by surface inspection of witness samples. The optimal procedure was used to prepare a photocathode plug, which was then tested in an electron gun. The quantum efficiency and the value of cavity quality factor have been found to satisfy the requirements for an injector of the European-XFEL facility.

PulseNet China, a model for future laboratory-based bacterial infectious disease surveillance in China.

PubMed

Li, Wei; Lu, Shan; Cui, Zhigang; Cui, Jinghua; Zhou, Haijian; Wang, Yiqing; Shao, Zhujun; Ye, Changyun; Kan, Biao; Xu, Jianguo

2012-12-01

Surveillance is critical for the prevention and control of infectious disease. China's real-time web-based infectious disease reporting system is a distinguished achievement. However, many aspects of the current China Infectious Disease Surveillance System do not yet meet the demand for timely outbreak detection and identification of emerging infectious disease. PulseNet, the national molecular typing network for foodborne disease surveillance was first established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States in 1995 and has proven valuable in the early detection of outbreaks and tracing the pathogen source. Since 2001, the China CDC laboratory for bacterial pathogen analysis has been a member of the PulseNet International family; and has been adapting the idea and methodology of PulseNet to develop a model for a future national laboratory-based surveillance system for all bacterial infectious disease.We summarized the development progress for the PulseNet China system and discussed it as a model for the future of China's national laboratory-based surveillance system.

Coherent quantum dynamics of a superconducting flux qubit.

PubMed

Chiorescu, I; Nakamura, Y; Harmans, C J P M; Mooij, J E

2003-03-21

We have observed coherent time evolution between two quantum states of a superconducting flux qubit comprising three Josephson junctions in a loop. The superposition of the two states carrying opposite macroscopic persistent currents is manipulated by resonant microwave pulses. Readout by means of switching-event measurement with an attached superconducting quantum interference device revealed quantum-state oscillations with high fidelity. Under strong microwave driving, it was possible to induce hundreds of coherent oscillations. Pulsed operations on this first sample yielded a relaxation time of 900 nanoseconds and a free-induction dephasing time of 20 nanoseconds. These results are promising for future solid-state quantum computing.

Interfacing superconducting qubits and telecom photons via a rare-earth-doped crystal.

PubMed

O'Brien, Christopher; Lauk, Nikolai; Blum, Susanne; Morigi, Giovanna; Fleischhauer, Michael

2014-08-08

We propose a scheme to couple short single photon pulses to superconducting qubits. An optical photon is first absorbed into an inhomogeneously broadened rare-earth doped crystal using controlled reversible inhomogeneous broadening. The optical excitation is then mapped into a spin state using a series of π pulses and subsequently transferred to a superconducting qubit via a microwave cavity. To overcome the intrinsic and engineered inhomogeneous broadening of the optical and spin transitions in rare-earth doped crystals, we make use of a special transfer protocol using staggered π pulses. We predict total transfer efficiencies on the order of 90%.

Laboratory model of the cardiovascular system for experimental demonstration of pulse wave propagation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stojadinović, Bojana; Nestorović, Zorica; Djurić, Biljana; Tenne, Tamar; Zikich, Dragoslav; Žikić, Dejan

2017-03-01

The velocity by which a disturbance moves through the medium is the wave velocity. Pulse wave velocity is among the key parameters in hemodynamics. Investigation of wave propagation through the fluid-filled elastic tube has a great importance for the proper biophysical understanding of the nature of blood flow through the cardiovascular system. Here, we present a laboratory model of the cardiovascular system. We have designed an experimental setup which can help medical and nursing students to properly learn and understand basic fluid hemodynamic principles, pulse wave and the phenomenon of wave propagation in blood vessels. Demonstration of wave propagation allowed a real time observation of the formation of compression and expansion waves by students, thus enabling them to better understand the difference between the two waves, and also to measure the pulse wave velocity for different fluid viscosities. The laboratory model of the cardiovascular system could be useful as an active learning methodology and a complementary tool for understanding basic principles of hemodynamics.

Superconducting thermal neutron detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merlo, V.; Pietropaolo, A.; Celentano, G.; Cirillo, M.; Lucci, M.; Ottaviani, I.; Salvato, M.; Scherillo, A.; Schooneveld, E. M.; Vannozzi, A.

2016-09-01

A neutron detection concept is presented that is based on superconductive niobium nitride (NbN) strips coated by a boron (B) layer. The working principle is well described by a hot spot mechanism: upon the occurrence of the nuclear reactions n + 10B → α + 7Li + 2.8 MeV, the energy released by the secondary particles into the strip induces a superconducting-normal state transition. The latter is recognized as a voltage signal which is the evidence of the incident neutron. The above described detection principle has been experimentally assessed and verified by irradiating the samples with a pulsed neutron beam at the ISIS spallation neutron source (UK). It is found that the boron coated superconducting strips, kept at a temperature T below 11K and current-biased below the critical current IC, are driven into the normal state upon thermal neutron irradiation. Measurements on the counting rate of the device are presented and the basic physical features of the detector are discussed and compared to those of a borated Nb superconducting strip.

Optimization of cathodic arc deposition and pulsed plasma melting techniques for growing smooth superconducting Pb photoemissive films for SRF injectors

DOE PAGES

Nietubyc, Robert; Lorkiewicz, Jerzy; Sekutowicz, Jacek; ...

2018-02-14

Superconducting photoinjectors have a potential to be the optimal solution for moderate and high current cw operating free electron lasers. For this application, a superconducting lead (Pb) cathode has been proposed to simplify the cathode integration into a 1.3 GHz, TESLA-type, 1.6-cell long purely superconducting gun cavity. In the proposed design, a lead film several micrometres thick is deposited onto a niobium plug attached to the cavity back wall. Traditional lead deposition techniques usually produce very non-uniform emission surfaces and often result in a poor adhesion of the layer. A pulsed plasma melting procedure reducing the non-uniformity of the leadmore » photocathodes is presented. In order to determine the parameters optimal for this procedure, heat transfer from plasma to the film was first modelled to evaluate melting front penetration range and liquid state duration. The obtained results were verified by surface inspection of witness samples. The optimal procedure was used to prepare a photocathode plug, which was then tested in an electron gun. In conclusion, the quantum efficiency and the value of cavity quality factor have been found to satisfy the requirements for an injector of the European-XFEL facility.« less

Optimization of cathodic arc deposition and pulsed plasma melting techniques for growing smooth superconducting Pb photoemissive films for SRF injectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nietubyc, Robert; Lorkiewicz, Jerzy; Sekutowicz, Jacek

Superconducting photoinjectors have a potential to be the optimal solution for moderate and high current cw operating free electron lasers. For this application, a superconducting lead (Pb) cathode has been proposed to simplify the cathode integration into a 1.3 GHz, TESLA-type, 1.6-cell long purely superconducting gun cavity. In the proposed design, a lead film several micrometres thick is deposited onto a niobium plug attached to the cavity back wall. Traditional lead deposition techniques usually produce very non-uniform emission surfaces and often result in a poor adhesion of the layer. A pulsed plasma melting procedure reducing the non-uniformity of the leadmore » photocathodes is presented. In order to determine the parameters optimal for this procedure, heat transfer from plasma to the film was first modelled to evaluate melting front penetration range and liquid state duration. The obtained results were verified by surface inspection of witness samples. The optimal procedure was used to prepare a photocathode plug, which was then tested in an electron gun. In conclusion, the quantum efficiency and the value of cavity quality factor have been found to satisfy the requirements for an injector of the European-XFEL facility.« less

Quantum routing of single optical photons with a superconducting flux qubit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Keyu; Jelezko, Fedor; Twamley, Jason

2018-05-01

Interconnecting optical photons with superconducting circuits is a challenging problem but essential for building long-range superconducting quantum networks. We propose a hybrid quantum interface between the microwave and optical domains where the propagation of a single-photon pulse along a nanowaveguide is controlled in a coherent way by tuning the electromagnetically induced transparency window with the quantum state of a flux qubit mediated by the spin in a nanodiamond. The qubit can route a single-photon pulse using the nanodiamond into a quantum superposition of paths without the aid of an optical cavity—simplifying the setup. By preparing the flux qubit in a superposition state our cavityless scheme creates a hybrid state-path entanglement between a flying single optical photon and a static superconducting qubit.

Superconducting Microelectronics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Richard W.

1984-01-01

Discusses superconducting microelectronics based on the Josephson effect and its advantages over conventional integrated circuits in speed and sensitivity. Considers present uses in standards laboratories (voltage) and in measuring weak magnetic fields. Also considers future applications in superfast computer circuitry using Superconducting…

Optimization of a Two Stage Pulse Tube Refrigerator for the Integrated Current Lead System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maekawa, R.; Matsubara, Y.; Okada, A.; Takami, S.; Konno, M.; Tomioka, A.; Imayoshi, T.; Hayashi, H.; Mito, T.

2008-03-01

Implementation of a conventional current lead with a pulse tube refrigerator has been validated to be working as an Integrated Current Lead (ICL) system for the Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES). Realization of the system is primarily accounted for the flexibility of a pulse tube refrigerator, which does not posses any mechanical piston and/or displacer. As for an ultimate version of the ICL system, a High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) lead links a superconducting coil with a conventional copper lead. To ensure the minimization of heat loads to the superconducting coil, a pulse tube refrigerator has been upgraded to have a second cooling stage. This arrangement reduces not only the heat loads to the superconducting coil but also the operating cost for a SMES system. A prototype two-stage pulse tube refrigerator, series connected arrangement, was designed and fabricated to satisfy the requirements for the ICL system. Operation of the first stage refrigerator is a four-valve mode, while the second stage utilizes a double inlet configuration to ensure its confined geometry. The paper discusses the optimization of second stage cooling to validate the conceptual design

Superconducting magnetic energy storage and superconducting self-supplied electromagnetic launcher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciceron, Jérémie; Badel, Arnaud; Tixador, Pascal

2017-10-01

Superconductors can be used to build energy storage systems called Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES), which are promising as inductive pulse power source and suitable for powering electromagnetic launchers. The second generation of high critical temperature superconductors is called coated conductors or REBCO (Rare Earth Barium Copper Oxide) tapes. Their current carrying capability in high magnetic field and their thermal stability are expanding the SMES application field. The BOSSE (Bobine Supraconductrice pour le Stockage d'Energie) project aims to develop and to master the use of these superconducting tapes through two prototypes. The first one is a SMES with high energy density. Thanks to the performances of REBCO tapes, the volume energy and specific energy of existing SMES systems can be surpassed. A study has been undertaken to make the best use of the REBCO tapes and to determine the most adapted topology in order to reach our objective, which is to beat the world record of mass energy density for a superconducting coil. This objective is conflicting with the classical strategies of superconducting coil protection. A different protection approach is proposed. The second prototype of the BOSSE project is a small-scale demonstrator of a Superconducting Self-Supplied Electromagnetic Launcher (S3EL), in which a SMES is integrated around the launcher which benefits from the generated magnetic field to increase the thrust applied to the projectile. The S3EL principle and its design are presented. Contribution to the topical issue "Electrical Engineering Symposium (SGE 2016)", edited by Adel Razek

Superconducting fault current limiter for railway transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, L. M.; Alferov, D. F.; Akhmetgareev, M. R.; Budovskii, A. I.; Evsin, D. V.; Voloshin, I. F.; Kalinov, A. V.

2015-12-01

A resistive switching superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) for DC networks with voltage of 3.5 kV and nominal current of 2 kA is developed. The SFCL consists of two series-connected units: block of superconducting modules and high-speed vacuum breaker with total disconnection time not more than 8 ms. The results of laboratory tests of superconducting SFCL modules in current limiting mode are presented. The recovery time of superconductivity is experimentally determined. The possibility of application of SFCL on traction substations of Russian Railways is considered.

Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory annual report, July 1988 through June 1989

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1989-01-01

Contents include: reports on laboratory research programs--magneto-optics and semiconductor physics, magnetism, superconductivity, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, condensed-matter chemistry, biomagnetism, magnet technology, instrumentation for high-magnetic-field research, molecular biophysics; reports of visiting scientists--reports of users of the High Magnetic Field Facility, reports of users of the Pulsed Field Facility, reports of users of the SQUID Magnetometer and Moessbauer Facility, reports of users of the High-Field NMR Facility; Appendices--publications and meeting speeches, organization, summary of High-Field Magnet Facility use January 1, 1981 through December 31, 1988; geographic distribution of High-Field Magnet users (excluding laboratory staff); and summary of educational activities.

A voltage-controlled superconducting quantum bus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casparis, Lucas; Pearson, Natalie; KringhøJ, Anders; Larsen, Thorvald; Kuemmeth, Ferdinand; Krogstrup, Peter; Nygard, Jesper; Petersson, Karl; Marcus, Charles

Superconducting qubits couple strongly to microwave photons and can therefore be coupled over long distances through a superconducting cavity acting as a quantum bus. To avoid frequency-crowding it is desirable to turn qubit coupling off while rearranging qubit frequencies. Here, we present experiments with two gatemon qubits coupled through a cavity, which can be tuned by a voltage-controlled superconducting switch. We characterize the bus tunability and demonstrate switchable qubit coupling with an on/off ratio up to 8. We find that pulsing the bus switch on nanosecond timescales results in the apparent loss of qubit coherence. Further work is needed to understand how dynamic control of the tuneable bus affects qubit operation. We acknowledge financial support from Microsoft Project Q, the Danish National Research Foundation and the US Army Research Office.

Plasma-enhanced pulsed-laser deposition of single-crystalline M o2C ultrathin superconducting films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Fan; Zhang, Zhi; Wang, Huichao; Chan, Cheuk Ho; Chan, Ngai Yui; Chen, Xin Xin; Dai, Ji-Yan

2017-08-01

Transition-metal carbides (TMCs) possess many intriguing properties and inspiring application potentials, and recently the study of a two-dimensional form of TMCs has attracted great attention. Herein, we report successful fabrication of continuous M o2C ultrathin single-crystalline films at 700 ∘C with an approach of plasma-enhanced pulsed-laser deposition. By sophisticated structural analyses, the M o2C films are characterized as single crystal with a rarely reported face-centered cubic structure. In further electrical transport measurements, superconductivity observed in the M o2C films demonstrates a typical two-dimensional feature, which is consistent with Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transitions. Besides, large upper critical magnetic fields are discovered in this system. Our work offers an approach to grow large-area and high-quality TMCs at relatively low temperatures. This study may stimulate more related investigations on the synthesis, characterizations, and applications of two-dimensional TMCs.

Digital Data Acquisition System for experiments with segmented detectors at National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starosta, K.; Vaman, C.; Miller, D.; Voss, P.; Bazin, D.; Glasmacher, T.; Crawford, H.; Mantica, P.; Tan, H.; Hennig, W.; Walby, M.; Fallu-Labruyere, A.; Harris, J.; Breus, D.; Grudberg, P.; Warburton, W. K.

2009-11-01

A 624-channel Digital Data Acquisition System capable of instrumenting the Segmented Germanium Array at National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory has been implemented using Pixie-16 Digital Gamma Finder modules by XIA LLC. The system opens an opportunity for determination of the first interaction position of a γ ray in a SeGA detector from implementation of γ-ray tracking. This will translate into a significantly improved determination of angle of emission, and in consequence much better Doppler corrections for experiments with fast beams. For stopped-beam experiments the system provides means for zero dead time measurements of rare decays, which occur on time scales of microseconds.

Development of a Novel Method for the Exploration of the Thermal Response of Superfluid Helium Cooled Superconducting Cables to Pulse Heat Loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winkler, T.; Koettig, T.; van Weelderen, R.; Bremer, J.; ter Brake, H. J. M.

Management of transient heat deposition in superconducting magnets and its extraction from the aforementioned is becoming increasingly important to bring high energy particle accelerator performance to higher beam energies and intensities. Precise knowledge of transient heat deposition phenomena in the magnet cables will permit to push the operation of these magnets as close as possible to their current sharing limit, without unduly provoking magnet quenches. With the prospect of operating the Large Hadron Collider at CERN at higher beam energies and intensities an investigation into the response to transient heat loads of LHC magnets, operating in pressurized superfluid helium, is being performed. The more frequently used approach mimics the cable geometry by resistive wires and uses Joule-heating to deposit energy. Instead, to approximate as closely as possible the real magnet conditions, a novel method for depositing heat in cable stacks made out of superconducting magnet-cables has been developed. The goal is to measure the temperature difference as a function of time between the cable stack and the superfluid helium bath depending on heat load and heat pulse length. The heat generation in the superconducting cable and precise measurement of small temperature differences are major challenges. The functional principle and experimental set-up are presented together with proof of principle measurements.

Direct current superconducting quantum interference device spectrometer for pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance and nuclear quadrupole resonance at frequencies up to 5 MHz

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

TonThat, D.M.; Clarke, J.

1996-08-01

A spectrometer based on a dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) has been developed for the direct detection of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) at frequencies up to 5 MHz. The sample is coupled to the input coil of the niobium-based SQUID via a nonresonant superconducting circuit. The flux locked loop involves the direct offset integration technique with additional positive feedback in which the output of the SQUID is coupled directly to a low-noise preamplifier. Precession of the nuclear quadrupole spins is induced by a magnetic field pulse with the feedback circuit disabled; subsequently, flux lockedmore » operation is restored and the SQUID amplifies the signal produced by the nuclear free induction signal. The spectrometer has been used to detect {sup 27}Al NQR signals in ruby (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}[Cr{sup 3+}]) at 359 and 714 kHz. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}« less

Digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamata, Lucas

2017-03-01

We propose a digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits, including Fermi- Bose condensates, biased and pulsed Dicke models, for all regimes of light-matter coupling. We encode these classes of problems in a set of superconducting qubits coupled with a bosonic mode implemented by a transmission line resonator. Via digital-analog techniques, an efficient quantum simulation can be performed in state-of-the-art circuit quantum electrodynamics platforms, by suitable decomposition into analog qubit-bosonic blocks and collective single-qubit pulses through digital steps. Moreover, just a single global analog block would be needed during the whole protocol in most of the cases, superimposed with fast periodic pulses to rotate and detune the qubits. Therefore, a large number of digital steps may be attained with this approach, providing a reduced digital error. Additionally, the number of gates per digital step does not grow with the number of qubits, rendering the simulation efficient. This strategy paves the way for the scalable digital-analog quantum simulation of many-body dynamics involving bosonic modes and spin degrees of freedom with superconducting circuits.

Digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits

PubMed Central

Lamata, Lucas

2017-01-01

We propose a digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits, including Fermi- Bose condensates, biased and pulsed Dicke models, for all regimes of light-matter coupling. We encode these classes of problems in a set of superconducting qubits coupled with a bosonic mode implemented by a transmission line resonator. Via digital-analog techniques, an efficient quantum simulation can be performed in state-of-the-art circuit quantum electrodynamics platforms, by suitable decomposition into analog qubit-bosonic blocks and collective single-qubit pulses through digital steps. Moreover, just a single global analog block would be needed during the whole protocol in most of the cases, superimposed with fast periodic pulses to rotate and detune the qubits. Therefore, a large number of digital steps may be attained with this approach, providing a reduced digital error. Additionally, the number of gates per digital step does not grow with the number of qubits, rendering the simulation efficient. This strategy paves the way for the scalable digital-analog quantum simulation of many-body dynamics involving bosonic modes and spin degrees of freedom with superconducting circuits. PMID:28256559

Methods of Phase and Power Control in Magnetron Transmitters for Superconducting Accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kazadevich, G.; Johnson, R.; Neubauer, M.

Various methods of phase and power control in magnetron RF sources of superconducting accelerators intended for ADS-class projects were recently developed and studied with conventional 2.45 GHz, 1 kW, CW magnetrons operating in pulsed and CW regimes. Magnetron transmitters excited by a resonant (injection-locking) phasemodulated signal can provide phase and power control with the rates required for precise stabilization of phase and amplitude of the accelerating field in Superconducting RF (SRF) cavities of the intensity-frontier accelerators. An innovative technique that can significantly increase the magnetron transmitter efficiency at the widerange power control required for superconducting accelerators was developed and verifiedmore » with the 2.45 GHz magnetrons operating in CW and pulsed regimes. High efficiency magnetron transmitters of this type can significantly reduce the capital and operation costs of the ADSclass accelerator projects.« less

100 Years of Superconductivity: Perspective on Energy Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grant, Paul

2011-11-01

One hundred years ago this past April, in 1911, traces of superconductivity were first detected near 4.2 K in mercury in the Leiden laboratory of Kammerlingh Onnes, followed seventy-five years later in January, 1986, by the discovery of ``high temperature'' superconductivity above 30 K in layered copper oxide perovskites by Bednorz and Mueller at the IBM Research Laboratory in Rueschlikon. Visions of application to the electric power infrastructure followed each event, and the decades following the 1950s witnessed numerous, successful demonstrations to electricity generation, transmission and end use -- rotating machinery, cables, transformers, storage, current limiters and power conditioning, employing both low and high temperature superconductors in the USA, Japan, Europe, and more recently, China. Despite these accomplishments, there has been to date no substantial insertion of superconducting technology in the electric power infrastructure worldwide, and its eventual deployment remains problematic. We will explore the issues delaying such deployment and suggest future electric power scenarios where superconductivity will play an essential central role.

Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory annual report, July 1989 through June 1990

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-01-01

Contents: Reports on laboratory research programs: Magneto-optics and semiconductor physics, Magnetism, Superconductivity, Solid state nuclear magnetic resonance, Condensed matter chemistry, Biomagnetism, Magnet technology, Molecular biophysics; Reports of visiting scientists: Reports of users of the High Magnetic Field Facility, Reports of users of the pulsed field facility, Reports of users of the squid magnetometer and Mossbauer facility, Reports of users of the high field NMR facility; Appendices: Publications and meeting speeches, Organization, Summary of high magnetic field facility use, User tables, Geographic distribution of high magnetic field facility users, Summary of educational activities.

High Tc superconducting bolometric and nonbolometric infrared (IR) detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lakeou, Samuel

1994-01-01

The original workplan for the first year of the project includes the following: establishment of a pilot superconductivity application laboratory at UDC to support the research component of the project; research on the source of electrical noise in High Tc superconducting films in order to optimize the film microstructure and lower the NEP; and lay the foundation of an academic support for exposing UDC students to the theory and application of High Tc superconductivity. Attached to this status report are abstracts and the course description for Introduction to Applications of Superconductivity.

Superconductivity and fusion energy—the inseparable companions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruzzone, Pierluigi

2015-02-01

Although superconductivity will never produce energy by itself, it plays an important role in energy-related applications both because of its saving potential (e.g., power transmission lines and generators), and its role as an enabling technology (e.g., for nuclear fusion energy). The superconducting magnet’s need for plasma confinement has been recognized since the early development of fusion devices. As long as the research and development of plasma burning was carried out on pulsed devices, the technology of superconducting fusion magnets was aimed at demonstrations of feasibility. In the latest generation of plasma devices, which are larger and have longer confinement times, the superconducting coils are a key enabling technology. The cost of a superconducting magnet system is a major portion of the overall cost of a fusion plant and deserves significant attention in the long-term planning of electricity supply; only cheap superconducting magnets will help fusion get to the energy market. In this paper, the technology challenges and design approaches for fusion magnets are briefly reviewed for past, present, and future projects, from the early superconducting tokamaks in the 1970s, to the current ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) and W7-X projects and future DEMO (Demonstration Reactor) projects. The associated cryogenic technology is also reviewed: 4.2 K helium baths, superfluid baths, forced-flow supercritical helium, and helium-free designs. Open issues and risk mitigation are discussed in terms of reliability, technology, and cost.

Superconducting six-axis accelerometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paik, H. J.

1990-01-01

A new superconducting accelerometer, capable of measuring both linear and angular accelerations, is under development at the University of Maryland. A single superconducting proof mass is magnetically levitated against gravity or any other proof force. Its relative positions and orientations with respect to the platform are monitored by six superconducting inductance bridges sharing a single amplifier, called the Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID). The six degrees of freedom, the three linear acceleration components and the three angular acceleration components, of the platform are measured simultaneously. In order to improve the linearity and the dynamic range of the instrument, the demodulated outputs of the SQUID are fed back to appropriate levitation coils so that the proof mass remains at the null position for all six inductance bridges. The expected intrinsic noise of the instrument is 4 x 10(exp -12)m s(exp -2) Hz(exp -1/2) for linear acceleration and 3 x 10(exp -11) rad s(exp -2) Hz(exp -1/2) for angular acceleration in 1-g environment. In 0-g, the linear acceleration sensitivity of the superconducting accelerometer could be improved by two orders of magnitude. The design and the operating principle of a laboratory prototype of the new instrument is discussed.

Comparison of laboratory and ambulatory measures of central blood pressure and pulse wave reflection: hitting the target or missing the mark?

PubMed

Burns, Matthew J; Seed, Jeremy D; Incognito, Anthony V; Doherty, Connor J; Notay, Karambir; Millar, Philip J

2018-04-01

Prior studies demonstrating clinical significance of noninvasive estimates of central blood pressure (BP) and pulse wave reflection have relied primarily on discrete resting measures. The aim of this study was to compare central BP and pulse wave reflection measures sampled during a single resting laboratory visit against those obtained under ambulatory conditions. The secondary aim was to investigate the reproducibility of ambulatory central BP and pulse wave reflection measurements. Forty healthy participants (21 males; 24 ± 3 years) completed three measurements of brachial artery pulse wave analysis (Oscar 2 with SphygmoCor Inside) in the laboratory followed by 24 hours of ambulatory monitoring. Seventeen participants repeated the 24-hour ambulatory monitoring visit after at least 1 week. Ambulatory measures were divided into daytime (9 AM-9 PM), nighttime (1 AM-6 AM), and 24-hour periods. Compared with laboratory measurements, central systolic BP, augmentation pressure, and augmentation index (with and without heart rate normalization) were higher (all P < .01) during daytime and 24-hour periods but lower during the nighttime period (all P < .001). The drop in nighttime brachial systolic BP was larger than central systolic pressure (Δ -20 ± 6 vs. -15 ± 6 mm Hg; P < .0001). Repeat ambulatory measurements of central BP and pulse wave reflection displayed good-to-excellent intraclass correlation coefficients (r = 0.58-0.86; all P < .01), although measures of pulse wave reflection had higher coefficients of variation (14%-41%). The results highlight absolute differences in central BP and pulse wave reflection between discrete laboratory and ambulatory conditions. The use of ambulatory measures of central BP and pulse wave reflection warrant further investigation for clinical prognostic value. Copyright © 2018 American Heart Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fabrication and Evaluation of Superconducting and Semiconducting Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-01

Laboratory Material Physics Branch by conducting investigations into the properties of superconducting , magnetic , and other solid state materials. Studies...Physics Branch in conducting research into applied problems such as the design of magnetic shielding and superconducting quantum interference device...SQUID) magnetometry detection of magnetic anomalies. SFA provided research assistance in the areas of bulk ceramic sample preparation. conversion

Superconducting magnesium diboride films with Tc≈24 K grown by pulsed laser deposition with in situ anneal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christen, H. M.; Zhai, H. Y.; Cantoni, C.; Paranthaman, M.; Sales, B. C.; Rouleau, C.; Norton, D. P.; Christen, D. K.; Lowndes, D. H.

2001-05-01

Thin superconducting films of magnesium diboride (MgB 2) with T c≈24 K were prepared on various oxide substrates by pulsed laser deposition followed by an in situ anneal. A systematic study of the influence of various in situ annealing parameters shows an optimum temperature of about 600°C in a background of 0.7 atm of Ar/4%H 2 for layers consisting of a mixture of magnesium and boron. Contrary to ex situ approaches (e.g. reacting boron films with magnesium vapor at ≈900°C), these films are processed at a temperature at which MgB 2 does not decompose rapidly even in vacuum. This may prove enabling in the formation of multilayers, junctions, and epitaxial films in future work. Issues related to the improvement of these films and to the possible in situ growth of MgB 2 at elevated temperature are discussed.

Laboratory Testing of Electro-Osmotic Pulse Technology to Reduce and Maintain Low Moisture Content in Concrete

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-01

technology minimizes harmful effects to concrete and rebar and prevents over drying, pore blocking and electrode polarization. Principles of EOP...LABORATORY TESTING OF ELECTRO-OSMOTIC PULSE TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE AND MAINTAIN LOW MOISTURE CONTENT IN CONCRETE Orange S. Marshall, Vincent F...Laboratory 2009 Army Corrosion Summit Clearwater Beach, FL 6 January 2009 Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting

Digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamata, Lucas

We propose a digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits, including Fermi-Bose condensates, biased and pulsed Dicke models, for all regimes of light-matter coupling. We encode these classes of problems in a set of superconducting qubits coupled with a bosonic mode implemented by a transmission line resonator. Via digital-analog techniques, an efficient quantum simulation can be performed in state-of-the-art circuit quantum electrodynamics platforms, by suitable decomposition into analog qubit-bosonic blocks and collective single-qubit pulses through digital steps. Moreover, just a single global analog block would be needed during the whole protocol in most of the cases, superimposed with fast periodic pulses to rotate and detune the qubits. Therefore, a large number of digital steps may be attained with this approach, providing a reduced digital error. Additionally, the number of gates per digital step does not grow with the number of qubits, rendering the simulation efficient. This strategy paves the way for the scalable digital-analog quantum simulation of many-body dynamics involving bosonic modes and spin degrees of freedom with superconducting circuits. The author wishes to acknowledge discussions with I. Arrazola, A. Mezzacapo, J. S. Pedernales, and E. Solano, and support from Ramon y Cajal Grant RYC-2012-11391, Spanish MINECO/FEDER FIS2015-69983-P, UPV/EHU UFI 11/55 and Project EHUA14/04.

Francis bitter national magnet laboratory annual report, July 1991 through June 1992

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-06-01

;Contents: Reports on Laboratory Research Programs--Magneto-Optics and Semiconductor Physics, Superconductivity and Magnetism, Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Condensed Matter Chemistry, Biomagnetism, Magnet Technology, Instrumentation, Molecular Biophysics, Carbon Filters and Fullerenes; Reports of Visiting Scientists--Reports of Users of the High Magnetic Field Facility, Reports of the Users of the Pulsed Field Facility, Reports of the Users of the High Field NMR Facility; Appendices--Publications and Meeting Speeches, Organization, Summary of High Magnetic Field Facility Use--January 1, 1984 through June 30, 1992, Geographic Distribution of High Magnetic Field Facility Users (Excluding FBNML Staff), Summary of Educational Activities.

Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory annual report, July 1990 through June 1991

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-06-01

The contents include: reports on laboratory research programs--magneto-optics and semiconductor physics, magnetism, superconductivity, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance, condensed matter chemistry, biomagnetism, magnet technology, instrumentation, molecular biophysics; reports of visiting scientists--reports of users of the high magnetic field facility, reports of users of the pulsed field facility, reports of users of the SQUID magnetometer and Mossbauer facility, reports of users of the high field NMR facility; appendices--publications and meeting speeches, organization, summary of high magnetic field facility use, user tables, geographic distribution of high magnetic field facility users, summary of educational activities.

Optical Probe of the Superconducting Normal Mixed State in a Magnetic Penetration Thermometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevenson, T. R.; Balvin, M. A.; Bandler, S. R.; Denis, K. L.; Lee, S. -J.; Nagler, P. C.; Smith, S. J.

2016-01-01

Using ultraviolet photon pulses, we have probed the internal behavior of a molybdenum-gold Magnetic Penetration Thermometer (MPT) that we designed for x-ray microcalorimetry. In this low-temperature detector, the diamagnetic response of a superconducting MoAu bilayer is used to sense temperature changes in response to absorbed photons. We have previously described an approximate model that explains the high responsivity of the detector to temperature changes as a consequence of a Meissner transition of the molybdenum-gold film in the magnetic field applied by the superconducting circuit used to bias the detector. We compare measurements of MPT heat capacity and thermal conductance, derived from UV photon pulse data, to our model predictions for the thermodynamic properties of the sensor and for the electron cooling obtained by quasiparticle recombination. Our data on electron cooling power is also relevant to the operation of other superconducting detectors, such as Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors.

Superconducting FeSe0.1Te0.9 thin films integrated on Si-based substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jijie; Chen, Li; Li, Leigang; Qi, Zhimin; Sun, Xing; Zhang, Xinghang; Wang, Haiyan

2018-05-01

With the goal of integrating superconducting iron chalcogenides with Si-based electronics, superconducting FeSe0.1Te0.9 thin films were directly deposited on Si and SiOx/Si substrates without any buffer layer by a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. Microstructural characterization showed excellent film quality with mostly c-axis growth on both types of substrates. Superconducting properties (such as superconducting transition temperature T c and upper critical field H c2) were measured to be comparable to that of the films on single crystal oxide substrates. The work demonstrates the feasibility of integrating superconducting iron chalcogenide (FeSe0.1Te0.9) thin films with Si-based microelectronics.

Response of larval sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) to pulsed DC electrical stimuli in laboratory experiments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bowen, Anjanette K.; Weisser, John W.; Bergstedt, Roger A.; Famoye, Felix

2003-01-01

Four electrical factors that are used in pulsed DC electrofishing for larval sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) were evaluated in two laboratory studies to determine the optimal values to induce larval emergence over a range of water temperatures and conductivities. Burrowed larvae were exposed to combinations of pulsed DC electrical factors including five pulse frequencies, three pulse patterns, and two levels of duty cycle over a range of seven voltage gradients in two separate studies conducted at water temperatures of 10, 15, and 20°C and water conductivities of 25, 200, and 900 μS/cm. A four-way analysis of variance was used to determine significant (α = 0.05) influences of each electrical factor on larval emergence. Multiple comparison tests with Bonferroni adjustments were used to determine which values of each factor resulted in significantly higher emergence at each temperature and conductivity. Voltage gradient and pulse frequency significantly affected emergence according to the ANOVA model at each temperature and conductivity tested. Duty cycle and pulse pattern generally did not significantly influence the model. Findings suggest that a setting of 2.0 V/cm, 3 pulses/sec, 10% duty, and 2:2 pulse pattern seems the most promising in waters of medium conductivity and across a variety of temperatures. This information provides a basis for understanding larval response to pulsed DC electrofishing gear factors and identifies electrofisher settings that show promise to increase the efficiency of the gear during assessments for burrowed sea lamprey larvae.

Analysis of Mechanical Stresses/Strains in Superconducting Wire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barry, Matthew; Chen, Jingping; Zhai, Yuhu

2016-10-01

The optimization of superconducting magnet performance and development of high-field superconducting magnets will greatly impact the next generation of fusion devices. A successful magnet development, however, relies deeply on the understanding of superconducting materials. Among the numerous factors that impact a superconductor's performance, mechanical stress is the most important because of the extreme operation temperature and large electromagnetic forces. In this study, mechanical theory is used to calculate the stresses/strains in typical superconducting strands, which consist of a stabilizer, a barrier, a matrix and superconducting filaments. Both thermal loads and mechanical loads are included in the analysis to simulate operation conditions. Because this model simulates the typical architecture of major superconducting materials, such as Nb3Sn, MgB2, Bi-2212 etc., it provides a good overall picture for us to understand the behavior of these superconductors in terms of thermal and mechanical loads. This work was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) under the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program.

Superconductivity in Bi/Ni bilayer system: Clear role of superconducting phases found at Bi/Ni interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, L. Y.; Xing, Y. T.; Merino, I. L. C.; Micklitz, H.; Franceschini, D. F.; Baggio-Saitovitch, E.; Bell, D. C.; Solórzano, I. G.

2018-01-01

Bi/Ni bilayers with varying Bi and Ni layer thicknesses have been prepared by (a) pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) at 300 K and (b) thermal evaporation at 4.2 K. A two-step superconducting transition appears on the electrical transport measurements in the samples prepared by PLD. High-resolution transmission and scanning transmission electron microscopy, supported by energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) analysis, reveal that two superconducting intermetallic alloys, namely NiBi and NiBi3, are formed by interdiffusion, if the bilayers are prepared at 300 K. The Tc of the two phases behaves very differently in an external magnetic field and the upper critical magnetic fields at zero temperature [Bc 2(0 ) ] were estimated as 1.1 and 7.4 T, respectively. The lower value corresponds to the Bc 2(0) of NiBi3 phase and the higher one is supposed to be of NiBi. These alloys are responsible for the superconductivity and the two-step transition appearing in the Bi/Ni bilayer system. Surprisingly, the Bi-rich phase (NiBi3) is formed near the Ni layer, while the Ni-rich phase (NiBi) is formed far from the Ni layer. The EDXS analysis at nanometer scale clearly shows an unusual increase of Ni concentration near the interface of Bi/substrate. The limited thickness of Bi layer in the interdiffusion process results in an unexpected distribution of Ni concentration. Samples prepared at 4.2 K after annealing at 300 K do not show any superconductivity, which indicates that a nonepitaxial Bi/Ni interface does not induce superconductivity in the case interdiffusion does not occur. These results offer a deeper understanding of the superconductivity in the Bi/Ni bilayer system.

Complex Molecules in the Laboratory - a Comparison of Chriped Pulse and Emission Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermanns, Marius; Wehres, Nadine; Maßen, Jakob; Schlemmer, Stephan

2017-06-01

Detecting molecules of astrophysical interest in the interstellar medium strongly relies on precise spectroscopic data from the laboratory. In recent years, the advancement of the chirped-pulse technique has added many more options available to choose from. The Cologne emission spectrometer is an additional path to molecular spectroscopy. It allows to record instantaneously broad band spectra with calibrated intensities. Here we present a comparison of both methods: The Cologne chirped-pulse spectrometer as well as the Cologne emission spectrometer both cover the frequency range of 75-110 GHz, consistent with the ALMA Band 3 receivers. High sensitive heterodyne receivers with very low noise temperature amplifiers are used with a typical bandwidth of 2.5 GHz in a single sideband. Additionally the chirped-pulse spectrometer contains a high power amplifier of 200 mW for the excitation of molecules. Room temperature spectra of methyl cyanide and comparison of key features, such as measurement time, sensitivity, limitations and commonalities are shown in respect to identification of complex molecules of astrophysical importance. In addition, future developments for both setups will be discussed.

High Tc superconducting IR detectors from Y-Ba-Cu-O thin films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindgren, M.; Ahlberg, H.; Danerud, M.; Larsson, A.; Eng, M.

1990-01-01

A thin-film high-Tc superconducting multielement optical detector made of Y-Ba-Cu-O has been designed and evaluated using optical pulses from a diode laser (830 nm) and a Q-switched CO2-laser (10.6 microns). Different thin films have been tested. A laser deposited film showed the strongest response amplitude for short pulses and responded to an ultrafast, 50 ps wide pulse. Comparisons between dR/dT and response as a function of temperature indicated, however, a bolometric response.

Europium-based iron pnictides: a unique laboratory for magnetism, superconductivity and structural effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapf, Sina; Dressel, Martin

2017-01-01

Despite decades of intense research, the origin of high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates and iron-based compounds is still a mystery. Magnetism and superconductivity are traditionally antagonistic phenomena; nevertheless, there is basically no doubt left that unconventional superconductivity is closely linked to magnetism. But this is not the whole story; recently, also structural effects related to the so-called nematic phase gained considerable attention. In order to obtain more information about this peculiar interplay, systematic material research is one of the most important attempts, revealing from time to time unexpected effects. Europium-based iron pnictides are the latest example of such a completely paradigmatic material, as they display not only spin-density-wave and superconducting ground states, but also local Eu2+ magnetism at a similar temperature scale. Here we review recent experimental progress in determining the complex phase diagrams of europium-based iron pnictides. The conclusions drawn from the observations reach far beyond these model systems. Thus, although europium-based iron pnictides are very peculiar, they provide a unique platform to study the common interplay of structural-nematic, magnetic and electronic effects in high-temperature superconductors.

New Advances in SuperConducting Materials

ScienceCinema

None

2018-05-23

Superconducting materials will transform the world's electrical infrastructure, saving billions of dollars once the technical details and installation are in place. At Los Alamos National Laboratory, new materials science concepts are bringing this essential technology closer to widespread industrial use.

Single flux pulses affecting the ensemble of superconducting qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denisenko, M. V.; Klenov, N. V.; Satanin, A. M.

2018-02-01

The present study is devoted to development of a technique for numerical simulation of the wave function dynamics the single Josephson qubits and arrays of noninteracting qubits controlled by ultra-short pulses. We wish to demonstrate the feasibility of a new principle of basic logical operations on the picosecond timescale. The influence of the unipolar pulse ("fluxon") form on the evolution of the state during the execution of the quantum one-qubit operations - "NOT", "READ" and " √{N O T } " - is investigated in the presence of decoherence. In the array of non interacting qubits, the question of the influence of the spread of their energy parameters (tunnel constants) is studied. It is shown that a single unipolar pulse can control a huge array of artificial atoms with 10% spread of geometric parameters in the array.

High Tc superconducting materials and devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haertling, Gene H.

1990-01-01

The high Tc Y1Ba2Cu3O(7-x) ceramic materials, initially developed in 1987, are now being extensively investigated for a variety of engineering applications. The superconductor applications which are presently identified as of most interest to NASA-LaRC are low-noise, low thermal conductivity grounding links; large-area linear Meissner-effect bearings; and sensitive, low-noise sensors and leads. Devices designed for these applications require the development of a number of processing and fabrication technologies. Included among the technologies most specific to the present needs are tapecasting, melt texturing, magnetic field grain alignment, superconductor/polymer composite fabrication, thin film MOD (metal-organic decomposition) processing, screen printing of thick films, and photolithography of thin films. The overall objective of the program was to establish a high Tc superconductivity laboratory capability at NASA-LaRC and demonstrate this capability by fabricating superconducting 123 material via bulk and thin film processes. Specific objectives include: order equipment and set up laboratory; prepare 1 kg batches of 123 material via oxide raw material; construct tapecaster and tapecaster 123 material; fabricate 123 grounding link; fabricate 123 composite for Meissner linear bearing; develop 123 thin film processes (nitrates, acetates); establish Tc and Jc measurement capability; and set up a commercial use of space program in superconductivity at LaRC. In general, most of the objectives of the program were met. Finally, efforts to implement a commercial use of space program in superconductivity at LaRC were completed and at least two industrial companies have indicated their interest in participating.

Status of the Short-Pulse X-ray Project at the Advanced Photon Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nassiri, A; Berenc, T G; Borland, M

2012-07-01

The Advanced Photon Source Upgrade (APS-U) Project at Argonne will include generation of short-pulse x-rays based on Zholents deflecting cavity scheme. We have chosen superconducting (SC) cavities in order to have a continuous train of crabbed bunches and flexibility of operating modes. In collaboration with Jefferson Laboratory, we are prototyping and testing a number of single-cell deflecting cavities and associated auxiliary systems with promising initial results. In collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, we are working to develop state-of-the-art timing, synchronization, and differential rf phase stability systems that are required for SPX. Collaboration with Advanced Computations Department at Stanford Linearmore » Accelerator Center is looking into simulations of complex, multi-cavity geometries with lower- and higher-order modes waveguide dampers using ACE3P. This contribution provides the current R&D status of the SPX project.« less

Superconducting resonators as beam splitters for linear-optics quantum computation.

PubMed

Chirolli, Luca; Burkard, Guido; Kumar, Shwetank; Divincenzo, David P

2010-06-11

We propose and analyze a technique for producing a beam-splitting quantum gate between two modes of a ring-resonator superconducting cavity. The cavity has two integrated superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) that are modulated by applying an external magnetic field. The gate is accomplished by applying a radio frequency pulse to one of the SQUIDs at the difference of the two mode frequencies. Departures from perfect beam splitting only arise from corrections to the rotating wave approximation; an exact calculation gives a fidelity of >0.9992. Our construction completes the toolkit for linear-optics quantum computing in circuit quantum electrodynamics.

Enhancing caries resistance with a short-pulsed CO2 9.3-μm laser: a laboratory study (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rechmann, Peter; Rechmann, Beate M.; Groves, William H.; Le, Charles; Rapozo-Hilo, Marcia L.; Featherstone, John D. B.

2016-02-01

The objective of this laboratory study was to test whether irradiation with a new 9.3µm microsecond short-pulsed CO2-laser enhances enamel caries resistance with and without additional fluoride applications. 101 human enamel samples were divided into 7 groups. Each group was treated with different laser parameters (Carbon-dioxide laser, wavelength 9.3µm, 43Hz pulse-repetition rate, pulse duration between 3μs to 7μs (1.5mJ/pulse to 2.9mJ/pulse). Using a pH-cycling model and cross-sectional microhardness testing determined the mean relative mineral loss delta Z (∆Z) for each group. The pH-cycling was performed with or without additional fluoride. The CO2 9.3μm short-pulsed laser energy rendered enamel caries resistant with and without additional fluoride use.

An infrared free-electron laser for the Chemical Dynamics Research Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vaughan, D.

1992-04-01

This document describes a free-electron laser (FEL) proposed as part of the Chemical Dynamics Research Laboratory (CDRL), a user facility that also incorporates several advanced lasers of conventional design and two beamlines for the ALS. The FEL itself addresses the needs of the chemical sciences community for a high-brightness, tunable source covering a broad region of the infrared spectrum -- from 3 to 50 {mu}m. All of these sources, together with a variety of sophisticated experimental stations, will be housed in a new building to be located adjacent to the ALS. The radiation sources can be synchronized to permit powerfulmore » two-color, pump-probe experiments that will further our fundamental understanding of chemical dynamics at the molecular level, especially those aspects relevant to practical issues in combustion chemistry. The technical approach adopted in this design makes use of superconducting radiofrequency (SCRF) accelerating structures. The primary motivation for adopting this approach was to meet the user requirement for wavelength stability equal to one part in 10{sup 4}. Previous studies concluded that a wavelength stability of only one part in 10{sup 3} could be achieved with currently available room-temperature technology. In addition, the superconducting design operates in a continuous-wave (cw) mode and hence offers considerably higher average optical output power. It also allows for various pulse-gating configurations that will permit simultaneous multiuser operations. A summary of the comparative performance attainable with room-temperature and superconducting designs is given. The FEL described in this report provides a continuous train of 30-ps micropulses, with 100{mu}J of optical energy per micropulse, at a repetition rate of 6.1 MHz. The device can also deliver pulses at a cw repetition rate of 12.2 MHz, with a peak power of 50 {mu}J per micropulse. 70 ref.« less

Investigation of superconducting interactions and amorphous semiconductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Janocko, M. A.; Jones, C. K.; Gavaler, J. R.; Deis, D. W.; Ashkin, M.; Mathur, M. P.; Bauerle, J. E.

1972-01-01

Research papers on superconducting interactions and properties and on amorphous materials are presented. The search for new superconductors with improved properties was largely concentrated on the study of properties of thin films. An experimental investigation of interaction mechanisms revealed no new superconductivity mechanism. The properties of high transition temperature, type 2 materials prepared in thin film form were studied. A pulsed field solenoid capable of providing fields in excess of 300 k0e was developed. Preliminary X-ray measurements were made of V3Si to determine the behavior of cell constant deformation versus pressure up to 98 kilobars. The electrical properties of amorphous semiconducting materials and bulk and thin film devices, and of amorphous magnetic materials were investigated for developing radiation hard, inexpensive switches and memory elements.

JETC (Japanese Technology Evaluation Center) Panel Report on High Temperature Superconductivity in Japan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shelton, Duane; Gamota, George

1989-01-01

The Japanese regard success in R and D in high temperature superconductivity as an important national objective. The results of a detailed evaluation of the current state of Japanese high temperature superconductivity development are provided. The analysis was performed by a panel of technical experts drawn from U.S. industry and academia, and is based on reviews of the relevant literature and visits to Japanese government, academic and industrial laboratories. Detailed appraisals are presented on the following: Basic research; superconducting materials; large scale applications; processing of superconducting materials; superconducting electronics and thin films. In all cases, comparisons are made with the corresponding state-of-the-art in the United States.

Superconducting Qubit with Integrated Single Flux Quantum Controller Part II: Experimental Characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leonard, Edward, Jr.; Beck, Matthew; Thorbeck, Ted; Zhu, Shaojiang; Howington, Caleb; Nelson, Jj; Plourde, Britton; McDermott, Robert

We describe the characterization of a single flux quantum (SFQ) pulse generator cofabricated with a superconducting quantum circuit on a single chip. Resonant trains of SFQ pulses are used to induce coherent qubit rotations on the Bloch sphere. We describe the SFQ drive characteristics of the qubit at the fundamental transition frequency and at subharmonics (ω01 / n , n = 2 , 3 , 4 , ⋯). We address the issue of quasiparticle poisoning due to the proximal SFQ pulse generator, and we characterize the fidelity of SFQ-based rotations using randomized benchmarking. Present address: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center.

CO2-laser ablation of Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu oxide by millisecond pulse lengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meskoob, M.; Honda, T.; Safari, A.; Wachtman, J. B.; Danforth, S.; Wilkens, B. J.

1990-03-01

We have achieved ablation of Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu oxide from single targets of superconducting pellets by CO2-laser pulses of l ms length to grow superconducting thin films. Upon annealing, the 6000-Å thin films have a Tc (onset) of 90 K and zero resistance at 78 K. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate the growth of single-phase thin films. This technique allows growth of uniform single-phase superconducting thin films of lateral area greater than 1 cm2.

BCS superconductors: The out-of-equilibrium response to a laser pulse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avella, Adolfo

2018-05-01

The dynamics of a 2D d-wave BCS superconductor driven out-of-equilibrium by a perpendicularly-impinging polarized laser pulse is analyzed on varying the laser pulse characteristics. The observed effects include: oscillations both in the amplitude and in the phase of the superconducting order parameter, suppression of the superconductivity, but also its enhancement with a strong dependence on all varying parameters and, in particular, on the polarization in plane of the applied vector potential and on the value of its frequency. This study opens up the possibility to distinguish very clearly the behavior of the nodal and anti-nodal non-thermal excitations and to tackle some of the puzzling results of the current experimental scenario in the field.

Superconducting Hot-Electron Submillimeter-Wave Detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karasik, Boris; McGrath, William; Leduc, Henry

2009-01-01

A superconducting hot-electron bolometer has been built and tested as a prototype of high-sensitivity, rapid-response detectors of submillimeter-wavelength radiation. There are diverse potential applications for such detectors, a few examples being submillimeter spectroscopy for scientific research; detection of leaking gases; detection of explosive, chemical, and biological weapons; and medical imaging. This detector is a superconducting-transition- edge device. Like other such devices, it includes a superconducting bridge that has a low heat capacity and is maintained at a critical temperature (T(sub c)) at the lower end of its superconducting-transition temperature range. Incident photons cause transient increases in electron temperature through the superconducting-transition range, thereby yielding measurable increases in electrical resistance. In this case, T(sub c) = 6 K, which is approximately the upper limit of the operating-temperature range of silicon-based bolometers heretofore used routinely in many laboratories. However, whereas the response speed of a typical silicon- based laboratory bolometer is characterized by a frequency of the order of a kilohertz, the response speed of the present device is much higher characterized by a frequency of the order of 100 MHz. For this or any bolometer, a useful figure of merit that one seeks to minimize is (NEP)(tau exp 1/2), where NEP denotes the noise-equivalent power (NEP) and the response time. This figure of merit depends primarily on the heat capacity and, for a given heat capacity, is approximately invariant. As a consequence of this approximate invariance, in designing a device having a given heat capacity to be more sensitive (to have lower NEP), one must accept longer response time (slower response) or, conversely, in designing it to respond faster, one must accept lower sensitivity. Hence, further, in order to increase both the speed of response and the sensitivity, one must make the device very small in

Integrated autocorrelator based on superconducting nanowires.

PubMed

Sahin, Döndü; Gaggero, Alessandro; Hoang, Thang Ba; Frucci, Giulia; Mattioli, Francesco; Leoni, Roberto; Beetz, Johannes; Lermer, Matthias; Kamp, Martin; Höfling, Sven; Fiore, Andrea

2013-05-06

We demonstrate an integrated autocorrelator based on two superconducting single-photon detectors patterned on top of a GaAs ridge waveguide. This device enables the on-chip measurement of the second-order intensity correlation function g(2)(τ). A polarization-independent device quantum efficiency in the 1% range is reported, with a timing jitter of 88 ps at 1300 nm. g(2)(τ) measurements of continuous-wave and pulsed laser excitations are demonstrated with no measurable crosstalk within our measurement accuracy.

Suppression of 1/f Flux Noise in Superconducting Quantum Circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Pradeep; Freeland, John; Yu, Clare; Wu, Ruqian; Wang, Zhe; Wang, Hui; Shi, Chuntai; Pappas, David; McDermott, Robert

Low frequency 1/f magnetic flux noise is a dominant contributor to dephasing in superconducting quantum circuits. It is believed that the noise is due to a high density of unpaired magnetic defect states at the surface of the superconducting thin films. We have performed X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) experiments that point to adsorbed molecular oxygen as the dominant source of magnetism in these films. By improving the vacuum environment of our superconducting devices, we have achieved a significant reduction in surface magnetic susceptibility and 1/f flux noise power spectral density. These results open the door to realization of superconducting qubits with improved dephasing times. State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

An infrared free-electron laser for the Chemical Dynamics Research Laboratory. Design report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vaughan, D.

1992-04-01

This document describes a free-electron laser (FEL) proposed as part of the Chemical Dynamics Research Laboratory (CDRL), a user facility that also incorporates several advanced lasers of conventional design and two beamlines for the ALS. The FEL itself addresses the needs of the chemical sciences community for a high-brightness, tunable source covering a broad region of the infrared spectrum -- from 3 to 50 {mu}m. All of these sources, together with a variety of sophisticated experimental stations, will be housed in a new building to be located adjacent to the ALS. The radiation sources can be synchronized to permit powerfulmore » two-color, pump-probe experiments that will further our fundamental understanding of chemical dynamics at the molecular level, especially those aspects relevant to practical issues in combustion chemistry. The technical approach adopted in this design makes use of superconducting radiofrequency (SCRF) accelerating structures. The primary motivation for adopting this approach was to meet the user requirement for wavelength stability equal to one part in 10{sup 4}. Previous studies concluded that a wavelength stability of only one part in 10{sup 3} could be achieved with currently available room-temperature technology. In addition, the superconducting design operates in a continuous-wave (cw) mode and hence offers considerably higher average optical output power. It also allows for various pulse-gating configurations that will permit simultaneous multiuser operations. A summary of the comparative performance attainable with room-temperature and superconducting designs is given. The FEL described in this report provides a continuous train of 30-ps micropulses, with 100{mu}J of optical energy per micropulse, at a repetition rate of 6.1 MHz. The device can also deliver pulses at a cw repetition rate of 12.2 MHz, with a peak power of 50 {mu}J per micropulse. 70 ref.« less

The ESS Superconducting RF Cavity and Cryomodule Cryogenic Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darve, C.; Elias, N.; Molloy, S.; Bosland, P.; Renard, B.; Bousson, S.; Olivier, G.; Reynet, D.; Thermeau, J. P.

The European Spallation Source (ESS) is one of Europe's largest research infrastructures, tobring new insights to the grand challenges of science and innovation in fields as diverse as material and life sciences, energy, environmental technology, cultural heritage,solid-state and fundamental physics by the end of the decade. The collaborative project is funded by a collaboration of 17 European countries and is under design and construction in Lund, Sweden. A 5 MW, long pulse proton accelerator is used to reach this goal. The pulsed length is 2.86 ms and the repetition frequency is 14 Hz (4% duty cycle). The choice of SRF technology is a key element in the development of the ESS linear accelerator (linac). The superconducting linacis composed of one section of spoke cavity cryomodules(352.21 MHz) and two sections of elliptical cavity cryomodules (704.42 MHz). These cryomodules contain niobium SRF cavities operating at 2 K, cooled by the accelerator cryoplantthrough the cryogenic distribution system. This paper presents the superconducting RF cavity and cryomodule cryogenic processes, which are developed for the technology demonstrators and to be ultimately integrated for the ESS tunnel operation.

Tunable, Flexible, and Efficient Optimization of Control Pulses for Practical Qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machnes, Shai; Assémat, Elie; Tannor, David; Wilhelm, Frank K.

2018-04-01

Quantum computation places very stringent demands on gate fidelities, and experimental implementations require both the controls and the resultant dynamics to conform to hardware-specific constraints. Superconducting qubits present the additional requirement that pulses must have simple parameterizations, so they can be further calibrated in the experiment, to compensate for uncertainties in system parameters. Other quantum technologies, such as sensing, require extremely high fidelities. We present a novel, conceptually simple and easy-to-implement gradient-based optimal control technique named gradient optimization of analytic controls (GOAT), which satisfies all the above requirements, unlike previous approaches. To demonstrate GOAT's capabilities, with emphasis on flexibility and ease of subsequent calibration, we optimize fast coherence-limited pulses for two leading superconducting qubits architectures—flux-tunable transmons and fixed-frequency transmons with tunable couplers.

Ultrafast IR detector response in high Tc superconducting thin films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindgren, Mikael; Ahlberg, Henrik; Danerud, Martin; Larsson, Anders; Eng, Sverre T.

1991-01-01

The response from a high Tc superconducting multielement optical detector made of a laser deposited Y-Ba-Cu-O thin film has been evaluated. Several microscopic and spectroscopic techniques were used to establish the presence of the correct phase of the thin film. Optical pulses from a laser diode at 830 nm and from a Q-switched CO2-laser at 10.6 microns were used. The detector responded to 50 ps (FWHM) pulses. A comparison between dR/dT of the film and the response amplitude as a function of temperature indicated a bolometric response.

Superconducting-Gravimeter Tests of Local Lorentz Invariance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flowers, Natasha A.; Goodge, Casey; Tasson, Jay D.

2017-11-01

Superconducting-gravimeter measurements are used to test the local Lorentz invariance of the gravitational interaction and of matter-gravity couplings. The best laboratory sensitivities to date are achieved via a maximum-reach analysis for 13 Lorentz-violating operators, with some improvements exceeding an order of magnitude.

Superconducting-Gravimeter Tests of Local Lorentz Invariance.

PubMed

Flowers, Natasha A; Goodge, Casey; Tasson, Jay D

2017-11-17

Superconducting-gravimeter measurements are used to test the local Lorentz invariance of the gravitational interaction and of matter-gravity couplings. The best laboratory sensitivities to date are achieved via a maximum-reach analysis for 13 Lorentz-violating operators, with some improvements exceeding an order of magnitude.

Pressure induced superconductivity in very lightly doped LaFeAsO0.975F0.025

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyoshi, K.; Otsuka, K.; Shiota, A.; Shimojo, Y.; Motoyama, G.; Fujiwara, K.; Kitagawa, H.; Nishigori, S.

2018-05-01

We have investigated whether or not superconductivity is induced by the application of pressure in very lightly F-doped LaFeAsO1-xFx , which shows spin density wave (SDW) state at ambient pressure, through the measurements of DC magnetization and electrical resistivity under pressure using pulse current sintered (PCS) high density polycrystalline specimens. It has been confirmed that the specimens with x = 0.025 shows superconductivity with Tcdia ∼ 15 K under pressure above ∼ 1.3 GPa. The pressure induced superconductivity can be explained by the lattice compression along c-axis, which enhances the electron doping from LaO layers to FeAs layers.

Study of the electromagnetic characteristics of multiple HTSPPT modules based on the configuration of toroidal structure for inductive pulsed power supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Cunshan; Zheng, Xinxin; Li, Haitao; Li, Zhenmei; Zhang, Tao; Jiao, Can

2018-04-01

High temperature superconducting pulsed power transformer (HTSPPT) is an important device for pulsed power supplies. It consists of a superconducting primary and a normal conducting secondary, which is used for energy storage and current amplification. The critical current density, the energy storage, and the coupling coefficient are three main performance indexes. They are affected by the geometry parameters of HTSPPT modules, such as the height and the width of the superconducting coils. In addition, the hoop stress of the HTSPPT coils is limited by the maximum tensile strength of high temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes. In this paper, Bi-2223/Ag HTS tapes are selected as the wire of primary inductor and the toroidal structure model is selected for multiple HTSPPT modules. The relationships between the geometry parameters of HTSPPT modules and the electrical performance are studied.

Whole-head SQUID system in a superconducting magnetic shield.

PubMed

Ohta, H; Matsui, T; Uchikawa, Y

2004-11-30

We have constructed a mobile whole-head SQUID system in a superconducting magnetic shield - a cylinder of high Tc superconductor BSCCO of 65 cm in diameter and 160 cm in length. We compared the noise spectra of several SQUID sensors of SNS Josephson junctions in the superconducting magnetic shield with those of the same SQUID sensors in a magnetically shielded room of Permalloy. The SQUID sensors in the superconducting magnetic shield are more than 100 times more sensitive than those in a magnetically shielded room of Permalloy below 1 Hz. We tested the whole-head SQUID system in the superconducting magnetic shield observing somatosensory signals evoked by stimulating the median nerve in the right wrist of patients by current pulses. We present data of 64 and 128 traces versus the common time axis for comparison. Most sensory responses of human brains phase out near 250 ms. However monotonic rhythms still remain even at longer latencies than 250 ms. The nodes of these rhythm are very narrow even at these longer latencies just indicating low noise characteristics of the SQUID system at low-frequencies. The current dipoles at the secondary somatosensory area SII are evoked at longer latencies than 250 ms contributing to a higher-level brain function. The SQUID system in a superconducting magnetic shield will also have advantages when it is used as a DC MEG to study very slow activities and function of the brain.

First charge breeding of a rare-isotope beam with the electron-beam ion trap of the ReA post-accelerator at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory.

PubMed

Lapierre, A; Schwarz, S; Baumann, T M; Cooper, K; Kittimanapun, K; Rodriguez, A J; Sumithrarachchi, C; Williams, S J; Wittmer, W; Leitner, D; Bollen, G

2014-02-01

An electron-beam ion trap (EBIT) charge breeder is being brought into operation at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University. The EBIT is part of the ReA post-accelerator for reacceleration of rare isotopes, which are thermalized in a gas "stopping" cell after being produced at high energy by projectile fragmentation. The ReA EBIT has a distinctive design; it is characterized by a high-current electron gun and a two-field superconducting magnet to optimize the capture and charge-breeding efficiency of continuously injected singly charged ion beams. Following a brief overview of the reaccelerator system and the ReA EBIT, this paper presents the latest commissioning results, particularly, charge breeding and reacceleration of the highly charged rare isotopes, (76)Ga(24 +, 25 +).

Superconducting bearings for a LHe transfer pump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kloeppel, S.; Muehsig, C.; Funke, T.; Haberstroh, C.; Hesse, U.; Lindackers, D.; Zielke, S.; Sass, P.; Schoendube, R.

2017-12-01

Superconducting bearings are used in a number of applications for high speed, low loss suspension. Most of these applications suspend a warm shaft and thus require continuous cooling, which leads to additional power consumption. Therefore, it seems advantageous to use these bearings in systems that are inherently cold. One respective application is a submerged pump for the transfer of liquid helium into mobile dewars. Centrifugal pumps require tight sealing clearances, especially for low viscosity fluids and small sizes. This paper covers the design and qualification of superconducting YBCO bearings for a laboratory sized liquid helium transfer pump. Emphasis is given to the axial positioning, which strongly influences the achievable volumetric efficiency.

The Quantum Socket: Wiring for Superconducting Qubits - Part 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bejanin, J. H.; McConkey, T. G.; Rinehart, J. R.; Bateman, J. D.; Earnest, C. T.; McRae, C. H.; Rohanizadegan, Y.; Shiri, D.; Mariantoni, M.; Penava, B.; Breul, P.; Royak, S.; Zapatka, M.; Fowler, A. G.

Quantum computing research has reached a level of maturity where quantum error correction (QEC) codes can be executed on linear arrays of superconducting quantum bits (qubits). A truly scalable quantum computing architecture, however, based on practical QEC algorithms, requires nearest neighbor interaction between qubits on a two-dimensional array. Such an arrangement is not possible with techniques that rely on wire bonding. To address this issue, we have developed the quantum socket, a device based on three-dimensional wires that enables the control of superconducting qubits on a two-dimensional grid. In this talk, we present experimental results characterizing this type of wiring. We will show that the quantum socket performs exceptionally well for the transmission and reflection of microwave signals up to 10 GHz, while minimizing crosstalk between adjacent wires. Under realistic conditions, we measured an S21 of -5 dB at 6 GHz and an average crosstalk of -60 dB. We also describe time domain reflectometry results and arbitrary pulse transmission tests, showing that the quantum socket can be used to control superconducting qubits.

Nanoscale superconducting memory based on the kinetic inductance of asymmetric nanowire loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Andrew; Averin, Dmitri V.; Bezryadin, Alexey

2017-06-01

The demand for low-dissipation nanoscale memory devices is as strong as ever. As Moore’s law is staggering, and the demand for a low-power-consuming supercomputer is high, the goal of making information processing circuits out of superconductors is one of the central goals of modern technology and physics. So far, digital superconducting circuits could not demonstrate their immense potential. One important reason for this is that a dense superconducting memory technology is not yet available. Miniaturization of traditional superconducting quantum interference devices is difficult below a few micrometers because their operation relies on the geometric inductance of the superconducting loop. Magnetic memories do allow nanometer-scale miniaturization, but they are not purely superconducting (Baek et al 2014 Nat. Commun. 5 3888). Our approach is to make nanometer scale memory cells based on the kinetic inductance (and not geometric inductance) of superconducting nanowire loops, which have already shown many fascinating properties (Aprili 2006 Nat. Nanotechnol. 1 15; Hopkins et al 2005 Science 308 1762). This allows much smaller devices and naturally eliminates magnetic-field cross-talk. We demonstrate that the vorticity, i.e., the winding number of the order parameter, of a closed superconducting loop can be used for realizing a nanoscale nonvolatile memory device. We demonstrate how to alter the vorticity in a controlled fashion by applying calibrated current pulses. A reliable read-out of the memory is also demonstrated. We present arguments that such memory can be developed to operate without energy dissipation.

Superconductive wire

DOEpatents

Korzekwa, David A.; Bingert, John F.; Peterson, Dean E.; Sheinberg, Haskell

1995-01-01

A superconductive article is made by inserting a rigid mandrel into an internal cavity of a first metallic tube, said tube having an interior surface and an exterior surface, said interior surface defining the interior cavity, forming a layer of a superconductive material or superconductive precursor upon the exterior surface of said first metallic tube, machining the layer of superconductive material or superconductive precursor to a predetermined diameter to form an intermediate article configured for insertion into a second metallic tube having an interior diameter corresponding to the predetermined diameter, inserting the machined intermediate article into a second metallic tube having an internal diameter corresponding to the predetermined diameter of the intermediate article to form a composite intermediate article, reducing or ironing the composite intermediate article to a predetermined cross-sectional diameter, and sintering the reduced or ironed composite intermediate article at temperatures and for time sufficient for the superconductive material or superconductive precursor to exhibit superconductivity.

Superconductive wire

DOEpatents

Korzekwa, D.A.; Bingert, J.F.; Peterson, D.E.; Sheinberg, H.

1995-07-18

A superconductive article is made by inserting a rigid mandrel into an internal cavity of a first metallic tube, said tube having an interior surface and an exterior surface, said interior surface defining the interior cavity, forming a layer of a superconductive material or superconductive precursor upon the exterior surface of said first metallic tube, machining the layer of superconductive material or superconductive precursor to a predetermined diameter to form an intermediate article configured for insertion into a second metallic tube having an interior diameter corresponding to the predetermined diameter, inserting the machined intermediate article into a second metallic tube having an internal diameter corresponding to the predetermined diameter of the intermediate article to form a composite intermediate article, reducing or ironing the composite intermediate article to a predetermined cross-sectional diameter, and sintering the reduced or ironed composite intermediate article at temperatures and for time sufficient for the superconductive material or superconductive precursor to exhibit superconductivity. 2 figs.

Single qubit operations using microwave hyperbolic secant pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ku, H. S.; Long, J. L.; Wu, X.; Bal, M.; Lake, R. E.; Barnes, Edwin; Economou, Sophia E.; Pappas, D. P.

2017-10-01

It has been known since the early days of quantum mechanics that hyperbolic secant pulses possess the unique property that they can perform full-cycle Rabi oscillations on two-level quantum systems independently of the pulse detuning. More recently, it was realized that they induce detuning-controlled phases without changing state populations. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the properties of hyperbolic secant pulses on superconducting transmon qubits and contrast them with the more commonly used Gaussian and square waves. We further show that these properties can be exploited to implement phase gates, nominally without exiting the computational subspace. This enables us to demonstrate a microwave-driven Z rotation with a single control parameter, the detuning.

Multi-frequency spin manipulation using rapidly tunable superconducting coplanar waveguide microresonators

DOE PAGES

Asfaw, A. T.; Sigillito, A. J.; Tyryshkin, A. M.; ...

2017-07-17

In this work, we demonstrate the use of frequency-tunable superconducting NbTiN coplanar waveguide microresonators for multi-frequency pulsed electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments. By applying a bias current to the center pin, the resonance frequency (~7.6 GHz) can be continuously tuned by as much as 95 MHz in 270 ns without a change in the quality factor of 3000 at 2 K. We demonstrate the ESR performance of our resonators by measuring donor spin ensembles in silicon and show that adiabatic pulses can be used to overcome magnetic field inhomogeneities and microwave power limitations due to the applied bias current. Wemore » take advantage of the rapid tunability of these resonators to manipulate both phosphorus and arsenic spins in a single pulse sequence, demonstrating pulsed double electron-electron resonance. Our NbTiN resonator design is useful for multi-frequency pulsed ESR and should also have applications in experiments where spin ensembles are used as quantum memories.« less

Multi-frequency spin manipulation using rapidly tunable superconducting coplanar waveguide microresonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asfaw, A. T.; Sigillito, A. J.; Tyryshkin, A. M.; Schenkel, T.; Lyon, S. A.

2017-07-01

In this work, we demonstrate the use of frequency-tunable superconducting NbTiN coplanar waveguide microresonators for multi-frequency pulsed electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments. By applying a bias current to the center pin, the resonance frequency (˜7.6 GHz) can be continuously tuned by as much as 95 MHz in 270 ns without a change in the quality factor of 3000 at 2 K. We demonstrate the ESR performance of our resonators by measuring donor spin ensembles in silicon and show that adiabatic pulses can be used to overcome magnetic field inhomogeneities and microwave power limitations due to the applied bias current. We take advantage of the rapid tunability of these resonators to manipulate both phosphorus and arsenic spins in a single pulse sequence, demonstrating pulsed double electron-electron resonance. Our NbTiN resonator design is useful for multi-frequency pulsed ESR and should also have applications in experiments where spin ensembles are used as quantum memories.

A Superconducting Dual-Channel Photonic Switch.

PubMed

Srivastava, Yogesh Kumar; Manjappa, Manukumara; Cong, Longqing; Krishnamoorthy, Harish N S; Savinov, Vassili; Pitchappa, Prakash; Singh, Ranjan

2018-06-05

The mechanism of Cooper pair formation and its underlying physics has long occupied the investigation into high temperature (high-T c ) cuprate superconductors. One of the ways to unravel this is to observe the ultrafast response present in the charge carrier dynamics of a photoexcited specimen. This results in an interesting approach to exploit the dissipation-less dynamic features of superconductors to be utilized for designing high-performance active subwavelength photonic devices with extremely low-loss operation. Here, dual-channel, ultrafast, all-optical switching and modulation between the resistive and the superconducting quantum mechanical phase is experimentally demonstrated. The ultrafast phase switching is demonstrated via modulation of sharp Fano resonance of a high-T c yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) superconducting metamaterial device. Upon photoexcitation by femtosecond light pulses, the ultrasensitive cuprate superconductor undergoes dual dissociation-relaxation dynamics, with restoration of superconductivity within a cycle, and thereby establishes the existence of dual switching windows within a timescale of 80 ps. Pathways are explored to engineer the secondary dissociation channel which provides unprecedented control over the switching speed. Most importantly, the results envision new ways to accomplish low-loss, ultrafast, and ultrasensitive dual-channel switching applications that are inaccessible through conventional metallic and dielectric based metamaterials. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Superconducting thin films of (100) and (111) oriented indium doped topological crystalline insulator SnTe

DOE PAGES

Si, W.; Zhang, C.; Wu, L.; ...

2015-09-01

Recent discovery of the topological crystalline insulator SnTe has triggered a search for topological superconductors, which have potential application to topological quantum computing. The present work reports on the superconducting properties of indium doped SnTe thin films. The (100) and (111) oriented thin films were epitaxially grown by pulsed-laser deposition on (100) and (111) BaF2 crystalline substrates respectively. The onset superconducting transition temperatures are about 3.8 K for (100) and 3.6 K for (111) orientations, slightly lower than that of the bulk. Magneto-resistive measurements indicate that these thin films may have upper critical fields higher than that of the bulk.more » With large surface-to-bulk ratio, superconducting indium doped SnTe thin films provide a rich platform for the study of topological superconductivity and potential device applications based on topological superconductors.« less

Superconducting thin films of (100) and (111) oriented indium doped topological crystalline insulator SnTe

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Si, Weidong, E-mail: wds@bnl.gov, E-mail: qiangli@bnl.gov; Zhang, Cheng; Wu, Lijun

2015-08-31

Recent discovery of the topological crystalline insulator SnTe has triggered a search for topological superconductors, which have potential application to topological quantum computing. The present work reports on the superconducting properties of indium doped SnTe thin films. The (100) and (111) oriented thin films were epitaxially grown by pulsed-laser deposition on (100) and (111) BaF{sub 2} crystalline substrates, respectively. The onset superconducting transition temperatures are about 3.8 K for (100) and 3.6 K for (111) orientations, slightly lower than that of the bulk. Magneto-resistive measurements indicate that these thin films may have upper critical fields higher than that of the bulk. Withmore » large surface-to-bulk ratio, superconducting indium doped SnTe thin films provide a rich platform for the study of topological superconductivity and potential device applications based on topological superconductors.« less

Heat Capacity and Thermal Conductance Measurements of a Superconducting-Normal Mixed State by Detection of Single 3 eV Photons in a Magnetic Penetration Thermometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevenson, T. R.; Balvin, M. A.; Bandler, S. R.; Denis, K. L.; Lee, S.-J.; Nagler, P. C.; Smith, S. J.

2015-01-01

We report on measurements of the detected signal pulses in a molybdenum-gold Magnetic Penetration Thermometer (MPT) in response to absorption of one or more 3 eV photons. We designed and used this MPT sensor for x-ray microcalorimetry. In this device, the diamagnetic response of a superconducting MoAu bilayer is used to sense temperature changes in response to absorbed photons, and responsivity is enhanced by a Meissner transition in which the magnetic flux penetrating the sensor changes rapidly to minimize free energy in a mixed superconducting normal state. We have previously reported on use of our MPT to study a thermal phonon energy loss to the substrate when absorbing x-rays. We now describe results of extracting heat capacity C and thermal conductance G values from pulse height and decay time of MPT pulses generated by 3 eV photons. The variation in C and G at temperatures near the Meissner transition temperature (set by an internal magnetic bias field) allow us to probe the behavior in superconducting normal mixed state of the condensation energy and the electron cooling power resulting from quasi-particle recombination and phonon emission. The information gained on electron cooling power is also relevant to the operation of other superconducting detectors, such as Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors.

[Inter-laboratory reproducibility of pulsed-field electrophoresis for the study of 12 types of Pseudomonas aeruginosa].

PubMed

Foissaud, V; Puyhardy, J M; Chapalain, J C; Salord, H; Depina, J J; Morillon, M; Nicolas, P; Perrier-Gros-Claude, J D

1999-12-01

The increasing hospital-to-hospital transmission of multiple drug-resistant bacteria is a major concern for bacteriology laboratories involved in nosocomial infection control. The interlaboratory reproducibility of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for Pseudomonas aeruginosa typing was evaluated by asking four hospital laboratories (two in Lyon, one in Brest, and one in Marseille) to study 11 P. aeruginosa isolates, some of which were epidemiologically related, and the reference strain ATCC 27853. Two laboratories used the Genepath system, one the Chef DR II, system, and one the Chef Mapper system, Bio-Rad, restriction/Spe I. Profiles were read visually and by computerized comparison of restriction band molecular weights (Taxotron, software, PAD Grimont, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France). These two methods led to similar epidemiological conclusions. However, centralization of the data showed poor center-to-center reproducibility due to inadequate standardization of the procedure.

Nonequilibrium optical control of dynamical states in superconducting nanowire circuits.

PubMed

Madan, Ivan; Buh, Jože; Baranov, Vladimir V; Kabanov, Viktor V; Mrzel, Aleš; Mihailovic, Dragan

2018-03-01

Optical control of states exhibiting macroscopic phase coherence in condensed matter systems opens intriguing possibilities for materials and device engineering, including optically controlled qubits and photoinduced superconductivity. Metastable states, which in bulk materials are often associated with the formation of topological defects, are of more practical interest. Scaling to nanosize leads to reduced dimensionality, fundamentally changing the system's properties. In one-dimensional superconducting nanowires, vortices that are present in three-dimensional systems are replaced by fluctuating topological defects of the phase. These drastically change the dynamical behavior of the superconductor and introduce dynamical periodic long-range ordered states when the current is driven through the wire. We report the control and manipulation of transitions between different dynamically stable states in superconducting δ 3 -MoN nanowire circuits by ultrashort laser pulses. Not only can the transitions between different dynamically stable states be precisely controlled by light, but we also discovered new photoinduced hidden states that cannot be reached under near-equilibrium conditions, created while laser photoexcited quasi-particles are outside the equilibrium condition. The observed switching behavior can be understood in terms of dynamical stabilization of various spatiotemporal periodic trajectories of the order parameter in the superconductor nanowire, providing means for the optical control of the superconducting phase with subpicosecond control of timing.

Heike Kamerlingh Onnes and the Road to Superconductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Delft, Dirk

2011-03-01

The discovery of superconductivity on 8 April 1911 came as a big surprise. It was stumbled upon in the Leiden cryogenic laboratory of Heike Kamerlingh Onnes in a moment of serendipity. Three years before, the liquefaction of helium on the other hand had been the culmination of a long battle with nature. It was a meticulously prepared operation, ``big science'' in its first appearance. Until recently, careless notebook entries by Kamerlingh Onnes and his terrible handwriting had hindered a complete view to the road to superconductivity. Even a date of the fascinating discovery was lacking. How did the discovery fit into the Leiden research program? What about the research effort Kamerlingh Onnes had to put in to be sure he had found superconductivity rather than a short-circuit? What about superfluidity? Once the right interpretation of the notebooks is clear, the real story can be told.

Cryocoolers for aircraft superconducting generators and motors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radebaugh, Ray

2012-06-01

The proposal by NASA to use high-temperature superconducting (HTS) generators and motors on future (~2035) aircraft for turboelectric propulsion imposes difficult requirements for cryocoolers. Net refrigeration powers of about 5 kW to 10 kW at 50 K to 65 K are needed for this application. A 2010 survey by Ladner of published work between 1999 and 2009 on existing Stirling and Stirling-type pulse tube cryocoolers showed efficiencies in the range of 10 to 20 % of Carnot at 50 K, much less than the 30 % of Carnot needed to make the concept feasible. A cryocooler specific mass less than about 3 kg/kW of input power is required to keep the cryocooler mass somewhat less than the mass of the superconducting machinery. Current cryocoolers have specific masses about 3 to 10 times this desired value, even for those designed for airborne or space use. We discuss loss and mass sources and make suggestions where improvements can be made. For Stirling and Stirling-type pulse tube cryocoolers, most of the mass is concentrated in the compressor. We show that higher frequency and pressure can have a major influence on reducing the compressor mass. Frequencies up to about 120 Hz and average pressures up to about 5 MPa may significantly reduce the overall cryocooler size and mass while maintaining high efficiency. Other suggestions for reducing the mass are also given.

Driving qubit phase gates with sech shaped pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Junling; Ku, Hsiang-Sheng; Wu, Xian; Lake, Russell; Barnes, Edwin; Economou, Sophia; Pappas, David

As shown in 1932 by Rozen and Zener, the Rabi model has a unique solution whereby, for a given pulse length or amplitude, a sech(t/sigma) shaped pulse can be used to drive complete oscillations around the Bloch sphere that are independent of detuning with only a resultant detuning-dependent phase accumulation. Using this property, single qubit phase gates and two-qubit CZ gates have been proposed. In this work we explore the effect of different drive pulse shapes, i.e. square, Gaussian, and sech, as a function of detuning for Rabi oscillations of a superconducting transmon qubit. An arbitrary, single-qubit phase gate is demonstrated with the sech(t/sigma) pulse, and full tomography is performed to extract the fidelity. This is the first step towards high fidelity, low leakage two qubit CZ gates, and illustrates the efficacy of using analytic solutions of the qubit drive prior to optimal pulse shaping.

Superconducting coil and method of stress management in a superconducting coil

DOEpatents

McIntyre, Peter M.; Shen, Weijun; Diaczenko, Nick; Gross, Dan A.

1999-01-01

A superconducting coil (12) having a plurality of superconducting layers (18) is provided. Each superconducting layer (18) may have at least one superconducting element (20) which produces an operational load. An outer support structure (24) may be disposed outwardly from the plurality of layers (18). A load transfer system (22) may be coupled between at least one of the superconducting elements (20) and the outer support structure (24). The load transfer system (22) may include a support matrix structure (30) operable to transfer the operational load from the superconducting element (20) directly to the outer support structure (24). A shear release layer (40) may be disposed, in part, between the superconducting element (20) and the support matrix structure (30) for relieving a shear stress between the superconducting element (20) and the support matrix structure (30). A compliant layer (42) may also be disposed, in part, between the superconducting element (20) and the support matrix structure (30) for relieving a compressive stress on the superconducting element (20).

Superconducting Cable

DOEpatents

Hughey, Raburn L.; Sinha, Uday K.; Reece, David S.; Muller, Albert C.

2005-03-08

In order to provide a flexible oxide superconducting cable which is reduced in AC loss, tape-shaped superconducting wires covered with a stabilizing metal are wound on a flexible former. The superconducting wires are preferably laid on the former at a bending strain of not more than 0.2%. In laying on the former, a number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on a core member in a side-by-side manner, to form a first layer. A prescribed number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on top of the first layer in a side-by-side manner, to form a second layer. The former may be made of a metal, plastic, reinforced plastic, polymer, or a composite and provides flexibility to the superconducting wires and the cable formed therewith.

Superconducting Cable

DOEpatents

Hughey, Raburn L.; Sinha, Uday K.; Reece, David S.; Muller, Albert C.

2005-07-22

In order to provide a flexible oxide superconducting cable which is reduced in AC loss, tape-shaped superconducting wires covered with a stabilizing metal are wound on a flexible former. The superconducting wires are preferably laid on the former at a bending strain of not more than 0.2%. In laying on the former, a number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on a core member in a side-by-side manner, to form a first layer. A prescribed number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on top of the first layer in a side-by-side manner, to form a second layer. The former may be made of a metal, plastic, reinforced plastic, polymer, or a composite and provides flexibility to the superconducting wires and the cable formed therewith.

Power supply system for the superconducting outsert of the CHMFL hybrid magnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Z.; Zhu, J.; Chen, W.; Jiang, D.; Huang, P.; Chen, Z.; Tan, Y.; Kuang, G.

2017-12-01

The construction of a new hybrid magnet, consisting of a 11 T superconducting outsert and a 34 T resistive insert magnet, has been finished at the Chinese High Magnetic Field Laboratory (CHMFL) in Hefei. With a room temperature bore of 800 mm in diameter, the hybrid magnet superconducting outsert is composed of four separate Nb3Sn-based Cable-in-Conduit Conductor (CICC) coils electrically connected in series and powered by a single power supply system. The power supply system for the superconducting outsert consists of a 16 kA DC power supply, a quench protection system, a pair of 16 kA High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) current leads, and two Low Temperature Superconducting bus-lines. The design and manufacturing of the power supply system have been completed at the CHMFL. This paper describes the design features of the power supply system as well as the current fabrication condition of its main components.

Shock-induced synthesis of high temperature superconducting materials

DOEpatents

Ginley, D.S.; Graham, R.A.; Morosin, B.; Venturini, E.L.

1987-06-18

It has now been determined that the unique features of the high pressure shock method, especially the shock-induced chemical synthesis technique, are fully applicable to high temperature superconducting materials. Extraordinarily high yields are achievable in accordance with this invention, e.g., generally in the range from about 20% to about 99%, often in the range from about 50% to about 90%, lower and higher yields, of course, also being possible. The method of this invention involves the application of a controlled high pressure shock compression pulse which can be produced in any conventional manner, e.g., by detonation of a high explosive material, the impact of a high speed projectile or the effect of intense pulsed radiation sources such as lasers or electron beams. Examples and a discussion are presented.

Suppressing relaxation in superconducting qubits by quasiparticle pumping.

PubMed

Gustavsson, Simon; Yan, Fei; Catelani, Gianluigi; Bylander, Jonas; Kamal, Archana; Birenbaum, Jeffrey; Hover, David; Rosenberg, Danna; Samach, Gabriel; Sears, Adam P; Weber, Steven J; Yoder, Jonilyn L; Clarke, John; Kerman, Andrew J; Yoshihara, Fumiki; Nakamura, Yasunobu; Orlando, Terry P; Oliver, William D

2016-12-23

Dynamical error suppression techniques are commonly used to improve coherence in quantum systems. They reduce dephasing errors by applying control pulses designed to reverse erroneous coherent evolution driven by environmental noise. However, such methods cannot correct for irreversible processes such as energy relaxation. We investigate a complementary, stochastic approach to reducing errors: Instead of deterministically reversing the unwanted qubit evolution, we use control pulses to shape the noise environment dynamically. In the context of superconducting qubits, we implement a pumping sequence to reduce the number of unpaired electrons (quasiparticles) in close proximity to the device. A 70% reduction in the quasiparticle density results in a threefold enhancement in qubit relaxation times and a comparable reduction in coherence variability. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Novel superconducting phenomena in quasi-one-dimensional Bechgaard salts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jerome, Denis; Yonezawa, Shingo

2016-03-01

It is the saturation of the transition temperature Tc in the range of 24 K for known materials in the late sixties that triggered the search for additional materials offering new coupling mechanisms leading in turn to higher Tc's. As a result of this stimulation, superconductivity in organic matter was discovered in tetramethyl-tetraselenafulvalene-hexafluorophosphate, (TMTSF)2PF6, in 1979, in the laboratory founded at Orsay by Professor Friedel and his colleagues in 1962. Although this conductor is a prototype example for low-dimensional physics, we mostly focus in this article on the superconducting phase of the ambient-pressure superconductor (TMTSF)2ClO4, which has been studied most intensively among the TMTSF salts. We shall present a series of experimental results supporting nodal d-wave symmetry for the superconducting gap in these prototypical quasi-one-dimensional conductors.

Superconducting structure

DOEpatents

Kwon, Chuhee; Jia, Quanxi; Foltyn, Stephen R.

2003-04-01

A superconductive structure including a dielectric oxide substrate, a thin buffer layer of a superconducting material thereon; and, a layer of a rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film thereon the thin layer of yttrium-barium-copper oxide, the rare earth selected from the group consisting of samarium, gadolinium, ytterbium, erbium, neodymium, dysprosium, holmium, lutetium, a combination of more than one element from the rare earth group and a combination of one or more elements from the rare earth group with yttrium, the buffer layer of superconducting material characterized as having chemical and structural compatibility with the dielectric oxide substrate and the rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film is provided.

Superconducting Structure

DOEpatents

Kwon, Chuhee; Jia, Quanxi; Foltyn, Stephen R.

2005-09-13

A superconductive structure including a dielectric oxide substrate, a thin buffer layer of a superconducting material thereon; and, a layer of a rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film thereon the thin layer of yttrium-barium-copper oxide, the rare earth selected from the group consisting of samarium, gadolinium, ytterbium, erbium, neodymium, dysprosium, holmium, lutetium, a combination of more than one element from the rare earth group and a combination of one or more elements from the rare earth group with yttrium, the buffer layer of superconducting material characterized as having chemical and structural compatibility with the dielectric oxide substrate and the rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film is provided.

Transport properties of ultrathin BaFe1.84Co0.16As2 superconducting nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Pusheng; Xu, Zhongtang; Li, Chen; Quan, Baogang; Li, Junjie; Gu, Changzhi; Ma, Yanwei

2018-07-01

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have an absolute advantage over other types of single-photon detectors, except for the low operating temperature. Therefore, much effort has been devoted to finding high-temperature superconducting materials that are suitable for preparing SNSPDs. Copper-based and MgB2 ultrathin superconducting nanowires have already been reported. However, the transport properties of iron-based ultrathin superconducting nanowires have not been studied. In this work, a 10 nm thick × 200 nm wide × 30 μm long high-quality superconducting nanowire was fabricated from ultrathin BaFe1.84Co0.16As2 films by a lift-off process. The precursor BaFe1.84Co0.16As2 film with a thickness of 10 nm and root-mean-square roughness of 1 nm was grown on CaF2 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The nanowire shows a high superconducting critical temperature {T}{{c}}{{zero}} = 20 K with a narrow transition width of ΔT = 2.5 K and exhibits a high critical current density J c of 1.8 × 107 A cm-2 at 10 K. These results of ultrathin BaFe1.84Co0.16As2 nanowire will attract interest in electronic applications, including SNSPDs.

A Two-stage Injection-locked Magnetron for Accelerators with Superconducting Cavities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kazakevich, Grigory; Flanagan, Gene; Johnson, Rolland

2012-05-01

A concept for a two-stage injection-locked CW magnetron intended to drive Superconducting Cavities (SC) for intensity-frontier accelerators has been proposed. The concept considers two magnetrons in which the output power differs by 15-20 dB and the lower power magnetron being frequency-locked from an external source locks the higher power magnetron. The injection-locked two-stage CW magnetron can be used as an RF power source for Fermilab's Project-X to feed separately each of the 1.3 GHz SC of the 8 GeV pulsed linac. We expect output/locking power ratio of about 30-40 dB assuming operation in a pulsed mode with pulse duration ofmore » ~ 8 ms and repetition rate of 10 Hz. The experimental setup of a two-stage magnetron utilising CW, S-band, 1 kW tubes operating at pulse duration of 1-10 ms, and the obtained results are presented and discussed in this paper.« less

Micro-pulse polarization lidar at 1.5  μm using a single superconducting nanowire single-photon detector.

PubMed

Qiu, Jiawei; Xia, Haiyun; Shangguan, Mingjia; Dou, Xiankang; Li, Manyi; Wang, Chong; Shang, Xiang; Lin, Shengfu; Liu, Jianjiang

2017-11-01

An all-fiber, eye-safe and micro-pulse polarization lidar is demonstrated with a polarization-maintaining structure, incorporating a single superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) at 1.5 μm. The time-division multiplexing technique is used to achieve a calibration-free optical layout. A single piece of detector is used to detect the backscatter signals at two orthogonal states in an alternative sequence. Thus, regular calibration of the two detectors in traditional polarization lidars is avoided. The signal-to-noise ratio of the lidar is guaranteed by using an SNSPD, providing high detection efficiency and low dark count noise. The linear depolarization ratio (LDR) of the urban aerosol is observed horizontally over 48 h in Hefei [N31°50'37'', E117°15'54''], when a heavy air pollution is spreading from the north to the central east of China. Phenomena of LDR bursts are detected at a location where a building is under construction. The lidar results show good agreement with the data detected from a sun photometer, a 532 nm visibility lidar, and the weather forecast information.

FOREWORD: Focus on Superconductivity in Semiconductors Focus on Superconductivity in Semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takano, Yoshihiko

2008-12-01

Since the discovery of superconductivity in diamond, much attention has been given to the issue of superconductivity in semiconductors. Because diamond has a large band gap of 5.5 eV, it is called a wide-gap semiconductor. Upon heavy boron doping over 3×1020 cm-3, diamond becomes metallic and demonstrates superconductivity at temperatures below 11.4 K. This discovery implies that a semiconductor can become a superconductor upon carrier doping. Recently, superconductivity was also discovered in boron-doped silicon and SiC semiconductors. The number of superconducting semiconductors has increased. In 2008 an Fe-based superconductor was discovered in a research project on carrier doping in a LaCuSeO wide-gap semiconductor. This discovery enhanced research activities in the field of superconductivity, where many scientists place particular importance on superconductivity in semiconductors. This focus issue features a variety of topics on superconductivity in semiconductors selected from the 2nd International Workshop on Superconductivity in Diamond and Related Materials (IWSDRM2008), which was held at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan in July 2008. The 1st workshop was held in 2005 and was published as a special issue in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM) in 2006 (Takano 2006 Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater. 7 S1). The selection of papers describe many important experimental and theoretical studies on superconductivity in semiconductors. Topics on boron-doped diamond include isotope effects (Ekimov et al) and the detailed structure of boron sites, and the relation between superconductivity and disorder induced by boron doping. Regarding other semiconductors, the superconducting properties of silicon and SiC (Kriener et al, Muranaka et al and Yanase et al) are discussed, and In2O3 (Makise et al) is presented as a new superconducting semiconductor. Iron-based superconductors are presented as a new series of high

Nonequilibrium optical control of dynamical states in superconducting nanowire circuits

PubMed Central

Madan, Ivan; Baranov, Vladimir V.

2018-01-01

Optical control of states exhibiting macroscopic phase coherence in condensed matter systems opens intriguing possibilities for materials and device engineering, including optically controlled qubits and photoinduced superconductivity. Metastable states, which in bulk materials are often associated with the formation of topological defects, are of more practical interest. Scaling to nanosize leads to reduced dimensionality, fundamentally changing the system’s properties. In one-dimensional superconducting nanowires, vortices that are present in three-dimensional systems are replaced by fluctuating topological defects of the phase. These drastically change the dynamical behavior of the superconductor and introduce dynamical periodic long-range ordered states when the current is driven through the wire. We report the control and manipulation of transitions between different dynamically stable states in superconducting δ3-MoN nanowire circuits by ultrashort laser pulses. Not only can the transitions between different dynamically stable states be precisely controlled by light, but we also discovered new photoinduced hidden states that cannot be reached under near-equilibrium conditions, created while laser photoexcited quasi-particles are outside the equilibrium condition. The observed switching behavior can be understood in terms of dynamical stabilization of various spatiotemporal periodic trajectories of the order parameter in the superconductor nanowire, providing means for the optical control of the superconducting phase with subpicosecond control of timing. PMID:29670935

A 64-pixel NbTiN superconducting nanowire single-photon detector array for spatially resolved photon detection.

PubMed

Miki, Shigehito; Yamashita, Taro; Wang, Zhen; Terai, Hirotaka

2014-04-07

We present the characterization of two-dimensionally arranged 64-pixel NbTiN superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SSPD) array for spatially resolved photon detection. NbTiN films deposited on thermally oxidized Si substrates enabled the high-yield production of high-quality SSPD pixels, and all 64 SSPD pixels showed uniform superconducting characteristics within the small range of 7.19-7.23 K of superconducting transition temperature and 15.8-17.8 μA of superconducting switching current. Furthermore, all of the pixels showed single-photon sensitivity, and 60 of the 64 pixels showed a pulse generation probability higher than 90% after photon absorption. As a result of light irradiation from the single-mode optical fiber at different distances between the fiber tip and the active area, the variations of system detection efficiency (SDE) in each pixel showed reasonable Gaussian distribution to represent the spatial distributions of photon flux intensity.

Versatile fluoride substrates for Fe-based superconducting thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurth, F.; Reich, E.; Hänisch, J.; Ichinose, A.; Tsukada, I.; Hühne, R.; Trommler, S.; Engelmann, J.; Schultz, L.; Holzapfel, B.; Iida, K.

2013-04-01

We demonstrate the growth of Co-doped BaFe2As2 (Ba-122) thin films on CaF2 (001), SrF2 (001), and BaF2 (001) single crystal substrates using pulsed laser deposition. All films are grown epitaxially despite of a large misfit of -10.6% for BaF2 substrate. For all films, a reaction layer is formed at the interface confirmed by X-ray diffraction and for the films grown on CaF2 and BaF2 additionally by transmission electron microscopy. The superconducting transition temperature of the film on CaF2 is around 27 K, whereas the corresponding values of the films on SrF2 and BaF2 are around 22 K and 21 K, respectively. The Ba-122 on CaF2 shows almost identical crystalline quality and superconducting properties as films on Fe-buffered MgO.

High field superconducting magnets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hait, Thomas P. (Inventor); Shirron, Peter J. (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A superconducting magnet includes an insulating layer disposed about the surface of a mandrel; a superconducting wire wound in adjacent turns about the mandrel to form the superconducting magnet, wherein the superconducting wire is in thermal communication with the mandrel, and the superconducting magnet has a field-to-current ratio equal to or greater than 1.1 Tesla per Ampere; a thermally conductive potting material configured to fill interstices between the adjacent turns, wherein the thermally conductive potting material and the superconducting wire provide a path for dissipation of heat; and a voltage limiting device disposed across each end of the superconducting wire, wherein the voltage limiting device is configured to prevent a voltage excursion across the superconducting wire during quench of the superconducting magnet.

RF Conditioning and Testing of Fundamental Power Couplers for SNS Superconducting Cavity Production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

M. Stirbet; G.K. Davis; M. A. Drury

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) makes use of 33 medium beta (0.61) and 48 high beta (0.81) superconducting cavities. Each cavity is equipped with a fundamental power coupler, which should withstand the full klystron power of 550 kW in full reflection for the duration of an RF pulse of 1.3 msec at 60 Hz repetition rate. Before assembly to a superconducting cavity, the vacuum components of the coupler are submitted to acceptance procedures consisting of preliminary quality assessments, cleaning and clean room assembly, vacuum leak checks and baking under vacuum, followed by conditioning and RF high power testing. Similar acceptancemore » procedures (except clean room assembly and baking) were applied for the airside components of the coupler. All 81 fundamental power couplers for SNS superconducting cavity production have been RF power tested at JLAB Newport News and, beginning in April 2004 at SNS Oak Ridge. This paper gives details of coupler processing and RF high power-assessed performances.« less

Development of chicken embryos in a pulsed magnetic field.

PubMed

Berman, E; Chacon, L; House, D; Koch, B A; Koch, W E; Leal, J; Løvtrup, S; Mantiply, E; Martin, A H; Martucci, G I

1990-01-01

Six independent experiments of common design were performed in laboratories in Canada, Spain, Sweden, and the United States of America. Fertilized eggs of domestic chickens were incubated as controls or in a pulsed magnetic field (PMF); embryos were then examined for developmental anomalies. Identical equipment in each laboratory consisted of two incubators, each containing a Helmholtz coil and electronic devices to develop, control, and monitor the pulsed field and to monitor temperature, relative humidity, and vibrations. A unipolar, pulsed, magnetic field (500-microseconds pulse duration, 100 pulses per s, 1-microT peak density, and 2-microseconds rise and fall time) was applied to experimental eggs during 48 h of incubation. In each laboratory, ten eggs were simultaneously sham exposed in a control incubator (pulse generator not activated) while the PMF was applied to ten eggs in the other incubator. The procedure was repeated ten times in each laboratory, and incubators were alternately used as a control device or as an active source of the PMF. After a 48-h exposure, the eggs were evaluated for fertility. All embryos were then assayed in the blind for development, morphology, and stage of maturity. In five of six laboratories, more exposed embryos exhibited structural anomalies than did controls, although putatively significant differences were observed in only two laboratories (two-tailed Ps of .03 and less than .001), and the significance of the difference in a third laboratory was only marginal (two-tailed P = .08). When the data from all six laboratories are pooled, the difference in incidence of abnormalities in PMF-exposed embryos (approximately 25 percent) and that of controls (approximately 19 percent), although small, is highly significant, as is the interaction between incidence of abnormalities and laboratory site (both Ps less than .001). The factor or factors responsible for the marked variability of inter-laboratory differences are unknown.

Performance of the RAD-57 pulse CO-oximeter compared with standard laboratory carboxyhemoglobin measurement.

PubMed

Touger, Michael; Birnbaum, Adrienne; Wang, Jessica; Chou, Katherine; Pearson, Darion; Bijur, Polly

2010-10-01

We assess agreement between carboxyhemoglobin levels measured by the Rad-57 signal extraction pulse CO-oximeter (RAD), a Food and Drug Administration-approved device for noninvasive bedside measurement, and standard laboratory arterial or venous measurement in a sample of emergency department (ED) patients with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. The study was a cross-sectional cohort design using a convenience sample of adult and pediatric ED patients in a Level I trauma, burn, and hyperbaric oxygen referral center. Measurement of RAD carboxyhemoglobin was performed simultaneously with blood sampling for laboratory determination of carboxyhemoglobin level. The difference between the measures for each patient was calculated as laboratory carboxyhemoglobin minus carboxyhemoglobin from the carbon monoxide oximeter. The limits of agreement from a Bland-Altman analysis are calculated as the mean of the differences between methods ±1.96 SDs above and below the mean. Median laboratory percentage carboxyhemoglobin level was 2.3% (interquartile range 1 to 8.5; range 0% to 38%). The mean difference between laboratory carboxyhemoglobin values and RAD values was 1.4% carboxyhemoglobin (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.2% to 2.6%). The limits of agreement of differences of measurement made with the 2 devices were -11.6% and 14.4% carboxyhemoglobin. This range exceeded the value of ±5% carboxyhemoglobin defined a priori as clinically acceptable. RAD correctly identified 11 of 23 patients with laboratory values greater than 15% carboxyhemoglobin (sensitivity 48%; 95% CI 27% to 69%). There was one case of a laboratory carboxyhemoglobin level less than 15%, in which the RAD device gave a result greater than 15% (specificity of RAD 96/97=99%; 95% CI 94% to 100%). In the range of carboxyhemoglobin values measured in this sample, the level of agreement observed suggests RAD measurement may not be used interchangeably with standard laboratory measurement. Copyright © 2010 American

Doping - dependent anisotropy of the superconducting gap in underdoped pnictide superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prozorov, Ruslan

2012-02-01

The in-plane London penetration depth, δλ(T), was studied in single crystals of Ba1-xKxFe2As2 (``Ba122") and Ca10(Pt3As8)[(Fe1-xPtx)2As2]5 (``10-3-8"). Whereas in Ba122 magnetism and superconductivity coexist in the underdoped regime, the 10-3-8 compound exhibits a clear separation of two order parameters. By comparing the results obtained in these two systems, we could study general features of the superconducting gap structure as function of doping in the underdoped regime. Similar to all other pnictides, the low-temperature variation of London penetration depth exhibits a power-law behavior, δλ(T)= AT^n, in both systems. Moving towards the underdoped edge of the superconducting dome, the exponent n decreases well below scattering - limited value of n=2 and, at the same time, the pre-factor A increases. Both trends indicate an increasing anisotropy of the superconducting gap in more underdoped compounds. These and previous results suggest that the development of the superconducting gap anisotropy towards the underdoped edge of the superconducting dome is an intrinsic property of iron pnictides, similar to the known tendency on the overdoped side where magnetism and superconductivity do not interfere.[4pt] In collboration with M.A. Tanatar, H. Kim, The Ames Laboratory; Bing Shen, Hai-Hu Wen, Nanjing University; and N. Ni, R.J. Cava, Princeton University.

Wavelength-dependent optical enhancement of superconducting interlayer coupling in La 1.885Ba 0.115CuO 4

DOE PAGES

Casandruc, E.; Nicoletti, D.; Rajasekaran, S.; ...

2015-05-05

We analyze the pump wavelength dependence for the photo-induced enhancement of interlayer coupling in La 1.885Ba 0.115CuO 4, which is promoted by optical melting of the stripe order. In the equilibrium superconducting state (T < TC = 13 K), in which stripes and superconductivity coexist, time-domain THz spectroscopy reveals a photo-induced blue-shift of the Josephson Plasma Resonance after excitation with optical pulses polarized perpendicular to the CuO2 planes. In the striped, non-superconducting state (TC < T < TSO ≃ 40 K) a transient plasma resonance similar to that seen below TC appears from a featureless equilibrium reflectivity. Most strikingly, bothmore » these effects become stronger upon tuning of the pump wavelength from the mid-infrared to the visible, underscoring an unconventional competition between stripe order and superconductivity, which occurs on energy scales far above the ordering temperature.« less

Superconducting levitating bearing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moon, Francis C. (Inventor)

1996-01-01

A superconducting bearing assembly includes a coil field source that may be superconducting and a superconducting structure. The coil field source assembly and superconducting structure are positioned so as to enable relative rotary movement therebetween. The structure and coil field source are brought to a supercooled temperature before a power supply induces a current in the coil field source. A Meissner-like effect is thereby obtained and little or no penetration of the field lines is seen in the superconducting structure. Also, the field that can be obtained from the superconducting coil is 2-8 times higher than that of permanent magnets. Since the magnetic pressure is proportioned to the square of the field, magnetic pressures from 4 to 64 times higher are achieved.

Niobium superconducting rf cavity fabrication by electrohydraulic forming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cantergiani, E.; Atieh, S.; Léaux, F.; Perez Fontenla, A. T.; Prunet, S.; Dufay-Chanat, L.; Koettig, T.; Bertinelli, F.; Capatina, O.; Favre, G.; Gerigk, F.; Jeanson, A. C.; Fuzeau, J.; Avrillaud, G.; Alleman, D.; Bonafe, J.; Marty, P.

2016-11-01

Superconducting rf (SRF) cavities are traditionally fabricated from superconducting material sheets or made of copper coated with superconducting material, followed by trim machining and electron-beam welding. An alternative technique to traditional shaping methods, such as deep-drawing and spinning, is electrohydraulic forming (EHF). In EHF, half-cells are obtained through ultrahigh-speed deformation of blank sheets, using shockwaves induced in water by a pulsed electrical discharge. With respect to traditional methods, such a highly dynamic process can yield interesting results in terms of effectiveness, repeatability, final shape precision, higher formability, and reduced springback. In this paper, the first results of EHF on high purity niobium are presented and discussed. The simulations performed in order to master the multiphysics phenomena of EHF and to adjust its process parameters are presented. The microstructures of niobium half-cells produced by EHF and by spinning have been compared in terms of damage created in the material during the forming operation. The damage was assessed through hardness measurements, residual resistivity ratio (RRR) measurements, and electron backscattered diffraction analyses. It was found that EHF does not worsen the damage of the material during forming and instead, some areas of the half-cell have shown lower damage compared to spinning. Moreover, EHF is particularly advantageous to reduce the forming time, preserve roughness, and to meet the final required shape accuracy.

Overview of ten-year operation of the superconducting linear accelerator at the Spallation Neutron Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, S.-H.; Afanador, R.; Barnhart, D. L.; Crofford, M.; Degraff, B. D.; Doleans, M.; Galambos, J.; Gold, S. W.; Howell, M. P.; Mammosser, J.; McMahan, C. J.; Neustadt, T. S.; Peters, C.; Saunders, J. W.; Strong, W. H.; Vandygriff, D. J.; Vandygriff, D. M.

2017-04-01

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) has acquired extensive operational experience of a pulsed proton superconducting linear accelerator (SCL) as a user facility. Numerous lessons have been learned in its first 10 years operation to achieve a stable and reliable operation of the SCL. In this paper, an overview of the SNS SCL design, qualification of superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities and ancillary subsystems, an overview of the SNS cryogenic system, the SCL operation including SCL output energy history and downtime statistics, performance stability of the SRF cavities, efforts for SRF cavity performance recovery and improvement at the SNS, and maintenance activities for cryomodules are introduced.

Overview of ten-year operation of the superconducting linear accelerator at the Spallation Neutron Source

DOE PAGES

Kim, Sang-Ho; Afanador, Ralph; Barnhart, Debra L.; ...

2017-02-04

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) has acquired extensive operational experience of a pulsed proton superconducting linear accelerator (SCL) as a user facility. Numerous lessons have been learned in its first 10 years operation to achieve a stable and reliable operation of the SCL. In this paper, an overview of the SNS SCL design, qualification of superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities and ancillary subsystems, an overview of the SNS cryogenic system, the SCL operation including SCL output energy history and downtime statistics, performance stability of the SRF cavities, efforts for SRF cavity performance recovery and improvement at the SNS, and maintenancemore » activities for cryomodules are introduced.« less

Overview of ten-year operation of the superconducting linear accelerator at the Spallation Neutron Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Sang-Ho; Afanador, Ralph; Barnhart, Debra L.

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) has acquired extensive operational experience of a pulsed proton superconducting linear accelerator (SCL) as a user facility. Numerous lessons have been learned in its first 10 years operation to achieve a stable and reliable operation of the SCL. In this paper, an overview of the SNS SCL design, qualification of superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities and ancillary subsystems, an overview of the SNS cryogenic system, the SCL operation including SCL output energy history and downtime statistics, performance stability of the SRF cavities, efforts for SRF cavity performance recovery and improvement at the SNS, and maintenancemore » activities for cryomodules are introduced.« less

Neutron detection using the superconducting Nb-based current-biased kinetic inductance detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shishido, Hiroaki; Yamaguchi, Hiroyuki; Miki, Yuya; Miyajima, Shigeyuki; Oikawa, Kenichi; Harada, Masahide; Hidaka, Mutsuo; Oku, Takayuki; Arai, Masatoshi; Fujimaki, Akira; Ishida, Takekazu

2017-09-01

We demonstrate neutron detection using a solid-state 3He-free superconducting current-biased kinetic inductance detector (CB-KID), which consists of a superconducting Nb meander line and 10B neutron absorption layer. The CB-KID is based on the transient process of kinetic inductance of Cooper pairs induced by the nuclear reaction between 10B and neutrons. Therefore, the CB-KID can be operated in a wide superconducting region in the bias current-temperature diagram, as demonstrated in this paper. The transient change of the kinetic inductance induces the electromagnetic wave pulse under a DC bias current. The signal propagates along the meander line toward both sides with opposite polarity, where the signal polarity is dominated by the bias current direction. The full width at half maximum of the signals remains on the order of a few tens of ns, which confirms the high-speed operation of our detectors. We determine the neutron incident position within 1.3 mm accuracy in one dimension using the multichannel CB-KIDs.

Industrialization of Superconducting RF Accelerator Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peiniger, Michael; Pekeler, Michael; Vogel, Hanspeter

2012-01-01

Superconducting RF (SRF) accelerator technology has basically existed for 50 years. It took about 20 years to conduct basic R&D and prototyping at universities and international institutes before the first superconducting accelerators were built, with industry supplying complete accelerator cavities. In parallel, the design of large scale accelerators using SRF was done worldwide. In order to build those accelerators, industry has been involved for 30 years in building the required cavities and/or accelerator modules in time and budget. To enable industry to supply these high tech components, technology transfer was made from the laboratories in the following three regions: the Americas, Asia and Europe. As will be shown, the manufacture of the SRF cavities is normally accomplished in industry whereas the cavity testing and module assembly are not performed in industry in most cases, yet. The story of industrialization is so far a story of customized projects. Therefore a real SRF accelerator product is not yet available in this market. License agreements and technology transfer between leading SRF laboratories and industry is a powerful tool for enabling industry to manufacture SRF components or turnkey superconducting accelerator modules for other laboratories and users with few or no capabilities in SRF technology. Despite all this, the SRF accelerator market today is still a small market. The manufacture and preparation of the components require a range of specialized knowledge, as well as complex and expensive manufacturing installations like for high precision machining, electron beam welding, chemical surface preparation and class ISO4 clean room assembly. Today, the involved industry in the US and Europe comprises medium-sized companies. In Japan, some big enterprises are involved. So far, roughly 2500 SRF cavities have been built by or ordered from industry worldwide. Another substantial step might come from the International Linear Collider (ILC) project

Fabrication of Large YBCO Superconducting Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koczor, Ronald J.; Noever, David A.; Robertson, Glen A.

1999-01-01

We have undertaken fabrication of large bulk items to develop a repeatable process and to provide test articles in laboratory experiments investigating reported coupling of electromagnetic fields with the local gravity field in the presence of rotating superconducting disks. A successful process was developed which resulted in fabrication of 30 cm diameter annular disks. The disks were fabricated of the superconductor YBa2Cu3O(7-x). Various material parameters of the disks were measured.

Optical pulse evolution in the Stanford free-electron laser and in a tapered wiggler

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colson, W. B.

1982-01-01

The Stanford free electron laser (FEL) oscillator is driven by a series of electron pulses from a high-quality superconducting linear accelerator (LINAC). The electrons pass through a transverse and nearly periodic magnetic field, a 'wiggler', to oscillate and amplify a superimposed optical pulse. The rebounding optical pulse must be closely synchronized with the succession of electron pulses from the accelerator, and can take on a range of structures depending on the precise degree of synchronism. Small adjustments in desynchronism can make the optical pulse either much shorter or longer than the electron pulse, and can cause significant subpulse structure. The oscillator start-up from low level incoherent fields is discussed. The effects of desynchronism on coherent pulse propagation are presented and compared with recent Stanford experiments. The same pulse propagation effects are studied for a magnet design with a tapered wavelength in which electrons are trapped in the ponderomotive potential.

Higher Order Mode Analysis of the SNS Superconducting Linac

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

M. Doleans; D. Jeon; S. Kim

2001-06-01

Higher order modes (HOM's) of monopoles, dipoles, quadrupoles and sextupoles in {beta} = 0.61 and {beta} = 0.81 6-cell superconducting (SC) cavities for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) project, have been found up to about 3 GHz and their properties such as R/Q, trapping possibility, etc have been figured out in concerning with the manufacturing imperfection. Main issues of HOM's are beam instabilities (published separately) and HOM induced power especially from TM monopoles. The time structure of SNS beam has three different time scales of pulses, which are micro-pulse, midi-pulse and macropulse. Each time structure will generate resonances. When amore » mode is near these resonance frequencies, the induced voltage could be large and accordingly the resulting HOM power, too. In order to understand the effects from such a complex beam time structure on the mode excitation and resulting HOM power, analytic expressions are developed. With these analytic expressions, the induced HOM voltage and HOM power were calculated by assuming external Q for each HOM.« less

Cryogenic Design of a Large Superconducting Magnet for Astro-particle Shielding on Deep Space Travel Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruce, Romain; Baudouy, Bertrand

The Space Radiation Superconducting Shield (SR2S) European project aims at studying a large superconducting toroid magnet to protect the human habitat from the ionizing radiations coming from Galactic Cosmic Ray during long term missions in deep space. Titanium clad MgB2 conductor is used to afford a bending power greater than 5 T.m at 10 K. A specific cryogenic design is needed to cool down this 10 m long and 12.8 m in diameter magnet. A passive cooling system, using a V-groove sunshield, is considered to reduce the heat flux coming from the Sun or Mars. An active configuration, using pulse tube cryocoolers, will be linked to the 80 K thermal screen intercepting most of the heat fluxes coming from the human habitat. The toroid magnet will be connected also to cryocoolers to absorb the few watts reaching its surface. Two kinds of thermal link are being considered to absorb the heat on the 80 K thermal screen. The first one is active, with a pump circulating helium gas in a network of exchange tubes. The second one is passive using long cryogenic pulse heat pipe (PHP) with the evaporator on the surface of the thermal screen and the condenser attached to the pulse tube.

ATLAS with CARIBU: A laboratory portrait

DOE PAGES

Pardo, Richard C.; Savard, Guy; Janssens, Robert V. F.

2016-03-21

The Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS) is the world's first superconducting accelerator for projectiles heavier than the electron. This unique system is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national user research facility open to scientists from all over the world. Here, it is located within the Physics Division at Argonne National Laboratory and is one of five large scientific user facilities located at the laboratory.

Superconducting Qubit with Integrated Single Flux Quantum Controller Part I: Theory and Fabrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beck, Matthew; Leonard, Edward, Jr.; Thorbeck, Ted; Zhu, Shaojiang; Howington, Caleb; Nelson, Jj; Plourde, Britton; McDermott, Robert

As the size of quantum processors grow, so do the classical control requirements. The single flux quantum (SFQ) Josephson digital logic family offers an attractive route to proximal classical control of multi-qubit processors. Here we describe coherent control of qubits via trains of SFQ pulses. We discuss the fabrication of an SFQ-based pulse generator and a superconducting transmon qubit on a single chip. Sources of excess microwave loss stemming from the complex multilayer fabrication of the SFQ circuit are discussed. We show how to mitigate this loss through judicious choice of process workflow and appropriate use of sacrificial protection layers. Present address: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center.

Protective link for superconducting coil

DOEpatents

Umans, Stephen D [Belmont, MA

2009-12-08

A superconducting coil system includes a superconducting coil and a protective link of superconducting material coupled to the superconducting coil. A rotating machine includes first and second coils and a protective link of superconducting material. The second coil is operable to rotate with respect to the first coil. One of the first and second coils is a superconducting coil. The protective link is coupled to the superconducting coil.

Wright Laboratory Research and Development Facilities Handbook

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-01

properties o. superconductors SPECIAL/UNIQUE CAPABILITIES: Two superconducting coils: 3-inch bore, 10 Tesla coil. 20 kilojoule repetitively pulsed coil 7 inch...bore, cryogenically cooled 14 Tesla coil INSTRUMENTATION: Computer Controlled Variable Temperature (2-400K) and Field (0-5 Tesla ) Squid Susceptometer...Variable Temperature (10-80K) and Field (0-10 Tesla ) Transport Current Measurement Apparatus RF Source Sputtering Rig, Optical Microscope, Furnaces

The preliminary tests of the superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source DECRIS-SC2.

PubMed

Efremov, A; Bekhterev, V; Bogomolov, S; Drobin, V; Loginov, V; Lebedev, A; Yazvitsky, N; Yakovlev, B

2012-02-01

A new compact version of the "liquid He-free" superconducting ECR ion source, to be used as an injector of highly charged heavy ions for the MC-400 cyclotron, is designed and built at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions in collaboration with the Laboratory of High Energy Physics of JINR. The axial magnetic field of the source is created by the superconducting magnet and the NdFeB hexapole is used for the radial plasma confinement. The microwave frequency of 14 GHz is used for ECR plasma heating. During the first tests, the source shows a good enough performance for the production of medium charge state ions. In this paper, we will present the design parameters and the preliminary results with gaseous ions.

High Tc superconducting bolometric and nonbolometric infrared (IR) detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lakeou, Samuel; Rajeswari, M.; Goyal, Anuja

1995-01-01

The workplan for the period August 1994 through August 1995 includes the following: (1) expand the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory to include stand-alone optical response and noise measurement setups; (2) pursue studies of the low frequency excess electrical noise in YBCO films; and (3) enhance the academic support component of the project through increased student and faculty participation.

Over 0.5 MW green laser from sub-nanosecond giant pulsed microchip laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Lihe; Taira, Takunori

2016-03-01

A sub-nanosecond green laser with laser head sized 35 × 35 × 35 mm3 was developed from a giant pulsed microchip laser for laser processing on organic superconducting transistor with a flexible substrate. A composite monolithic Y3Al5O12 (YAG) /Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG/YAG crystal was designed for generating giant pulsed 1064 nm laser. A fibercoupled 30 W laser diode centered at 808 nm was used with pump pulse duration of 245 μs. The 532 nm green laser was obtained from a LiB3O5 (LBO) crystal with output energy of 150 μJ and pulse duration of 268 ps. The sub-nanosecond green laser is interesting for 2-D ablation patterns.

3D Magnetic field modeling of a new superconducting synchronous machine using reluctance network method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelouaz, Moussa; Ouazir, Youcef; Hadjout, Larbi; Mezani, Smail; Lubin, Thiery; Berger, Kévin; Lévêque, Jean

2018-05-01

In this paper a new superconducting inductor topology intended for synchronous machine is presented. The studied machine has a standard 3-phase armature and a new kind of 2-poles inductor (claw-pole structure) excited by two coaxial superconducting coils. The air-gap spatial variation of the radial flux density is obtained by inserting a superconducting bulk, which deviates the magnetic field due to the coils. The complex geometry of this inductor usually needs 3D finite elements (FEM) for its analysis. However, to avoid a long computational time inherent to 3D FEM, we propose in this work an alternative modeling, which uses a 3D meshed reluctance network. The results obtained with the developed model are compared to 3D FEM computations as well as to measurements carried out on a laboratory prototype. Finally, a 3D FEM study of the shielding properties of the superconducting screen demonstrates the suitability of using a diamagnetic-like model of the superconducting screen.

Superconducting Magnets for the 12 GeV Upgrade at Jefferson Lab

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fair, Ruben J.; Young, Glenn R.

2015-06-01

Jefferson Laboratory is embarked on an energy upgrade to its flagship continuous electron beam accelerator in order to expand the scope of its research capabilities and probe further into the structure of nuclear particles. The 12 GeV upgrade includes the design, manufacture, integration, installation and commissioning of eight different superconducting magnets in three separate experimental halls. The effort involves other national laboratories, universities and industry spanning three countries. This paper will summarize the key characteristics of these magnets, ranging in size from 0.2 to 23 MJ in stored energy, and featuring many different types and configurations. The paper will alsomore » give an overview of the specific technical challenges for each magnet, and a status report on magnet manufacture and expected delivery dates. The 12GeV upgrade at J-Lab represents the largest superconducting magnet fabrication and installation program currently ongoing in the United States and this paper will present the breadth of collaborations supporting it.« less

Superconducting fluctuations and characteristic time scales in amorphous WSi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaofu; Lita, Adriana E.; Sidorova, Mariia; Verma, Varun B.; Wang, Qiang; Nam, Sae Woo; Semenov, Alexei; Schilling, Andreas

2018-05-01

We study magnitudes and temperature dependencies of the electron-electron and electron-phonon interaction times which play the dominant role in the formation and relaxation of photon-induced hotspots in two-dimensional amorphous WSi films. The time constants are obtained through magnetoconductance measurements in a perpendicular magnetic field in the superconducting fluctuation regime and through time-resolved photoresponse to optical pulses. The excess magnetoconductivity is interpreted in terms of the weak-localization effect and superconducting fluctuations. Aslamazov-Larkin and Maki-Thompson superconducting fluctuations alone fail to reproduce the magnetic field dependence in the relatively high magnetic field range when the temperature is rather close to Tc because the suppression of the electronic density of states due to the formation of short-lifetime Cooper pairs needs to be considered. The time scale τi of inelastic scattering is ascribed to a combination of electron-electron (τe -e) and electron-phonon (τe -p h) interaction times, and a characteristic electron-fluctuation time (τe -f l) , which makes it possible to extract their magnitudes and temperature dependencies from the measured τi. The ratio of phonon-electron (τp h -e) and electron-phonon interaction times is obtained via measurements of the optical photoresponse of WSi microbridges. Relatively large τe -p h/τp h -e and τe -p h/τe -e ratios ensure that in WSi the photon energy is more efficiently confined in the electron subsystem than in other materials commonly used in the technology of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs). We discuss the impact of interaction times on the hotspot dynamics and compare relevant metrics of SNSPDs from different materials.

Single-photon imager based on a superconducting nanowire delay line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Qing-Yuan; Zhu, Di; Calandri, Niccolò; Dane, Andrew E.; McCaughan, Adam N.; Bellei, Francesco; Wang, Hao-Zhu; Santavicca, Daniel F.; Berggren, Karl K.

2017-03-01

Detecting spatial and temporal information of individual photons is critical to applications in spectroscopy, communication, biological imaging, astronomical observation and quantum-information processing. Here we demonstrate a scalable single-photon imager using a single continuous superconducting nanowire that is not only a single-photon detector but also functions as an efficient microwave delay line. In this context, photon-detection pulses are guided in the nanowire and enable the readout of the position and time of photon-absorption events from the arrival times of the detection pulses at the nanowire's two ends. Experimentally, we slowed down the velocity of pulse propagation to ∼2% of the speed of light in free space. In a 19.7 mm long nanowire that meandered across an area of 286 × 193 μm2, we were able to resolve ∼590 effective pixels with a temporal resolution of 50 ps (full width at half maximum). The nanowire imager presents a scalable approach for high-resolution photon imaging in space and time.

Bottom-up construction of artificial molecules for superconducting quantum processors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poletto, Stefano; Rigetti, Chad; Gambetta, Jay M.; Merkel, Seth; Chow, Jerry M.; Corcoles, Antonio D.; Smolin, John A.; Rozen, Jim R.; Keefe, George A.; Rothwell, Mary B.; Ketchen, Mark B.; Steffen, Matthias

2012-02-01

Recent experiments on transmon qubits capacitively coupled to superconducting 3-dimensional cavities have shown coherence times much longer than transmons coupled to more traditional planar resonators. For the implementation of a quantum processor this approach has clear advantages over traditional techniques but it poses the challenge of scalability. We are currently implementing multi-qubits experiments based on a bottom-up scaling approach. First, transmon qubits are fabricated on individual chips and are independently characterized. Second, an artificial molecule is assembled by selecting a particular set of previously characterized single-transmon chips. We present recent data on a two-qubit artificial molecule constructed in this way. The two qubits are chosen to generate a strong Z-Z interaction by matching the 0-1 transition energy of one qubit with the 1-2 transition of the other. Single qubit manipulations and state tomography cannot be done with ``traditional'' single tone microwave pulses but instead specifically shaped pulses have to be simultaneously applied on both qubits. Coherence times, coupling strength, and optimal pulses for decoupling the two qubits and perform state tomography are presented

Superconductivity in transition metals.

PubMed

Slocombe, Daniel R; Kuznetsov, Vladimir L; Grochala, Wojciech; Williams, Robert J P; Edwards, Peter P

2015-03-13

A qualitative account of the occurrence and magnitude of superconductivity in the transition metals is presented, with a primary emphasis on elements of the first row. Correlations of the important parameters of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory of superconductivity are highlighted with respect to the number of d-shell electrons per atom of the transition elements. The relation between the systematics of superconductivity in the transition metals and the periodic table high-lights the importance of short-range or chemical bonding on the remarkable natural phenomenon of superconductivity in the chemical elements. A relationship between superconductivity and lattice instability appears naturally as a balance and competition between localized covalent bonding and so-called broken covalency, which favours d-electron delocalization and superconductivity. In this manner, the systematics of superconductivity and various other physical properties of the transition elements are related and unified. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Spin-orbit-coupled superconductivity

PubMed Central

Lo, Shun-Tsung; Lin, Shih-Wei; Wang, Yi-Ting; Lin, Sheng-Di; Liang, C.-T.

2014-01-01

Superconductivity and spin-orbit (SO) interaction have been two separate emerging fields until very recently that the correlation between them seemed to be observed. However, previous experiments concerning SO coupling are performed far beyond the superconducting state and thus a direct demonstration of how SO coupling affects superconductivity remains elusive. Here we investigate the SO coupling in the critical region of superconducting transition on Al nanofilms, in which the strength of disorder and spin relaxation by SO coupling are changed by varying the film thickness. At temperatures T sufficiently above the superconducting critical temperature Tc, clear signature of SO coupling reveals itself in showing a magneto-resistivity peak. When T < Tc, the resistivity peak can still be observed; however, its line-shape is now affected by the onset of the quasi two-dimensional superconductivity. By studying such magneto-resistivity peaks under different strength of spin relaxation, we highlight the important effects of SO interaction on superconductivity. PMID:24961726

Evaluation of a commercial system for CAMAC-based control of the Chalk River Laboratories tandem-accelerator-superconducting-cyclotron complexcomplex

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greiner, B.F.; Caswell, D.J.; Slater, W.R.

1992-04-01

This paper discusses the control system of the Tandem Accelerator Superconducting Cyclotron (TASCC) of AECL Research at its Chalk River Laboratories which is presently based on a PDP-11 computer and the IAS operating system. The estimated expense of a custom conversion of the system to a current, equivalent operating system is prohibitive. The authors have evaluated a commercial control package from VISTA Control Systems based on VAX microcomputers and the VMS operating system. Vsystem offers a modern, graphical operator interface, an extensive software toolkit for configuration of the system and a multi-feature data-logging capability, all of which far surpass themore » functionality of the present control system. However, the implementation of some familiar, practical features that TASCC operators find to be essential has proven to be challenging. The assessment of Vsystem, which is described in terms of presently perceived strengths and weaknesses, is, on balance, very positive.« less

Enhanced superconductivity of fullerenes

DOEpatents

Washington, II, Aaron L.; Teprovich, Joseph A.; Zidan, Ragaiy

2017-06-20

Methods for enhancing characteristics of superconductive fullerenes and devices incorporating the fullerenes are disclosed. Enhancements can include increase in the critical transition temperature at a constant magnetic field; the existence of a superconducting hysteresis over a changing magnetic field; a decrease in the stabilizing magnetic field required for the onset of superconductivity; and/or an increase in the stability of superconductivity over a large magnetic field. The enhancements can be brought about by transmitting electromagnetic radiation to the superconductive fullerene such that the electromagnetic radiation impinges on the fullerene with an energy that is greater than the band gap of the fullerene.

Superconductivity of lanthanum revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loeptien, Peter; Zhou, Lihui; Wiebe, Jens; Khajetoorians, Alexander Ako; Wiesendanger, Roland

2014-03-01

The thickness dependence of the superconductivity in clean hexagonal lanthanum films grown on tungsten (110) is studied by means of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS). Fitting of the measured spectra to BCS theory yields the superconducting energy gaps from which the critical temperatures are determined. For the case of thick, bulk-like films, the bulk energy gap and critical temperature of dhcp lanthanum turn out to be considerably higher as compared to values from the literature measured by other techniques. In thin films the superconductivity is quenched by the boundary condition for the superconducting wavefunction imposed by the substrate and surface, leading to a linear decrease of the superconducting transition temperature as a function of the inverse film thickness. This opens up the possibility to grow lanthanum films with defined superconducting properties.

Effect of pulsed progressive fluoroscopy on reduction of radiation dose in the cardiac catheterization laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holmes, D.R. Jr.; Wondrow, M.A.; Gray, J.E.

1990-01-01

The increased application of therapeutic interventional cardiology procedures is associated with increased radiation exposure to physicians, patients and technical personnel. New advances in imaging techniques have the potential for reducing radiation exposure. A progressive scanning video system with a standard vascular phantom has been shown to decrease entrance radiation exposure. The effect of this system on reducing actual radiation exposure to physicians and technicians was assessed from 1984 through 1987. During this time, progressive fluoroscopy was added sequentially to all four adult catheterization laboratories; no changes in shielding procedures were made. During this time, the case load per physician increasedmore » by 63% and the number of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty procedures (a high radiation procedure) increased by 244%. Despite these increases in both case load and higher radiation procedures, the average radiation exposure per physician declined by 37%. During the same time, the radiation exposure for technicians decreased by 35%. Pulsed progressive fluoroscopy is effective for reducing radiation exposure to catheterization laboratory physicians and technical staff.« less

Optimization of superconducting tiling pattern for superconducting bearings

DOEpatents

Hull, John R.

1996-01-01

An apparatus and method for reducing magnetic field inhomogeneities which produce rotational loss mechanisms in high temperature superconducting magnetic bearings. Magnetic field inhomogeneities are reduced by dividing high temperature superconducting structures into smaller structures, and arranging the smaller structures into tiers which stagger the magnetic field maximum locations of the smaller structures.

Laboratory ultrasonic pulse velocity logging for determination of elastic properties from rock core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blacklock, Natalie Erin

During the development of deep underground excavations spalling and rockbursting have been recognized as significant mechanisms of violent brittle failure. In order to predict whether violent brittle failure will occur, it is important to identify the location of stiffness transitions that are associated with geologic structure. One approach to identify the effect of geologic structures is to apply borehole geophysical tools ahead of the tunnel advance. Stiffness transitions can be identified using mechanical property analysis surveys that combine acoustic velocity and density data to calculate acoustic estimates of elastic moduli. However, logistical concerns arise since the approach must be conducted at the advancing tunnel face. As a result, borehole mechanical property analyses are rarely used. Within this context, laboratory ultrasonic pulse velocity testing has been proposed as a potential alternative to borehole mechanical property analysis since moving the analysis to the laboratory would remove logistical constraints and improve safety for the evaluators. In addition to the traditional method of conducting velocity testing along the core axis, two new methodologies for point-focused testing were developed across the core diameter, and indirectly along intact lengths of drill core. The indirect test procedure was implemented in a continuous ultrasonic velocity test program along 573m of drill core to identify key geologic structures that generated transitions in ultrasonic elastic moduli. The test program was successful at identifying the location of geologic contacts, igneous intrusions, faults and shear structures. Ultrasonic values of Young's modulus and bulk modulus were determined at locations of significant velocity transitions to examine the potential for energy storage and energy release. Comparison of results from different ultrasonic velocity test configurations determined that the indirect test configuration provided underestimates for values of

Process for producing clad superconductive materials

DOEpatents

Cass, Richard B.; Ott, Kevin C.; Peterson, Dean E.

1992-01-01

A process for fabricating superconducting composite wire by the steps of placing a superconductive precursor admixture capable of undergoing a self propagating combustion in stoichiometric amounts sufficient to form a superconductive product within a metal tube, sealing one end of said tube, igniting said superconductive precursor admixture whereby said superconductive precursor admixture endburns along the length of the admixture, and cross-section reducing said tube at a rate substantially equal to the rate of burning of said superconductive precursor admixture and at a point substantially planar with the burnfront of the superconductive precursor mixture, whereby a clad superconductive product is formed in situ, the product characterized as superconductive without a subsequent sintering stage, is disclosed.

Optimization of superconducting tiling pattern for superconducting bearings

DOEpatents

Hull, J.R.

1996-09-17

An apparatus and method for reducing magnetic field inhomogeneities which produce rotational loss mechanisms in high temperature superconducting magnetic bearings are disclosed. Magnetic field inhomogeneities are reduced by dividing high temperature superconducting structures into smaller structures, and arranging the smaller structures into tiers which stagger the magnetic field maximum locations of the smaller structures. 20 figs.

Applications of high-energy heavy-ions from superconducting cyclotrons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grimm, T. L.

1999-06-10

The superconducting cyclotrons of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL), a major nuclear physics facility, can provide ions of any element from hydrogen to uranium. A major upgrade to the NSCL is underway and will consist of an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source followed by two large superconducting cyclotrons (K500 and K1200). Ions can be extracted at any point along this chain allowing a large range of energies and charge states. The ion energies range from a few keV to over 20 GeV, and charge states up to fully stripped {sup 197}Au{sup 79+} and two electron {sup 238}U{sup 90+}more » are possible. The long range of the high-energy heavy-ions allows them to penetrate deeply into a target that is placed in air, outside a vacuum chamber. The ion beams have already been used for a number of applications including; ion implantation, atomic physics, single event effects in integrated circuits, DNA radiation studies, radiation detector studies, flux pinning in high-T{sub c} superconductors, calibration of a space-based spectrometer, isotropic ratio measurements, material wear studies, and continuous positron emission tomography imaging.« less

Pulsed laser deposition—invention or discovery?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkatesan, T.

2014-01-01

The evolution of pulsed laser deposition had been an exciting process of invention and discovery, with the development of high Tc superconducting films as the main driver. It has become the method of choice in research and development for rapid prototyping of multicomponent inorganic materials for preparing a variety of thin films, heterostructures and atomically sharp interfaces, and has become an indispensable tool for advancing oxide electronics. In this paper I will give a personal account of the invention and development of this process at Bellcore/Rutgers, the opportunity, challenges and mostly the extraordinary excitement that was generated, typical of any disruptive technology.

Making Superconducting Welds between Superconducting Wires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Penanen, Konstantin I.; Eom, Byeong Ho

2008-01-01

A technique for making superconducting joints between wires made of dissimilar superconducting metals has been devised. The technique is especially suitable for fabrication of superconducting circuits needed to support persistent electric currents in electromagnets in diverse cryogenic applications. Examples of such electromagnets include those in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems and in superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). Sometimes, it is desirable to fabricate different parts of a persistent-current-supporting superconducting loop from different metals. For example, a sensory coil in a SQUID might be made of Pb, a Pb/Sn alloy, or a Cu wire plated with Pb/Sn, while the connections to the sensory coil might be made via Nb or Nb/Ti wires. Conventional wire-bonding techniques, including resistance spot welding and pressed contact, are not workable because of large differences between the hardnesses and melting temperatures of the different metals. The present technique is not subject to this limitation. The present technique involves the use (1) of a cheap, miniature, easy-to-operate, capacitor-discharging welding apparatus that has an Nb or Nb/Ti tip and operates with a continuous local flow of gaseous helium and (2) preparation of a joint in a special spark-discharge welding geometry. In a typical application, a piece of Nb foil about 25 m thick is rolled to form a tube, into which is inserted a wire that one seeks to weld to the tube (see figure). The tube can be slightly crimped for mechanical stability. Then a spark weld is made by use of the aforementioned apparatus with energy and time settings chosen to melt a small section of the niobium foil. The energy setting corresponds to the setting of a voltage to which the capacitor is charged. In an experiment, the technique was used to weld an Nb foil to a copper wire coated with a Pb/Sn soft solder, which is superconducting. The joint was evaluated as

Thermo-magnetic instabilities in Nb 3Sn superconducting accelerator magnets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bordini, Bernardo

2006-09-01

The advance of High Energy Physics research using circulating accelerators strongly depends on increasing the magnetic bending field which accelerator magnets provide. To achieve high fields, the most powerful present-day accelerator magnets employ NbTi superconducting technology; however, with the start up of Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in 2007, NbTi magnets will have reached the maximum field allowed by the intrinsic properties of this superconductor. A further increase of the field strength necessarily requires a change in superconductor material; the best candidate is Nb 3Sn. Several laboratories in the US and Europe are currently working on developing Nb 3Sn accelerator magnets,more » and although these magnets have great potential, it is suspected that their performance may be fundamentally limited by conductor thermo-magnetic instabilities: an idea first proposed by the Fermilab High Field Magnet group early in 2003. This thesis presents a study of thermo-magnetic instability in high field Nb 3Sn accelerator magnets. In this chapter the following topics are described: the role of superconducting magnets in High Energy Physics; the main characteristics of superconductors for accelerator magnets; typical measurements of current capability in superconducting strands; the properties of Nb 3Sn; a description of the manufacturing process of Nb 3Sn strands; superconducting cables; a typical layout of superconducting accelerator magnets; the current state of the art of Nb 3Sn accelerator magnets; the High Field Magnet program at Fermilab; and the scope of the thesis.« less

Unsteady heat dissipation in accelerator superconducting coils insulated with porous ceramic insulation in normal and supercritical helium conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pietrowicz, S.; Four, A.; Baudouy, B.

To investigate the unsteady heat dissipation in accelerator superconducting coils insulated with porous ceramic insulation, two experimental mock-ups reproducing the thermal and the mechanical conditions of a superconducting coils were produced. The mock-ups with compressive load of 10 MPa and 20 MPa were tested at normal (T = 4.23 K and p = 1 bar) and supercritical helium conditions (T = 4.23 K and p = 2.0 to 3.75 bar) during unsteady heat dissipation. The paper presents the experimental results of temperature rise in both superconducting coils as a function of time for a wide range of a localized heatmore » load varying from 0.1 kJ/m{sup 3} up to 12.8 MJ m{sup −3} per pulse. A numerical model of the transient process in these coils has been developed and the computations are compared with the experimental results.« less

Superconducting magnetic sensors for mine detection and classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clem, Ted R.; Koch, Roger H.; Keefe, George A.

1995-06-01

Sensors incorporating Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) provide the greatest sensitivity for magnetic anomaly detection available with current technology. During the 1980's, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Coastal Systems Station (CSS) developed a superconducting magnetic sensor capable of operation outside of the laboratory environment. This sensor demonstrated rugged, reliable performance even onboard undersea towed platforms. With this sensor, the CSS was able to demonstrate buried mine detection for the US Navy. Subsequently the sensor was incorporated into a multisensor suite onboard an underwater towed vehicle to provide a robust mine hunting capability for the Magnetic and Acoustic Detection of Mines (MADOM) project. This sensor technology utilized niobium superconducting componentry cooled by liquid helium to temperatures on the order of 4 degrees Kelvin (K). In the late 1980's a new class of superconductors was discovered with critical temperatures above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (77K). This advance has opened up new opportunities, especially for mine reconnaissance and hunting from small unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). This paper describes the magnetic sensor detection and classification concept developed for MADOM. In addition, opportunities for UUV operations made possible with high Tc technology and the Navy's current efforts in this area will be addressed.

Superconductive radiofrequency window assembly

DOEpatents

Phillips, Harry Lawrence; Elliott, Thomas S.

1998-01-01

The present invention is a superconducting radiofrequency window assembly for use in an electron beam accelerator. The srf window assembly (20) has a superconducting metal-ceramic design. The srf window assembly (20) comprises a superconducting frame (30), a ceramic plate (40) having a superconducting metallized area, and a superconducting eyelet (50) for sealing plate (40) into frame (30). The plate (40) is brazed to eyelet (50) which is then electron beam welded to frame (30). A method for providing a ceramic object mounted in a metal member to withstand cryogenic temperatures is also provided. The method involves a new metallization process for coating a selected area of a ceramic object with a thin film of a superconducting material. Finally, a method for assembling an electron beam accelerator cavity utilizing the srf window assembly is provided. The procedure is carried out within an ultra clean room to minimize exposure to particulates which adversely affect the performance of the cavity within the electron beam accelerator.

Superconductive radiofrequency window assembly

DOEpatents

Phillips, H.L.; Elliott, T.S.

1998-05-19

The present invention is a superconducting radiofrequency window assembly for use in an electron beam accelerator. The SRF window assembly has a superconducting metal-ceramic design. The SRF window assembly comprises a superconducting frame, a ceramic plate having a superconducting metallized area, and a superconducting eyelet for sealing plate into frame. The plate is brazed to eyelet which is then electron beam welded to frame. A method for providing a ceramic object mounted in a metal member to withstand cryogenic temperatures is also provided. The method involves a new metallization process for coating a selected area of a ceramic object with a thin film of a superconducting material. Finally, a method for assembling an electron beam accelerator cavity utilizing the SRF window assembly is provided. The procedure is carried out within an ultra clean room to minimize exposure to particulates which adversely affect the performance of the cavity within the electron beam accelerator. 11 figs.

Superconducting radiofrequency window assembly

DOEpatents

Phillips, Harry L.; Elliott, Thomas S.

1997-01-01

The present invention is a superconducting radiofrequency window assembly for use in an electron beam accelerator. The srf window assembly (20) has a superconducting metal-ceramic design. The srf window assembly (20) comprises a superconducting frame (30), a ceramic plate (40) having a superconducting metallized area, and a superconducting eyelet (50) for sealing plate (40) into frame (30). The plate (40) is brazed to eyelet (50) which is then electron beam welded to frame (30). A method for providing a ceramic object mounted in a metal member to withstand cryogenic temperatures is also provided. The method involves a new metallization process for coating a selected area of a ceramic object with a thin film of a superconducting material. Finally, a method for assembling an electron beam accelerator cavity utilizing the srf window assembly is provided. The procedure is carried out within an ultra clean room to minimize exposure to particulates which adversely affect the performance of the cavity within the electron beam accelerator.

Superconducting radiofrequency window assembly

DOEpatents

Phillips, H.L.; Elliott, T.S.

1997-03-11

The present invention is a superconducting radiofrequency window assembly for use in an electron beam accelerator. The srf window assembly has a superconducting metal-ceramic design. The srf window assembly comprises a superconducting frame, a ceramic plate having a superconducting metallized area, and a superconducting eyelet for sealing plate into frame. The plate is brazed to eyelet which is then electron beam welded to frame. A method for providing a ceramic object mounted in a metal member to withstand cryogenic temperatures is also provided. The method involves a new metallization process for coating a selected area of a ceramic object with a thin film of a superconducting material. Finally, a method for assembling an electron beam accelerator cavity utilizing the srf window assembly is provided. The procedure is carried out within an ultra clean room to minimize exposure to particulates which adversely affect the performance of the cavity within the electron beam accelerator. 11 figs.

Discovery of superconductivity in quasicrystal.

PubMed

Kamiya, K; Takeuchi, T; Kabeya, N; Wada, N; Ishimasa, T; Ochiai, A; Deguchi, K; Imura, K; Sato, N K

2018-01-11

Superconductivity is ubiquitous as evidenced by the observation in many crystals including carrier-doped oxides and diamond. Amorphous solids are no exception. However, it remains to be discovered in quasicrystals, in which atoms are ordered over long distances but not in a periodically repeating arrangement. Here we report electrical resistivity, magnetization, and specific-heat measurements of Al-Zn-Mg quasicrystal, presenting convincing evidence for the emergence of bulk superconductivity at a very low transition temperature of [Formula: see text] K. We also find superconductivity in its approximant crystals, structures that are periodic, but that are very similar to quasicrystals. These observations demonstrate that the effective interaction between electrons remains attractive under variation of the atomic arrangement from periodic to quasiperiodic one. The discovery of the superconducting quasicrystal, in which the fractal geometry interplays with superconductivity, opens the door to a new type of superconductivity, fractal superconductivity.

Using a small hybrid pulse power transformer unit as component of a high-current opening switch for a railgun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leung, E. M. W.; Bailey, R. E.; Michels, P. H.

1989-03-01

The hybrid pulse power transformer (HPPT) is a unique concept utilizing the ultrafast superconducting-to-normal transition process of a superconductor. When used in the form of a hybrid transformer current-zero switch (HTCS), this creates an approach in which the large, high-power, high-current opening switch in a conventional railgun system can be eliminated. This represents an innovative application of superconductivity to pulsed power conditioning required for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The authors explain the working principles of a 100-KJ unit capable of switching up to 500 kA at a frequency of 0.5 Hz and with a system efficiency of greater than 90 percent. Circuit analysis using a computer code called SPICE PLUS was used to verify the HTCS concept. This concept can be scaled up to applications in the several mega-ampere levels.

Interplay of superconductivity and bosonic coupling in the peak-dip-hump structure of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 +δ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Tristan L.; Zhang, Wentao; Ma, Jonathan; Eisaki, Hiroshi; Moore, Joel E.; Lanzara, Alessandra

2018-04-01

Because of the important role of electron-boson interactions in conventional superconductivity, it has long been asked whether any similar mechanism is at play in high-temperature cuprate superconductors. Evidence for strong electron-boson coupling is observed in cuprates with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), in the form of a dispersion kink and peak-dip-hump structure. What is missing is evidence of a causal relation to superconductivity. Here we revisit the problem using the technique of time-resolved ARPES on Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 +δ . We focus on the peak-dip-hump structure, and show that laser pulses shift spectral weight into the dip as superconductivity is destroyed on picosecond time scales. We compare our results to simulations of Eliashberg theory in a superconductor with an Einstein boson, and find that the magnitude of the shift in spectral weight depends on the degree to which the bosonic mode contributes to superconductivity. Further study could address one of the longstanding mysteries of high-temperature superconductivity.

Free-standing oxide superconducting articles

DOEpatents

Wu, X.D.; Muenchausen, R.E.

1993-12-14

A substrate-free, free-standing epitaxially oriented superconductive film including a layer of a template material and a layer of a ceramic superconducting material is provided together with a method of making such a substrate-free ceramic superconductive film by coating an etchable material with a template layer, coating the template layer with a layer of a ceramic superconductive material, coating the layer of ceramic superconductive material with a protective material, removing the etchable material by an appropriate means so that the etchable material is separated from a composite structure including the template layer.

Development of superconducting magnetic bearing using superconducting coil and bulk superconductor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seino, H.; Nagashima, K.; Arai, Y.

2008-02-01

The authors conducted a study on superconducting magnetic bearing, which consists of superconducting rotor and stator to apply the flywheel energy-storage system for railways. In this study, high temperature bulk superconductor (HTS bulk) was combined with superconducting coils to increase the load capacity of the bearing. In the first step of the study, the thrust rolling bearing was selected for application by using liquid nitrogen cooled HTS bulk. 60mm-diameter HTS bulks and superconducting coil which generated a high gradient of magnetic field by cusp field were adopted as a rotor and a stator for superconducting magnetic bearing, respectively. The results of the static load test and the rotation test, creep of the electromagnetic forces caused by static flux penetration and AC loss due to eccentric rotation were decreased to the level without any problems in substantial use by using two HTS bulks. In the result of verification of static load capacity, levitation force (thrust load) of 8900N or more was supportable, and stable static load capacity was obtainable when weight of 460kg was levitated.

High temperature interfacial superconductivity

DOEpatents

Bozovic, Ivan [Mount Sinai, NY; Logvenov, Gennady [Port Jefferson Station, NY; Gozar, Adrian Mihai [Port Jefferson, NY

2012-06-19

High-temperature superconductivity confined to nanometer-scale interfaces has been a long standing goal because of potential applications in electronic devices. The spontaneous formation of a superconducting interface in bilayers consisting of an insulator (La.sub.2CuO.sub.4) and a metal (La.sub.1-xSr.sub.xCuO.sub.4), neither of which is superconducting per se, is described. Depending upon the layering sequence of the bilayers, T.sub.c may be either .about.15 K or .about.30 K. This highly robust phenomenon is confined to within 2-3 nm around the interface. After exposing the bilayer to ozone, T.sub.c exceeds 50 K and this enhanced superconductivity is also shown to originate from a 1 to 2 unit cell thick interfacial layer. The results demonstrate that engineering artificial heterostructures provides a novel, unconventional way to fabricate stable, quasi two-dimensional high T.sub.c phases and to significantly enhance superconducting properties in other superconductors. The superconducting interface may be implemented, for example, in SIS tunnel junctions or a SuFET.

Discharge pulse phenomenology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frederickson, A. R.

1985-01-01

A model was developed which places radiation induced discharge pulse results into a unified conceptual framework. Only two phenomena are required to interpret all space and laboratory results: (1) radiation produces large electrostatic fields inside insulators via the trapping of a net space charge density; and (2) the electrostatic fields initiate discharge streamer plasmas similar to those investigated in high voltage electrical insulation materials; these streamer plasmas generate the pulsing phenomena. The apparent variability and diversity of results seen is an inherent feature of the plasma streamer mechanism acting in the electric fields which is created by irradiation of the dielectrics. The implications of the model are extensive and lead to constraints over what can be done about spacecraft pulsing.

Optimised quantum hacking of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanner, Michael G.; Makarov, Vadim; Hadfield, Robert H.

2014-03-01

We explore bright-light control of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) in the shunted configuration (a practical measure to avoid latching). In an experiment, we simulate an illumination pattern the SNSPD would receive in a typical quantum key distribution system under hacking attack. We show that it effectively blinds and controls the SNSPD. The transient blinding illumination lasts for a fraction of a microsecond and produces several deterministic fake clicks during this time. This attack does not lead to elevated timing jitter in the spoofed output pulse, and hence does not introduce significant errors. Five different SNSPD chip designs were tested. We consider possible countermeasures to this attack.

Optimised quantum hacking of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors.

PubMed

Tanner, Michael G; Makarov, Vadim; Hadfield, Robert H

2014-03-24

We explore bright-light control of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) in the shunted configuration (a practical measure to avoid latching). In an experiment, we simulate an illumination pattern the SNSPD would receive in a typical quantum key distribution system under hacking attack. We show that it effectively blinds and controls the SNSPD. The transient blinding illumination lasts for a fraction of a microsecond and produces several deterministic fake clicks during this time. This attack does not lead to elevated timing jitter in the spoofed output pulse, and hence does not introduce significant errors. Five different SNSPD chip designs were tested. We consider possible countermeasures to this attack.

European roadmap on superconductive electronics - status and perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anders, S.; Blamire, M. G.; Buchholz, F.-Im.; Crété, D.-G.; Cristiano, R.; Febvre, P.; Fritzsch, L.; Herr, A.; Il'ichev, E.; Kohlmann, J.; Kunert, J.; Meyer, H.-G.; Niemeyer, J.; Ortlepp, T.; Rogalla, H.; Schurig, T.; Siegel, M.; Stolz, R.; Tarte, E.; ter Brake, H. J. M.; Toepfer, H.; Villegier, J.-C.; Zagoskin, A. M.; Zorin, A. B.

2010-12-01

Executive SummaryFor four decades semiconductor electronics has followed Moore’s law: with each generation of integration the circuit features became smaller, more complex and faster. This development is now reaching a wall so that smaller is no longer any faster. The clock rate has saturated at about 3-5 GHz and the parallel processor approach will soon reach its limit. The prime reason for the limitation the semiconductor electronics experiences is not the switching speed of the individual transistor, but its power dissipation and thus heat. Digital superconductive electronics is a circuit- and device-technology that is inherently faster at much less power dissipation than semiconductor electronics. It makes use of superconductors and Josephson junctions as circuit elements, which can provide extremely fast digital devices in a frequency range - dependent on the material - of hundreds of GHz: for example a flip-flop has been demonstrated that operated at 750 GHz. This digital technique is scalable and follows similar design rules as semiconductor devices. Its very low power dissipation of only 0.1 μW per gate at 100 GHz opens the possibility of three-dimensional integration. Circuits like microprocessors and analogue-to-digital converters for commercial and military applications have been demonstrated. In contrast to semiconductor circuits, the operation of superconducting circuits is based on naturally standardized digital pulses the area of which is exactly the flux quantum Φ0. The flux quantum is also the natural quantization unit for digital-to-analogue and analogue-to-digital converters. The latter application is so precise, that it is being used as voltage standard and that the physical unit ‘Volt’ is defined by means of this standard. Apart from its outstanding features for digital electronics, superconductive electronics provides also the most sensitive sensor for magnetic fields: the Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID). Amongst

SSC [Superconducting Super Collider] Project: Technical Training for the Future of Texas. Navarro College/Dallas Community College District. Final Report for Year One.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orsak, Charles; McGlohen, Patti J.

The Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory (SSCL) is a national lab for research on the fundamental forces and constituents of the universe. A major part of the research will involve an oval ring 54 miles in circumference through which superconducting magnets will steer two beams of protons in opposite directions. In response to the…

Superconductive imaging surface magnetometer

DOEpatents

Overton, Jr., William C.; van Hulsteyn, David B.; Flynn, Edward R.

1991-01-01

An improved pick-up coil system for use with Superconducting Quantum Interference Device gradiometers and magnetometers involving the use of superconducting plates near conventional pick-up coil arrangements to provide imaging of nearby dipole sources and to deflect environmental magnetic noise away from the pick-up coils. This allows the practice of gradiometry and magnetometry in magnetically unshielded environments. One embodiment uses a hemispherically shaped superconducting plate with interior pick-up coils, allowing brain wave measurements to be made on human patients. another embodiment using flat superconducting plates could be used in non-destructive evaluation of materials.

Superconductivity-related insulating behavior.

PubMed

Sambandamurthy, G; Engel, L W; Johansson, A; Shahar, D

2004-03-12

We present the results of an experimental study of superconducting, disordered, thin films of amorphous indium oxide. These films can be driven from the superconducting phase to a reentrant insulating state by the application of a perpendicular magnetic field (B). We find that the high-B insulator exhibits activated transport with a characteristic temperature, TI. TI has a maximum value (TpI) that is close to the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) at B=0, suggesting a possible relation between the conduction mechanisms in the superconducting and insulating phases. Tp(I) and Tc display opposite dependences on the disorder strength.

Structural differences between superconducting and non-superconducting CaCuO2/SrTiO3 interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarotti, Francesca; Di Castro, Daniele; Felici, Roberto; Balestrino, Giuseppe

2018-06-01

A study of the interface structure of superconducting and non-superconducting CaCuO2/SrTiO3 heterostructures grown on NdGaO3(110) substrates is reported. Using the combination of high resolution x-ray reflectivity and surface diffraction, the crystallographic structure of superconducting and non-superconducting samples has been investigated. The analysis has demonstrated the excellent sharpness of the CaCuO2/SrTiO3 interface (roughness smaller than one perovskite unit cell). Furthermore, we were able to discriminate between the superconducting and the non-superconducting phase. In the former case, we found an increase of the spacing between the topmost Ca plane of CaCuO2 block and the first TiO2 plane of the overlaying STO block, relative to the non-superconducting case. These results are in agreement with the model that foresees a strong oxygen incorporation in the interface Ca plane in the superconducting heterostructures.

EXCESS OPTICAL ENHANCEMENT OBSERVED WITH ARCONS FOR EARLY CRAB GIANT PULSES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strader, M. J.; Mazin, B. A.; Spiro Jaeger, G. V.

2013-12-10

We observe an extraordinary link in the Crab pulsar between the enhancement of an optical pulse and the timing of the corresponding giant radio pulse. At optical through infrared wavelengths, our observations use the high time resolution of ARray Camera for Optical to Near-IR Spectrophotometry, a unique superconducting energy-resolving photon-counting array at the Palomar 200 inch telescope. At radio wavelengths, we observe with the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope and the Green Bank Ultimate Pulsar Processing Instrument backend. We see an 11.3% ± 2.5% increase in peak optical flux for pulses that have an accompanying giant radio pulse arrivingmore » near the peak of the optical main pulse, in contrast to a 3.2% ± 0.5% increase when an accompanying giant radio pulse arrives soon after the optical peak. We also observe that the peak of the optical main pulse is 2.8% ± 0.8% enhanced when there is a giant radio pulse accompanying the optical interpulse. We observe no statistically significant spectral differences between optical pulses accompanied by and not accompanied by giant radio pulses. Our results extend previous observations of optical-radio correlation to the time and spectral domains. Our refined temporal correlation suggests that optical and radio emission are indeed causally linked, and the lack of spectral differences suggests that the same mechanism is responsible for all optical emission.« less

Structural, magnetic, and superconducting properties of pulsed-laser-deposition-grown La 1.85 Sr 0.15 CuO 4 / La 2 / 3 Ca 1 / 3 MnO 3 superlattices on (001)-oriented LaSrAlO 4 substrates

DOE PAGES

Das, S.; Sen, K.; Marozau, I.; ...

2014-03-12

Epimore » taxial La 1.85 Sr 0.15 CuO 4 / La 2 / 3 Ca 1 / 3 MnO 3 (LSCO/LCMO) superlattices (SL) on (001)- oriented LaSrAlO 4 substrates have been grown with pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. Their structural, magnetic and superconducting properties have been determined with in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), x-ray diffraction, specular neutron reflectometry, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), electric transport, and magnetization measurements. We find that despite the large mismatch between the in-plane lattice parameters of LSCO (a = 0.3779 nm) and LCMO (a = 0.387 nm) these superlattices can be grown epitaxially and with a high crystalline quality. While the first LSCO layer remains clamped to the LSAO substrate, a sizeable strain relaxation occurs already in the first LCMO layer. The following LSCO and LCMO layers adopt a nearly balanced state in which the tensile and compressive strain effects yield alternating in-plane lattice parameters with an almost constant average value. No major defects are observed in the LSCO layers, while a significant number of vertical antiphase boundaries are found in the LCMO layers. The LSCO layers remain superconducting with a relatively high superconducting onset temperature of T c onset ≈ 36 K. The macroscopic superconducting response is also evident in the magnetization data due to a weak diamagnetic signal below 10 K for H ∥ ab and a sizeable paramagnetic shift for H ∥ c that can be explained in terms of a vortex-pinning-induced flux compression. The LCMO layers maintain a strongly ferromagnetic state with a Curie temperature of T Curie ≈ 190 K and a large low-temperature saturation moment of about 3.5 (1) μ B. These results suggest that the LSCO/LCMO superlattices can be used to study the interaction between the antagonistic ferromagnetic and superconducting orders and, in combination with previous studies on YBCO/LCMO superlattices, may allow one to identify the

Structural, magnetic, and superconducting properties of pulsed-laser-deposition-grown La 1.85 Sr 0.15 CuO 4 / La 2 / 3 Ca 1 / 3 MnO 3 superlattices on (001)-oriented LaSrAlO 4 substrates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Das, S.; Sen, K.; Marozau, I.

Epimore » taxial La 1.85 Sr 0.15 CuO 4 / La 2 / 3 Ca 1 / 3 MnO 3 (LSCO/LCMO) superlattices (SL) on (001)- oriented LaSrAlO 4 substrates have been grown with pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. Their structural, magnetic and superconducting properties have been determined with in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), x-ray diffraction, specular neutron reflectometry, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), electric transport, and magnetization measurements. We find that despite the large mismatch between the in-plane lattice parameters of LSCO (a = 0.3779 nm) and LCMO (a = 0.387 nm) these superlattices can be grown epitaxially and with a high crystalline quality. While the first LSCO layer remains clamped to the LSAO substrate, a sizeable strain relaxation occurs already in the first LCMO layer. The following LSCO and LCMO layers adopt a nearly balanced state in which the tensile and compressive strain effects yield alternating in-plane lattice parameters with an almost constant average value. No major defects are observed in the LSCO layers, while a significant number of vertical antiphase boundaries are found in the LCMO layers. The LSCO layers remain superconducting with a relatively high superconducting onset temperature of T c onset ≈ 36 K. The macroscopic superconducting response is also evident in the magnetization data due to a weak diamagnetic signal below 10 K for H ∥ ab and a sizeable paramagnetic shift for H ∥ c that can be explained in terms of a vortex-pinning-induced flux compression. The LCMO layers maintain a strongly ferromagnetic state with a Curie temperature of T Curie ≈ 190 K and a large low-temperature saturation moment of about 3.5 (1) μ B. These results suggest that the LSCO/LCMO superlattices can be used to study the interaction between the antagonistic ferromagnetic and superconducting orders and, in combination with previous studies on YBCO/LCMO superlattices, may allow one to identify the

Superconductivity in diamond.

PubMed

Ekimov, E A; Sidorov, V A; Bauer, E D; Mel'nik, N N; Curro, N J; Thompson, J D; Stishov, S M

2004-04-01

Diamond is an electrical insulator well known for its exceptional hardness. It also conducts heat even more effectively than copper, and can withstand very high electric fields. With these physical properties, diamond is attractive for electronic applications, particularly when charge carriers are introduced (by chemical doping) into the system. Boron has one less electron than carbon and, because of its small atomic radius, boron is relatively easily incorporated into diamond; as boron acts as a charge acceptor, the resulting diamond is effectively hole-doped. Here we report the discovery of superconductivity in boron-doped diamond synthesized at high pressure (nearly 100,000 atmospheres) and temperature (2,500-2,800 K). Electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, specific heat and field-dependent resistance measurements show that boron-doped diamond is a bulk, type-II superconductor below the superconducting transition temperature T(c) approximately 4 K; superconductivity survives in a magnetic field up to Hc2(0) > or = 3.5 T. The discovery of superconductivity in diamond-structured carbon suggests that Si and Ge, which also form in the diamond structure, may similarly exhibit superconductivity under the appropriate conditions.

Fabrication and assembly of a superconducting undulator for the advanced photon source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hasse, Quentin; Fuerst, J. D.; Ivanyushenkov, Y.

2014-01-29

A prototype superconducting undulator magnet (SCU0) has been built at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and has successfully completed both cryogenic performance and magnetic measurement test programs. The SCU0 closed loop, zero-boil-off cryogenic system incorporates high temperature superconducting (HTS) current leads, cryocoolers, a LHe reservoir supplying dual magnetic cores, and an integrated cooled beam chamber. This system presented numerous challenges in the design, fabrication, and assembly of the device. Aspects of this R and D relating to both the cryogenic and overall assembly of the device are presented here. The SCU0 magnet has been installedmore » in the APS storage ring.« less

Long-laser-pulse method of producing thin films

DOEpatents

Balooch, Mehdi; Olander, Donald K.; Russo, Richard E.

1991-01-01

A method of depositing thin films by means of laser vaporization employs a long-pulse laser (Nd-glass of about one millisecond duration) with a peak power density typically in the range 10.sup.5 -10.sup.6 W/cm.sup.2. The method may be used to produce high T.sub.c superconducting films of perovskite material. In one embodiment, a few hundred nanometers thick film of YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x is produced on a SrTiO.sub.3 crystal substrate in one or two pulses. In situ-recrystallization and post-annealing, both at elevated temperature and in the presence of an oxidizing agen The invention described herein arose in the course of, or under, Contract No. DE-C03-76SF0098 between the United States Department of Energy and the University of California.

Superconducting thermoelectric generator

DOEpatents

Metzger, J.D.; El-Genk, M.S.

1996-01-01

An apparatus and method for producing electricity from heat. The present invention is a thermoelectric generator that uses materials with substantially no electrical resistance, often called superconductors, to efficiently convert heat into electrical energy without resistive losses. Preferably, an array of superconducting elements is encased within a second material with a high thermal conductivity. The second material is preferably a semiconductor. Alternatively, the superconducting material can be doped on a base semiconducting material, or the superconducting material and the semiconducting material can exist as alternating, interleaved layers of waferlike materials. A temperature gradient imposed across the boundary of the two materials establishes an electrical potential related to the magnitude of the temperature gradient. The superconducting material carries the resulting electrical current at zero resistivity, thereby eliminating resistive losses. The elimination of resistive losses significantly increases the conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric device.

Superconducting thermoelectric generator

DOEpatents

Metzger, John D.; El-Genk, Mohamed S.

1998-01-01

An apparatus and method for producing electricity from heat. The present invention is a thermoelectric generator that uses materials with substantially no electrical resistance, often called superconductors, to efficiently convert heat into electrical energy without resistive losses. Preferably, an array of superconducting elements is encased within a second material with a high thermal conductivity. The second material is preferably a semiconductor. Alternatively, the superconducting material can be doped on a base semiconducting material, or the superconducting material and the semiconducting material can exist as alternating, interleaved layers of waferlike materials. A temperature gradient imposed across the boundary of the two materials establishes an electrical potential related to the magnitude of the temperature gradient. The superconducting material carries the resulting electrical current at zero resistivity, thereby eliminating resistive losses. The elimination of resistive losses significantly increases the conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric device.

Electrostatic separation of superconducting particles from non-superconducting particles and improvement in fuel atomization by electrorheology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chhabria, Deepika

This thesis has two major topics: (1) Electrostatic Separation of Superconducting Particles from a Mixture of Non-Superconducting Particles. (2) Improvement in fuel atomization by Electrorheology. (1) Based on the basic science research, the interactions between electric field and superconductors, we have developed a new technology, which can separate superconducting granular particles from their mixture with non-superconducting particles. The electric-field induced formation of superconducting balls is important aspect of the interaction between superconducting particles and electric field. When the applied electric field exceeds a critical value, the induced positive surface energy on the superconducting particles forces them to aggregate into balls or cling to the electrodes. In fabrication of superconducting materials, especially HTSC materials, it is common to come across materials with multiple phases: some grains are in superconducting state while the others are not. Our technology is proven to be very useful in separating superconducting grains from the rest non-superconducting materials. To separate superconducting particles from normal conducting particles, we apply a suitable strong electric field. The superconducting particles cling to the electrodes, while normal conducting particles bounce between the electrodes. The superconducting particles could then be collected from the electrodes. To separate superconducting particles from insulating ones, we apply a moderate electric field to force insulating particles to the electrodes to form short chains while the superconducting particles are collected from the middle of capacitor. The importance of this technology is evidenced by the unsuccessful efforts to utilize the Meissner effect to separate superconducting particles from nonsuperconducting ones. Because the Meissner effect is proportional to the particle volume, it has been found that the Meissner effect is not useful when the superconducting

High Temperature Superconducting Materials Database

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

SRD 62 NIST High Temperature Superconducting Materials Database (Web, free access)   The NIST High Temperature Superconducting Materials Database (WebHTS) provides evaluated thermal, mechanical, and superconducting property data for oxides and other nonconventional superconductors.

The first man-loading high temperature superconducting Maglev test vehicle in the world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jiasu; Wang, Suyu; Zeng, Youwen; Huang, Haiyu; Luo, Fang; Xu, Zhipei; Tang, Qixue; Lin, Guobin; Zhang, Cuifang; Ren, Zhongyou; Zhao, Guomin; Zhu, Degui; Wang, Shaohua; Jiang, He; Zhu, Min; Deng, Changyan; Hu, Pengfei; Li, Chaoyong; Liu, Fang; Lian, Jisan; Wang, Xiaorong; Wang, Lianghui; Shen, Xuming; Dong, Xiaogang

2002-10-01

The first man-loading high temperature superconducting Maglev test vehicle in the world is reported. This vehicle was first tested successfully on December 31, 2000 in the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University, China. Heretofore over 17,000 passengers took the vehicle, and it operates very well from beginning to now. The function of suspension is separated from one of propulsion. The high temperature superconducting Maglev provides inherent stable forces both in the levitation and in the guidance direction. The vehicle is 3.5 m long, 1.2 m wide, and 0.8 m high. When five people stand on vehicle and the total weight is 530 kg, the net levitation gap is more than 20 mm. The whole vehicle system includes three parts, vehicle body, guideway and controlling system. The high temperature superconducting Maglev equipment on board is the most important for the system. The onboard superconductors are melt-textured YBaCuO bulks. The superconductors are fixed on the bottom of liquid nitrogen vessels and cooled by liquid nitrogen. The guideway consists of two parallel permanent magnetic tracks, whose surface concentrating magnetic field is up to 1.2 T. The guideway is 15.5 m long.

Growth and Structure of High-Temperature Superconducting Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achutharaman, Vedapuram Sankar

High temperature superconducting thin films with atomic scale perfection are required for technological applications and scientific studies on the mechanism of superconductivity. Ozone assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been shown to produce in-situ superconducting thin films. To obtain a well-controlled and reproducible process, some components such as the substrate heater and the substrate holder have to be designed to be compatible with high oxygen partial pressures. Also, to ensure precise stoichiometry and precipitate-free films, evaporation sources and temperature controllers have to be designed for better temperature stability. The investigation of the MBE process and the thin films grown by MBE are required to obtain a better understanding of the growth parameters such as the composition of the film, substrate surface structure, substrate temperature and ozone partial pressure. This can be obtained by dynamically monitoring the growth process by in-situ characterization techniques such as reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED). Intensity oscillations of the specular RHEED beam have been observed during the growth of RBa_2Cu_3 O_7 (R = Y,Dy) films on SrTiO _3. A model for the origin of these RHEED intensity oscillations will be proposed from extensive RHEED intensity studies. A mechanism for growth of these oxides by physical vapor deposition techniques such as MBE and pulsed laser deposition will also be developed. To verify both the models, the growth of the superconductors will be simulated by the Monte Carlo method and compared with experimental RHEED observations.

Superconducting wires and methods of making thereof

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Xingchen; Sumption, Michael D.; Peng, Xuan

Disclosed herein are superconducting wires. The superconducting wires can comprise a metallic matrix and at least one continuous subelement embedded in the matrix. Each subelement can comprise a non-superconducting core, a superconducting layer coaxially disposed around the non-superconducting core, and a barrier layer coaxially disposed around the superconducting layer. The superconducting layer can comprise a plurality of Nb.sub.3Sn grains stabilized by metal oxide particulates disposed therein. The Nb.sub.3Sn grains can have an average grain size of from 5 nm to 90 nm (for example, from 15 nm to 30 nm). The superconducting wire can have a high-field critical current densitymore » (J.sub.c) of at least 5,000 A/mm.sup.2 at a temperature of 4.2 K in a magnetic field of 12 T. Also described are superconducting wire precursors that can be heat treated to prepare superconducting wires, as well as methods of making superconducting wires.« less

Bridging the Gap for High-Coherence, Strongly Coupled Superconducting Qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoder, Jonilyn; Kim, David; Baldo, Peter; Day, Alexandra; Fitch, George; Holihan, Eric; Hover, David; Samach, Gabriel; Weber, Steven; Oliver, William

Crossovers can play a critical role in increasing superconducting qubit device performance, as long as device coherence can be maintained even with the increased fabrication and circuit complexity. Specifically, crossovers can (1) enable a fully-connected ground plane, which reduces spurious modes and crosstalk in the circuit, and (2) increase coupling strength between qubits by facilitating interwoven qubit loops with large mutual inductances. Here we will describe our work at MIT Lincoln Laboratory to integrate superconducting air bridge crossovers into the fabrication of high-coherence capacitively-shunted superconducting flux qubits. We will discuss our process flow for patterning air bridges by resist reflow, and we will describe implementation of air bridges within our circuits. This research was funded in part by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) and by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering under Air Force Contract No. FA8721-05-C-0002. The views and conclusions contained herein are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies or endorsements, either expressed or implied, of ODNI, IARPA, or the US Government.

Superconductivity in doped Dirac semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashimoto, Tatsuki; Kobayashi, Shingo; Tanaka, Yukio; Sato, Masatoshi

2016-07-01

We theoretically study intrinsic superconductivity in doped Dirac semimetals. Dirac semimetals host bulk Dirac points, which are formed by doubly degenerate bands, so the Hamiltonian is described by a 4 ×4 matrix and six types of k -independent pair potentials are allowed by the Fermi-Dirac statistics. We show that the unique spin-orbit coupling leads to characteristic superconducting gap structures and d vectors on the Fermi surface and the electron-electron interaction between intra and interorbitals gives a novel phase diagram of superconductivity. It is found that when the interorbital attraction is dominant, an unconventional superconducting state with point nodes appears. To verify the experimental signature of possible superconducting states, we calculate the temperature dependence of bulk physical properties such as electronic specific heat and spin susceptibility and surface state. In the unconventional superconducting phase, either dispersive or flat Andreev bound states appear between point nodes, which leads to double peaks or a single peak in the surface density of states, respectively. As a result, possible superconducting states can be distinguished by combining bulk and surface measurements.

The efficacy of noninvasive hemoglobin measurement by pulse CO-oximetry in neonates.

PubMed

Jung, Young Hwa; Lee, Juyoung; Kim, Han-Suk; Shin, Seung Han; Sohn, Jin A; Kim, Ee-Kyung; Choi, Jung-Hwan

2013-01-01

To evaluate clinical applicability of noninvasive hemoglobin (Hb) measurement with a pulse CO-oximeter in neonates. Prospective comparison study. Neonatal ICU. Fifty-six preterm and term infants with median age = 20 days (range = 1-98 days) and median weight = 1,440 g (range = 530-4,230 g). Hb measurements by Pulse CO-Oximetry (Masimo Radical-7) were recorded immediately prior to venous samplings. The collected data were compared with the corresponding venous Hb level obtained in laboratory testing, and a total of 137 data pairs were analyzed. Noninvasive Hb values measured with a pulse CO-oximeter were significantly correlated with the venous Hb levels (correlation coefficient, r = 0.758; p < 0.001). Hb values measured with a pulse CO-oximeter were higher than those measured with a laboratory hematology analyzer (13.3 ± 2.6g/dL vs. 12.5 ± 3.1g/dL). In terms of the agreement between the laboratory analyzer and the pulse CO-oximeter, 94.8% of the measurements fell within two standard deviations of the mean difference. Noninvasive Hb measurements with Pulse CO-Oximetry provide clinically acceptable accuracy, and they were significantly correlated with laboratory Hb measurement in neonates. In terms of the clinical applicability, noninvasive Hb monitoring with a pulse CO-oximeter could be useful in the early detection of Hb changes in neonates.

Tunable Broadband Radiation Generated Via Ultrafast Laser Illumination of an Inductively Charged Superconducting Ring

PubMed Central

Bulmer, John; Bullard, Thomas; Dolasinski, Brian; Murphy, John; Sparkes, Martin; Pangovski, Krste; O’Neill, William; Powers, Peter; Haugan, Timothy

2015-01-01

An electromagnetic transmitter typically consists of individual components such as a waveguide, antenna, power supply, and an oscillator. In this communication we circumvent complications associated with connecting these individual components and instead combine them into a non-traditional, photonic enabled, compact transmitter device for tunable, ultrawide band (UWB) radiation. This device is a centimeter scale, continuous, thin film superconducting ring supporting a persistent super-current. An ultrafast laser pulse (required) illuminates the ring (either at a point or uniformly around the ring) and perturbs the super-current by the de-pairing and recombination of Cooper pairs. This generates a microwave pulse where both ring and laser pulse geometry dictates the radiated spectrum’s shape. The transmitting device is self contained and completely isolated from conductive components that are observed to interfere with the generated signal. A rich spectrum is observed that extends beyond 30 GHz (equipment limited) and illustrates the complex super-current dynamics bridging optical, THz, and microwave wavelengths. PMID:26659022

Superconductivity in graphite intercalation compounds

DOE PAGES

Smith, Robert P.; Weller, Thomas E.; Howard, Christopher A.; ...

2015-02-26

This study examines the field of superconductivity in the class of materials known as graphite intercalation compounds which has a history dating back to the 1960s. This paper recontextualizes the field in light of the discovery of superconductivity in CaC₆ and YbC₆ in 2005. In what follows, we outline the crystal structure and electronic structure of these and related compounds. We go on to experiments addressing the superconducting energy gap, lattice dynamics, pressure dependence, and how this relates to theoretical studies. The bulk of the evidence strongly supports a BCS superconducting state. However, important questions remain regarding which electronic statesmore » and phonon modes are most important for superconductivity and whether current theoretical techniques can fully describe the dependence of the superconducting transition temperature on pressure and chemical composition.« less

An 8-GW long-pulse generator based on Tesla transformer and pulse forming network

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Su, Jiancang; Zhang, Xibo; Li, Rui

A long-pulse generator TPG700L based on a Tesla transformer and a series pulse forming network (PFN) is constructed to generate intense electron beams for the purpose of high power microwave (HPM) generation. The TPG700L mainly consists of a 12-stage PFN, a built-in Tesla transformer in a pulse forming line, a three-electrode gas switch, a transmission line with a trigger, and a load. The Tesla transformer and the compact PFN are the key technologies for the development of the TPG700L. This generator can output electrical pulses with a width as long as 200 ns at a level of 8 GW andmore » a repetition rate of 50 Hz. When used to drive a relative backward wave oscillator for HPM generation, the electrical pulse width is about 100 ns on a voltage level of 520 kV. Factors affecting the pulse waveform of the TPG700L are also discussed. At present, the TPG700L performs well for long-pulse HPM generation in our laboratory.« less

An 8-GW long-pulse generator based on Tesla transformer and pulse forming network.

PubMed

Su, Jiancang; Zhang, Xibo; Li, Rui; Zhao, Liang; Sun, Xu; Wang, Limin; Zeng, Bo; Cheng, Jie; Wang, Ying; Peng, Jianchang; Song, Xiaoxin

2014-06-01

A long-pulse generator TPG700L based on a Tesla transformer and a series pulse forming network (PFN) is constructed to generate intense electron beams for the purpose of high power microwave (HPM) generation. The TPG700L mainly consists of a 12-stage PFN, a built-in Tesla transformer in a pulse forming line, a three-electrode gas switch, a transmission line with a trigger, and a load. The Tesla transformer and the compact PFN are the key technologies for the development of the TPG700L. This generator can output electrical pulses with a width as long as 200 ns at a level of 8 GW and a repetition rate of 50 Hz. When used to drive a relative backward wave oscillator for HPM generation, the electrical pulse width is about 100 ns on a voltage level of 520 kV. Factors affecting the pulse waveform of the TPG700L are also discussed. At present, the TPG700L performs well for long-pulse HPM generation in our laboratory.

Quantum and wave dynamical chaos in superconducting microwave billiards

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dietz, B., E-mail: dietz@ikp.tu-darmstadt.de; Richter, A., E-mail: richter@ikp.tu-darmstadt.de

2015-09-15

Experiments with superconducting microwave cavities have been performed in our laboratory for more than two decades. The purpose of the present article is to recapitulate some of the highlights achieved. We briefly review (i) results obtained with flat, cylindrical microwave resonators, so-called microwave billiards, concerning the universal fluctuation properties of the eigenvalues of classically chaotic systems with no, a threefold and a broken symmetry; (ii) summarize our findings concerning the wave-dynamical chaos in three-dimensional microwave cavities; (iii) present a new approach for the understanding of the phenomenon of dynamical tunneling which was developed on the basis of experiments that weremore » performed recently with unprecedented precision, and finally, (iv) give an insight into an ongoing project, where we investigate universal properties of (artificial) graphene with superconducting microwave photonic crystals that are enclosed in a microwave resonator, i.e., so-called Dirac billiards.« less

Quantum and wave dynamical chaos in superconducting microwave billiards.

PubMed

Dietz, B; Richter, A

2015-09-01

Experiments with superconducting microwave cavities have been performed in our laboratory for more than two decades. The purpose of the present article is to recapitulate some of the highlights achieved. We briefly review (i) results obtained with flat, cylindrical microwave resonators, so-called microwave billiards, concerning the universal fluctuation properties of the eigenvalues of classically chaotic systems with no, a threefold and a broken symmetry; (ii) summarize our findings concerning the wave-dynamical chaos in three-dimensional microwave cavities; (iii) present a new approach for the understanding of the phenomenon of dynamical tunneling which was developed on the basis of experiments that were performed recently with unprecedented precision, and finally, (iv) give an insight into an ongoing project, where we investigate universal properties of (artificial) graphene with superconducting microwave photonic crystals that are enclosed in a microwave resonator, i.e., so-called Dirac billiards.

Dynamical Tests in a Linear Superconducting Magnetic Bearing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dias, D. H. N.; Sotelo, G. G.; Sass, F.; Motta, E. S.; , R. de Andrade, Jr.; Stephan, R. M.

The unique properties of high critical temperature superconductors (HTS) make possible the development of an effective and self-stable magnetic levitation (MagLev) transportation system. In this context, a full scale MagLev vehicle, named MagLev-Cobra, has been developed at the Laboratory for Applied Superconductivity (LASUP/UFRJ). The vehicle is borne by a linear superconducting magnetic bearing (LSMB). The most important design constraint of the levitation system is the force that appears due to the interaction between the HTS and the permanent magnetic (PM) rail, which composes the LSMB. Static and dynamic characteristics of this force must be studied. The static behavior was already reported in previous work. The dynamic operation of this kind of vehicle, which considers the entry and exit of passengers and vibration movements, may result in the decrease of the gap between the superconductor and the PM rail in LSMB. In order to emulate the vehicle operation and to study the gap variation with time, the superconductors are submitted to a series of vertical displacements performed with the help of an experimental test rig. These movements are controlled by a time-variant reference force that reproduces the vehicle dynamic. In the present work, the results obtained for the dynamic gap behavior are presented. These measurements are essential to the commissioning process of a superconducting MagLev full scale vehicle.

Superconducting thermoelectric generator

DOEpatents

Metzger, J.D.; El-Genk, M.S.

1998-05-05

An apparatus and method for producing electricity from heat is disclosed. The present invention is a thermoelectric generator that uses materials with substantially no electrical resistance, often called superconductors, to efficiently convert heat into electrical energy without resistive losses. Preferably, an array of superconducting elements is encased within a second material with a high thermal conductivity. The second material is preferably a semiconductor. Alternatively, the superconducting material can be doped on a base semiconducting material, or the superconducting material and the semiconducting material can exist as alternating, interleaved layers of waferlike materials. A temperature gradient imposed across the boundary of the two materials establishes an electrical potential related to the magnitude of the temperature gradient. The superconducting material carries the resulting electrical current at zero resistivity, thereby eliminating resistive losses. The elimination of resistive losses significantly increases the conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric device. 4 figs.

Excess optical enhancement observed with arcons for early crab giant pulses

DOE PAGES

Strader, M. J.; Johnson, M. D.; Mazin, B. A.; ...

2013-11-26

Here, we observe an extraordinary link in the Crab pulsar between the enhancement of an optical pulse and the timing of the corresponding giant radio pulse. At optical through infrared wavelengths, our observations use the high time resolution of ARray Camera for Optical to Near-IR Spectrophotometry, a unique superconducting energy-resolving photon-counting array at the Palomar 200 inch telescope. At radio wavelengths, we observe with the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope and the Green Bank Ultimate Pulsar Processing Instrument backend. We see an 11.3% ± 2.5% increase in peak optical flux for pulses that have an accompanying giant radio pulsemore » arriving near the peak of the optical main pulse, in contrast to a 3.2% ± 0.5% increase when an accompanying giant radio pulse arrives soon after the optical peak. We also observe that the peak of the optical main pulse is 2.8% ± 0.8% enhanced when there is a giant radio pulse accompanying the optical interpulse. We also observe no statistically significant spectral differences between optical pulses accompanied by and not accompanied by giant radio pulses. These results extend previous observations of optical-radio correlation to the time and spectral domains. Our refined temporal correlation suggests that optical and radio emission are indeed causally linked, and the lack of spectral differences suggests that the same mechanism is responsible for all optical emission.« less

Battery-powered pulsed high density inductively coupled plasma source for pre-ionization in laboratory astrophysics experiments.

PubMed

Chaplin, Vernon H; Bellan, Paul M

2015-07-01

An electrically floating radiofrequency (RF) pre-ionization plasma source has been developed to enable neutral gas breakdown at lower pressures and to access new experimental regimes in the Caltech laboratory astrophysics experiments. The source uses a customized 13.56 MHz class D RF power amplifier that is powered by AA batteries, allowing it to safely float at 3-6 kV with the electrodes of the high voltage pulsed power experiments. The amplifier, which is capable of 3 kW output power in pulsed (<1 ms) operation, couples electrical energy to the plasma through an antenna external to the 1.1 cm radius discharge tube. By comparing the predictions of a global equilibrium discharge model with the measured scalings of plasma density with RF power input and axial magnetic field strength, we demonstrate that inductive coupling (rather than capacitive coupling or wave damping) is the dominant energy transfer mechanism. Peak ion densities exceeding 5 × 10(19) m(-3) in argon gas at 30 mTorr have been achieved with and without a background field. Installation of the pre-ionization source on a magnetohydrodynamically driven jet experiment reduced the breakdown time and jitter and allowed for the creation of hotter, faster argon plasma jets than was previously possible.

Korea's developmental program for superconductivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hong, Gye-Won; Won, Dong-Yeon; Kuk, Il-Hyun; Park, Jong-Chul

1995-01-01

Superconductivity research in Korea was firstly carried out in the late 70's by a research group in Seoul National University (SNU), who fabricated a small scale superconducting magnetic energy storage system under the financial support from Korea Electric Power Company (KEPCO). But a few researchers were involved in superconductivity research until the oxide high Tc superconductor was discovered by Bednorz and Mueller. After the discovery of YBaCuO superconductor operating above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (77 K)(exp 2), Korean Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) sponsored a special fund for the high Tc superconductivity research to universities and national research institutes by recognizing its importance. Scientists engaged in this project organized 'High Temperature Superconductivity Research Association (HITSRA)' for effective conducting of research. Its major functions are to coordinate research activities on high Tc superconductivity and organize the workshop for active exchange of information. During last seven years the major superconductivity research has been carried out through the coordination of HITSRA. The major parts of the Korea's superconductivity research program were related to high temperature superconductor and only a few groups were carrying out research on conventional superconductor technology, and Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) have led this research. In this talk, the current status and future plans of superconductivity research in Korea will be reviewed based on the results presented in interim meeting of HITSRA, April 1-2, 1994. Taejeon, as well as the research activity of KAERI.

Korea's developmental program for superconductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Gye-Won; Won, Dong-Yeon; Kuk, Il-Hyun; Park, Jong-Chul

1995-04-01

Superconductivity research in Korea was firstly carried out in the late 70's by a research group in Seoul National University (SNU), who fabricated a small scale superconducting magnetic energy storage system under the financial support from Korea Electric Power Company (KEPCO). But a few researchers were involved in superconductivity research until the oxide high Tc superconductor was discovered by Bednorz and Mueller. After the discovery of YBaCuO superconductor operating above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (77 K)(exp 2), Korean Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) sponsored a special fund for the high Tc superconductivity research to universities and national research institutes by recognizing its importance. Scientists engaged in this project organized 'High Temperature Superconductivity Research Association (HITSRA)' for effective conducting of research. Its major functions are to coordinate research activities on high Tc superconductivity and organize the workshop for active exchange of information. During last seven years the major superconductivity research has been carried out through the coordination of HITSRA. The major parts of the Korea's superconductivity research program were related to high temperature superconductor and only a few groups were carrying out research on conventional superconductor technology, and Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) have led this research. In this talk, the current status and future plans of superconductivity research in Korea will be reviewed based on the results presented in interim meeting of HITSRA, April 1-2, 1994. Taejeon, as well as the research activity of KAERI.

Superconducting energy recovery linacs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ben-Zvi, Ilan

High-average-power and high-brightness electron beams from a combination of laser photocathode electron guns and a superconducting energy recovery linac (ERL) is an emerging accelerator science with applications in ERL light sources, high repetition rate free electron lasers , electron cooling, electron ion colliders and more. This paper reviews the accelerator physics issues of superconducting ERLs, discusses major subsystems and provides a few examples of superconducting ERLs.

Superconducting energy recovery linacs

DOE PAGES

Ben-Zvi, Ilan

2016-09-01

High-average-power and high-brightness electron beams from a combination of laser photocathode electron guns and a superconducting energy recovery linac (ERL) is an emerging accelerator science with applications in ERL light sources, high repetition rate free electron lasers , electron cooling, electron ion colliders and more. This paper reviews the accelerator physics issues of superconducting ERLs, discusses major subsystems and provides a few examples of superconducting ERLs.

Free-standing oxide superconducting articles

DOEpatents

Wu, Xin D.; Muenchausen, Ross E.

1993-01-01

A substrate-free, free-standing epitaxially oriented superconductive film including a layer of a template material and a layer of a ceramic superconducting material is provided together with a method of making such a substrate-free ceramic superconductive film by coating an etchable material with a template layer, coating the template layer with a layer of a ceramic superconductive material, coating the layer of ceramic superconductive material with a protective material, removing the etchable material by an appropriate means so that the etchable material is separated from a composite structure including the template lay This invention is the result of a contract with the Department of Energy (Contract No. W-7405-ENG-36).

Is there a path from cuprates towards room-temperature superconductivity?

DOE PAGES

Božović, I.; Wu, J.; He, X.; ...

2017-09-01

A brief account is presented of an extensive experiment performed at Brookhaven National Laboratory, aimed at understanding the nature of high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates. Over the course of the last 12 years, over 2000 films of the prototypical high- T c superconductor, La 2-xSr xCuO 4, have been synthesized using atomic-layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy (ALL-MBE), characterized by a range of techniques, and patterned into devices. These were then used to measure accurately the key physical parameters in both the superconducting and the normal states, and establish their precise dependence on doping, temperature, and external fields. Our results bring in somemore » great surprises, challenge the commonly held beliefs, rule out many theoretical models, and point to a new path for raising T c even further.« less

A superconducting gravity gradiometer for measurements from a moving vehicle.

PubMed

Moody, M V

2011-09-01

A gravity gradiometer designed for operation on an aircraft or ship has been tested in the laboratory. A noise level of 0.53 E (E ≡ 10(-9) s(-2)) rms over a 0.001 to 1 Hz bandwidth has been measured, and the primary error mechanisms have been analyzed and quantified. The design is a continuation in the development of superconducting accelerometer technology at the University of Maryland over more than three decades. A cryogenic instrument presents not only the benefit of reduced thermal noise, but also, the extraordinary stability of superconducting circuits and material properties at very low temperatures. This stability allows precise matching of scale factors and accurate rejection of dynamic errors. The design of the instrument incorporates a number of additional features that further enhance performance in a dynamically noisy environment. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

Complete Bell-state analysis for superconducting-quantum-interference-device qubits with a transitionless tracking algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Yi-Hao; Chen, Ye-Hong; Shi, Zhi-Cheng; Huang, Bi-Hua; Song, Jie; Xia, Yan

2017-08-01

We propose a protocol for complete Bell-state analysis for two superconducting-quantum-interference-device qubits. The Bell-state analysis could be completed by using a sequence of microwave pulses designed by the transitionless tracking algorithm, which is a useful method in the technique of shortcut to adiabaticity. After the whole process, the information for distinguishing four Bell states will be encoded on two auxiliary qubits, while the Bell states remain unchanged. One can read out the information by detecting the auxiliary qubits. Thus the Bell-state analysis is nondestructive. The numerical simulations show that the protocol possesses a high success probability of distinguishing each Bell state with current experimental technology even when decoherence is taken into account. Thus, the protocol may have potential applications for the information readout in quantum communications and quantum computations in superconducting quantum networks.

Contribution of ion beam analysis methods to the development of second generation high temperature superconducting wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usov, I. O.; Arendt, P. N.; Foltyn, S. R.; Stan, L.; DePaula, R. F.; Holesinger, T. G.

2010-06-01

One of the crucial steps in the second generation high temperature superconducting wire program was development of the buffer-layer architecture. The architecture designed at the Superconductivity Technology Center at Los Alamos National Laboratory consists of several oxide layers wherein each layer plays a specific role, namely: nucleation layer, diffusion barrier, biaxially textured template, and intermediate layer providing a suitable lattice match to the superconducting Y 1Ba 2Cu 3O 7 (YBCO) compound. This report demonstrates how a wide range of ion beam analysis techniques (SIMS, RBS, channeling, PIXE, PIGE, NRA and ERD) was employed for analysis of each buffer layer and the YBCO film. These results assisted in understanding of a variety of physical processes occurring during the buffer layer fabrication and helped to optimize the buffer-layer architecture as a whole.

Development and operating experience of a short-period superconducting undulator at the Advanced Photon Source

DOE PAGES

Ivanyushenkov, Y.; Harkay, K.; Abliz, M.; ...

2015-04-01

In this study, a decade-long effort at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) on development of superconducting undulators culminated in December 2012 with the installation of the first superconducting undulator “SCU0” into Sector 6 of the APS storage ring. The device was commissioned in January 2013 and has been in user operation since. This paper presents the magnetic and cryogenic design of the SCU0 together with the results of stand-alone cold tests. The initial commissioning and characterization of SCU0 as well as its operating experience in the APS storage ring are described.

Superconductivity in CVD diamond films.

PubMed

Takano, Yoshihiko

2009-06-24

A beautiful jewel of diamond is insulator. However, boron doping can induce semiconductive, metallic and superconducting properties in diamond. When the boron concentration is tuned over 3 × 10(20) cm(-3), diamonds enter the metallic region and show superconductivity at low temperatures. The metal-insulator transition and superconductivity are analyzed using ARPES, XAS, NMR, IXS, transport and magnetic measurements and so on. This review elucidates the physical properties and mechanism of diamond superconductor as a special superconductivity that occurs in semiconductors.

Gain assisted coherent control of microwave pulse in a one dimensional array of artificial atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waqas, Mohsin; Ayaz, M. Q.; Waseem, M.; Qamar, Sajid; Qamar, Shahid

2018-06-01

We study the coherent propagation of a microwave pulse through a one-dimensional array of artificial atoms. The scheme is based upon gain assisted propagation of the pulse using two-photon Raman transition in a three-level superconducting artificial atoms (SAAs) coupled to a microwave transmission line. Our results show that the group velocity can be significantly reduced by increasing the Rabi frequency of the pump fields which in turn can lead to an efficient storage of the pulse inside a 1D array of SAAs. Further, the intensity of the transmitted pulse increases with the number of artificial atoms owing to the gain associated with the two-photon Raman transition. Our results also show that the window width decreases for both scattering and negligible scattering cases with the increase in the number of SAAs. The fidelity of the system also remains high even after the passage of the pulse through a large number of SAAs.

Unconventional superconductivity in heavy-fermion compounds

DOE PAGES

White, B. D.; Thompson, J. D.; Maple, M. B.

2015-02-27

Over the past 35 years, research on unconventional superconductivity in heavy-fermion systems has evolved from the surprising observations of unprecedented superconducting properties in compounds that convention dictated should not superconduct at all to performing explorations of rich phase spaces in which the delicate interplay between competing ground states appears to support emergent superconducting states. In this article, we review the current understanding of superconductivity in heavy-fermion com- pounds and identify a set of characteristics that is common to their unconventional superconducting states. These core properties are compared with those of other classes of unconventional superconductors such as the cuprates andmore » iron-based superconductors. Lastly, we conclude by speculating on the prospects for future research in this field and how new advances might contribute towards resolving the long-standing mystery of how unconventional superconductivity works.« less

2017 Gordon Conference on Superconductivity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chubukov, Andrey

The DOE award was for a 2017 Gordon Research conference on Superconductivity (GRC). The objective of GRC is to interchange the information about the latest theoretical and experimental developments in the area of superconductivity and to select most perspective directions for future research in this area.The goal of the Gordon Conference on Superconductivity is to present and discuss the latest results in the field of modern superconductivity, discuss new ideas and new directions of research in the area. It is a long-standing tradition of the Gordon conference on Superconductivity that the vast majority of participants are junior scientists. Funding formore » the conference would primarily be used to support junior researchers, particularly from under-represented groups. We had more 10 female speakers, some of them junior researchers, and some funding was used to support these speakers. The conference was held together with Gordon Research Seminar on Superconductivity, where almost all speakers and participants were junior scientists.« less

Enhanced coherent oscillations in the superconducting state of underdoped YB a 2 C u 3 O 6 + x induced via ultrafast terahertz excitation

DOE PAGES

Dakovski, Georgi L.; Lee, Wei -Sheng; Hawthorn, David G.; ...

2015-06-24

We utilize intense, single-cycle terahertz pulses to induce collective excitations in the charge-density-wave-ordered underdoped cuprate YBa 2Cu 3O 6+x. These excitations manifest themselves as pronounced coherent oscillations of the optical reflectivity in the transient state, accompanied by minimal incoherent quasiparticle relaxation dynamics. The oscillations occur at frequencies consistent with soft phonon energies associated with the charge-density-wave, but vanish above the superconducting transition temperature rather than that at the charge-density-wave transition. These results indicate an intimate relationship of the terahertz excitation with the underlying charge-density-wave and the superconducting condensate itself.

Adaptability of optimization concept in the context of cryogenic distribution for superconducting magnets of fusion machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Biswanath; Bhattacharya, Ritendra Nath; Vaghela, Hitensinh; Shah, Nitin Dineshkumar; Choukekar, Ketan; Badgujar, Satish

2012-06-01

Cryogenic distribution system (CDS) plays a vital role for reliable operation of largescale fusion machines in a Tokamak configuration. Managing dynamic heat loads from the superconducting magnets, namely, toroidal field, poloidal field, central solenoid and supporting structure is the most important function of the CDS along with the static heat loads. Two concepts are foreseen for the configuration of the CDS: singular distribution and collective distribution. In the first concept, each magnet is assigned with one distribution box having its own sub-cooler bath. In the collective concept, it is possible to share one common bath for more than one magnet system. The case study has been performed with an identical dynamic heat load profile applied to both concepts in the same time domain. The choices of a combined system from the magnets are also part of the study without compromising the system functionality. Process modeling and detailed simulations have been performed for both the options using Aspen HYSYS®. Multiple plasma pulses per day have been considered to verify the residual energy deposited in the superconducting magnets at the end of the plasma pulse. Preliminary 3D modeling using CATIA® has been performed along with the first level of component sizing.

Thermal Modeling and Cryogenic Design of a Helical Superconducting Undulator Cryostat

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shiroyanagi, Y.; Fuerst, J.; Hasse, Q.

A conceptual design for a helical superconducting undulator (HSCU) for the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has been completed. The device differs sufficiently from the existing APS planar superconducting undulator (SCU) design to warrant development of a new cryostat based on value engineering and lessons learned from the existing planar SCU. Changes include optimization of the existing cryocooler-based refrigeration system and thermal shield as well as cost reduction through the use of standard vacuum hardware. The end result is a design that provides significantly larger 4.2 K refrigeration margin in a smaller package for greater installationmore » flexibility in the APS storage ring. This paper presents ANSYS-based thermal analysis of the cryostat, including estimated static and dynamic« less

Fringe Field Superconducting Switch

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-10-31

However, it is not believed that any known superconducting switch has all of these desirable 3 properties . 4 Many known superconducting devices rely on...will recognize, a weak link is a structure that does not in itself have superconducting properties , but 7 will allow a relatively small flow of tunnel... properties of the junction. 12 Thus, the operating parameters of conventional Josephson junctions tend to drift over time. This 13 shortcoming of

Production of low-Z ions in the Dresden superconducting electron ion beam source for medical particle therapy.

PubMed

Zschornack, G; Schwan, A; Ullmann, F; Grossmann, F; Ovsyannikov, V P; Ritter, E

2012-02-01

We report on experiments with a new superconducting electron beam ion source (EBIS-SC), the Dresden EBIS-SC, with the objective to meet the main requirements for their application in particle-therapy facilities. Synchrotrons as well as innovative accelerator concepts, such as high-gradient linacs which are driven by a large-current cyclotron (CYCLINACS) and direct drive RF linear accelerators may benefit from the advantages of EBISs in regard to their functional principle. First experimental studies of the production of low-Z ions such as H(+), H(2)(+), H(3)(+), C(4+), and C(6+) are presented. Particular attention is paid to the ion output, i.e., the number of ions per pulse and per second, respectively. Important beam parameters in this context are, among others, ion pulse shaping, pulse repetition rates, beam emittance, and ion energy spread.

Superconducting wind turbine generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abrahamsen, A. B.; Mijatovic, N.; Seiler, E.; Zirngibl, T.; Træholt, C.; Nørgård, P. B.; Pedersen, N. F.; Andersen, N. H.; Østergård, J.

2010-03-01

We have examined the potential of 10 MW superconducting direct drive generators to enter the European offshore wind power market and estimated that the production of about 1200 superconducting turbines until 2030 would correspond to 10% of the EU offshore market. The expected properties of future offshore turbines of 8 and 10 MW have been determined from an up-scaling of an existing 5 MW turbine and the necessary properties of the superconducting drive train are discussed. We have found that the absence of the gear box is the main benefit and the reduced weight and size is secondary. However, the main challenge of the superconducting direct drive technology is to prove that the reliability is superior to the alternative drive trains based on gearboxes or permanent magnets. A strategy of successive testing of superconducting direct drive trains in real wind turbines of 10 kW, 100 kW, 1 MW and 10 MW is suggested to secure the accumulation of reliability experience. Finally, the quantities of high temperature superconducting tape needed for a 10 kW and an extreme high field 10 MW generator are found to be 7.5 km and 1500 km, respectively. A more realistic estimate is 200-300 km of tape per 10 MW generator and it is concluded that the present production capacity of coated conductors must be increased by a factor of 36 by 2020, resulting in a ten times lower price of the tape in order to reach a realistic price level for the superconducting drive train.

New developments and applications of intense pulsed radiation sources at Sandia National Laboratories

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cook, D.

In the past thirty-six months, tremendous strides have been made in x-ray production using high-current z-pinches. Today, the x-ray energy (1.9 MJ) and power (200 TW) output of the Z accelerator (formerly PBFA-II) is the largest available in the laboratory. These z-pinch x-ray sources are being developed for research into the physics of high energy density plasmas of interest in weapon behavior and in inertial confinement fusion. Beyond the Z accelerator current of 20 MA, an extrapolation to the X-1 accelerator level of 60 MA may have the potential to drive high-yield ICF reactions at affordable cost if several challengingmore » technical problems can be overcome. New developments have also taken place at Sandia in the area of high current, mm-diameter electron beams for advanced hydrodynamic radiography. On SABRE, x-ray spot diameters were less than 2 mm with a dose of 100 R at 1 meter in a 40 ns pulse.« less

Tunable high-q superconducting notch filter

DOEpatents

Pang, C.S.; Falco, C.M.; Kampwirth, R.T.; Schuller, I.K.

1979-11-29

A superconducting notch filter is made of three substrates disposed in a cryogenic environment. A superconducting material is disposed on one substrate in a pattern of a circle and an annular ring connected together. The second substrate has a corresponding pattern to form a parallel plate capacitor and the second substrate has the circle and annular ring connected by a superconducting spiral that forms an inductor. The third substrate has a superconducting spiral that is placed parallel to the first superconducting spiral to form a transformer. Relative motion of the first substrate with respect to the second is effected from outside the cryogenic environment to vary the capacitance and hence the frequency of the resonant circuit formed by the superconducting devices.

Pulsed Energy Systems for Generating Plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rose, M. Franklin; Shotts, Z.

2005-01-01

This paper will describe the techniques needed to electrically generate highly ionized dense plasmas for a variety of applications. The components needed in pulsed circuits are described in terms of general performance parameters currently available from commercial vendors. Examples of pulsed systems using these components are described and technical data from laboratory experiments presented. Experimental data are given for point designs, capable of multi-megawatt power levels.

119Sn-NMR investigations on superconducting Ca 3Ir 4Sn 13: Evidence for multigap superconductivity

DOE PAGES

Sarkar, R.; Petrovic, C.; Bruckner, F.; ...

2015-09-25

In this study, we report bulk superconductivity (SC) in Ca 3Ir 4Sn 13 by means of 119Sn nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. Two classical signatures of BCS superconductivity in spin-lattice relaxation rate (1/T 1), namely the Hebel–Slichter coherence peak just below the T c, and the exponential decay in the superconducting phase, are evident. The noticeable decrease of 119Sn Knight shift below T c indicates spin-singlet superconductivity. The temperature dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation rate 119(1/T 1) is convincingly described by the multigap isotropic superconducting gap. NMR experiments do not witness any sign of enhanced spin fluctuations.

Phase slips in superconducting weak links

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kimmel, Gregory; Glatz, Andreas; Aranson, Igor S.

2017-01-01

Superconducting vortices and phase slips are primary mechanisms of dissipation in superconducting, superfluid, and cold-atom systems. While the dynamics of vortices is fairly well described, phase slips occurring in quasi-one- dimensional superconducting wires still elude understanding. The main reason is that phase slips are strongly nonlinear time-dependent phenomena that cannot be cast in terms of small perturbations of the superconducting state. Here we study phase slips occurring in superconducting weak links. Thanks to partial suppression of superconductivity in weak links, we employ a weakly nonlinear approximation for dynamic phase slips. This approximation is not valid for homogeneous superconducting wires andmore » slabs. Using the numerical solution of the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation and bifurcation analysis of stationary solutions, we show that the onset of phase slips occurs via an infinite period bifurcation, which is manifested in a specific voltage-current dependence. Our analytical results are in good agreement with simulations.« less

Superconductivity and the environment: a Roadmap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishijima, Shigehiro; Eckroad, Steven; Marian, Adela; Choi, Kyeongdal; Kim, Woo Seok; Terai, Motoaki; Deng, Zigang; Zheng, Jun; Wang, Jiasu; Umemoto, Katsuya; Du, Jia; Febvre, Pascal; Keenan, Shane; Mukhanov, Oleg; Cooley, Lance D.; Foley, Cathy P.; Hassenzahl, William V.; Izumi, Mitsuru

2013-11-01

There is universal agreement between the United Nations and governments from the richest to the poorest nations that humanity faces unprecedented global challenges relating to sustainable energy, clean water, low-emission transportation, coping with climate change and natural disasters, and reclaiming use of land. We have invited researchers from a range of eclectic research areas to provide a Roadmap of how superconducting technologies could address these major challenges confronting humanity. Superconductivity has, over the century since its discovery by Kamerlingh Onnes in 1911, promised to provide solutions to many challenges. So far, most superconducting technologies are esoteric systems that are used in laboratories and hospitals. Large science projects have long appreciated the ability of superconductivity to efficiently create high magnetic fields that are otherwise very costly to achieve with ordinary materials. The most successful applications outside of large science are high-field magnets for magnetic resonance imaging, laboratory magnetometers for mineral and materials characterization, filters for mobile communications, and magnetoencephalography for understanding the human brain. The stage is now set for superconductivity to make more general contributions. Humanity uses practically unthinkable amounts of energy to drive our modern way of life. Overall, global power usage has been predicted to almost double from 16.5 to 30 TW in the next four decades (2011 Equinox Summit: Energy 2030 http://wgsi.org/publications-resources). The economy with which electrons carry energy compels the continued quest for efficient superconducting power generation, energy storage, and power transmission. The growing global population requires new arable land and treatment of water, especially in remote areas, and superconductivity offers unique solutions to these problems. Exquisite detectors give warning of changes that are otherwise invisible. Prediction of climate and

Coherent control and storage of a microwave pulse in a one-dimensional array of artificial atoms using the Autler-Townes effect and electromagnetically induced transparency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayaz, M. Q.; Waqas, Mohsin; Qamar, Sajid; Qamar, Shahid

2018-02-01

In this paper we propose a scheme for coherent control and storage of a microwave pulse in superconducting circuits exploiting the idea of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and the Aulter-Townes (AT) effect. We show that superconducting artificial atoms in a four-level tripod configuration act as EIT based coherent microwave (μ w ) memories with gain features, when they are attached to a one-dimensional transmission line. These atoms are allowed to interact with three microwave fields, such that there are two control fields and one probe field. Our proposed system works in such a way that one control field with large Rabi frequency when interacting with atoms, produces the AT effect. While the second control field with relatively small Rabi frequency produces EIT in one of the absorption windows produced due to the AT splitting for the weak probe field. The group velocity of the probe pulse reduces significantly through this EIT window. Interestingly, the output intensity of the probe pulse increases as we increase the number of artificial atoms. Our results show that the probe microwave pulse can be stored and retrieved with high fidelity.

Operational Merits of Maritime Superconductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, R.; Bosklopper, J. J.; van der Meij, K. H.

The perspective of superconductivity to transfer currents without loss is very appealing in high power applications. In the maritime sector many machines and systems exist in the roughly 1-100 MW range and the losses are well over 50%, which calls for dramatic efficiency improvements. This paper reports on three studies that aimed at the perspectives of superconductivity in the maritime sector. It is important to realize that the introduction of superconductivity comprises two technology transitions namely firstly electrification i.e. the transition from mechanical drives to electric drives and secondly the transition from normal to superconductive electrical machinery. It is concluded that superconductivity does reduce losses, but its impact on the total energy chain is of little significance compared to the investments and the risk of introducing a very promising but as yet not proven technology in the harsh maritime environment. The main reason of the little impact is that the largest losses are imposed on the system by the fossil fueled generators as prime movers that generate the electricity through mechanical torque. Unless electric power is supplied by an efficient and reliable technology that does not involve mechanical torque with the present losses both normal as well as superconductive electrification of the propulsion will hardly improve energy efficiency or may even reduce it. One exception may be the application of degaussing coils. Still appealing merits of superconductivity do exist, but they are rather related to the behavior of superconductive machines and strong magnetic fields and consequently reduction in volume and mass of machinery or (sometimes radically) better performance. The merits are rather convenience, design flexibility as well as novel applications and capabilities which together yield more adequate systems. These may yield lower operational costs in the long run, but at present the added value of superconductivity rather seems more

High Tc superconducting bolometric and nonbolometric infrared (IR) detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lakeou, Samuel

1995-01-01

Activities carried out during the reporting period are summarized. The workplan for the period August 1994 to August 1995 included the following: (1) expansion of the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory to include stand-alone optical response and noise measurement setups; (2) study the low frequency excess electrical noise in YBCO films; and (3) enhancement of the academic support component of the project through increased student and faculty participation. Abstracts of papers submitted for publication during this reporting period are included as attachments.

Ultrafast electron diffraction with megahertz MeV electron pulses from a superconducting radio-frequency photoinjector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feng, L. W.; Lin, L.; Huang, S. L.

We report ultrafast relativistic electron diffraction operating at the megahertz repetition rate where the electron beam is produced in a superconducting radio-frequency (rf) photoinjector. We show that the beam quality is sufficiently high to provide clear diffraction patterns from gold and aluminium samples. With the number of electrons, several orders of magnitude higher than that from a normal conducting photocathode rf gun, such high repetition rate ultrafast MeV electron diffraction may open up many new opportunities in ultrafast science.

Superconducting thermoelectric generator

DOEpatents

Metzger, J.D.; El-Genk, M.S.

1994-01-01

Thermoelectricity is produced by applying a temperature differential to dissimilar electrically conducting or semiconducting materials, thereby producing a voltage that is proportional to the temperature difference. Thermoelectric generators use this effect to directly convert heat into electricity; however, presently-known generators have low efficiencies due to the production of high currents which in turn cause large resistive heating losses. Some thermoelectric generators operate at efficiencies between 4% and 7% in the 800{degrees} to 1200{degrees}C range. According to its major aspects and bradly stated, the present invention is an apparatus and method for producing electricity from heat. In particular, the invention is a thermoelectric generator that juxtaposes a superconducting material and a semiconducting material - so that the superconducting and the semiconducting materials touch - to convert heat energy into electrical energy without resistive losses in the temperature range below the critical temperature of the superconducting material. Preferably, an array of superconducting material is encased in one of several possible configurations within a second material having a high thermal conductivity, preferably a semiconductor, to form a thermoelectric generator.

Force-free electromagnetic pulses in a laboratory plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stenzel, R. L.; Urrutia, J. M.

1990-01-01

A short, intense current pulse is drawn from an electrode immersed in a magnetized afterglow plasma. The induced magnetic field B(r,t) assumes the shape of a helical double vortex which propagates along B(0) through the uniform plasma as a whistler mode. The observations support a prediction of force-free (J x B + neE = 0) electromagnetic fields and solitary waves. Energy and helicity are approximately conserved.

Superconducting Cable Having A Felexible Former

DOEpatents

Hughey, Raburn L.; Sinha, Uday K.; Reece, David S.; Muller, Albert C.

2005-03-15

In order to provide a flexible oxide superconducting cable which is reduced in AC loss, tape-shaped superconducting wires covered with a stabilizing metal are wound on a flexible former. The superconducting wires are preferably laid on the former at a bending strain of not more than 0.2%. In laying on the former, a number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on a core member in a side-by-side manner, to form a first layer. A prescribed number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on top of the first layer in a side-by-side manner, to form a second layer. The former may be made of a metal, plastic, reinforced plastic, polymer, or a composite and provides flexibility to the superconducting wires and the cable formed therewith.

Superconducting Cable Having A Flexible Former

DOEpatents

Hughey, Raburn L.; Sinha, Uday K.; Reece, David S.; Muller, Albert C.

2005-08-30

In order to provide a flexible oxide superconducting cable which is reduced in AC loss, tape-shaped superconducting wires covered with a stabilizing metal are wound on a flexible former. The superconducting wires are preferably laid on the former at a bending strain of not more than 0.2%. In laying on the former, a number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on a core member in a side-by-side manner, to form a first layer. A prescribed number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on top of the first layer in a side-by-side manner, to form a second layer. The former may be made of a metal, plastic, reinforced plastic, polymer, or a composite and provides flexibility to the superconducting wires and the cable formed therewith.

First-Principles Study of Superconductivity in Ultra- thin Pb Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noffsinger, Jesse; Cohen, Marvin L.

2010-03-01

Recently, superconductivity in ultrathin layered Pb has been confirmed in samples with as few as two atomic layers [S. Qin, J. Kim, Q. Niu, and C.-K. Shih, Science 2009]. Interestingly, the prototypical strong-coupling superconductor exhibits different Tc's for differing surface reconstructions in samples with only two monolayers. Additionally, Tc is seen to oscillate as the number of atomic layers is increased. Using first principles techniques based on Wannier functions, we analyze the electronic structure, lattice dynamics and electron-phonon coupling for varying thicknesses and surface reconstructions of layered Pb. We discuss results as they relate to superconductivity in the bulk, for which accurate calculations of superconducting properties can be compared to experiment [W. L. McMillan and J.M. Rowell, PRL 1965]. This work was supported by National Science Foundation Grant No. DMR07-05941, the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. Computational resources have been provided by the Lawrencium computational cluster resource provided by the IT Division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Supported by the Director, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231)

Superconducting fault current-limiter with variable shunt impedance

DOEpatents

Llambes, Juan Carlos H; Xiong, Xuming

2013-11-19

A superconducting fault current-limiter is provided, including a superconducting element configured to resistively or inductively limit a fault current, and one or more variable-impedance shunts electrically coupled in parallel with the superconducting element. The variable-impedance shunt(s) is configured to present a first impedance during a superconducting state of the superconducting element and a second impedance during a normal resistive state of the superconducting element. The superconducting element transitions from the superconducting state to the normal resistive state responsive to the fault current, and responsive thereto, the variable-impedance shunt(s) transitions from the first to the second impedance. The second impedance of the variable-impedance shunt(s) is a lower impedance than the first impedance, which facilitates current flow through the variable-impedance shunt(s) during a recovery transition of the superconducting element from the normal resistive state to the superconducting state, and thus, facilitates recovery of the superconducting element under load.

Recirculating 1-K-Pot for Pulse-Tube Cryostats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paine, Christopher T.; Naylor, Bret J.; Prouve, Thomas

2013-01-01

A paper describes a 1-K-pot that works with a commercial pulse tube cooler for astrophysics instrumentation testbeds that require temperatures <1.7 K. Pumped liquid helium-4 cryostats were commonly used to achieve this temperature. However, liquid helium-4 cryostats are being replaced with cryostats using pulse tube coolers. The closed-cycle 1K-pot system for the pulse tube cooler requires a heat exchanger on the pulse tube, a flow restriction, pump-out line, and pump system that recirculates helium-4. The heat exchanger precools and liquefies helium- 4 gas at the 2.5 to 3.5 K pulse tube cold head. This closed-cycle 1-K-pot system was designed to work with commercially available laboratory pulse tube coolers. It was built using common laboratory equipment such as stainless steel tubing and a mechanical pump. The system is self-contained and requires only common wall power to operate. The lift of 15 mW at 1.1 K and base temperature of 0.97 K are provided continuously. The system can be scaled to higher heat lifts of .30 to 50 mW if desired. Ground-based telescopes could use this innovation to improve the efficiency of existing cryo

Superconducting gyroscope research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendricks, J. B.; Karr, G. R.

1985-01-01

Four basic areas of research and development of superconducting gyroscopes are studied. Chapter 1 studies the analysis of a SQUID readout for a superconducting gyroscope. Chapter 2 studies the dependence of spin-up torque on channel and gas properties. Chapter 3 studies the theory of super fluid plug operation. And chapter 4 studies the gyro rotor and housing manufacture.

A new 2 Kelvin Superconducting Half-Wave Cavity Cryomodule for PIP-II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conway, Z. A.; Barcikowski, A.; Cherry, G. L.; Fischer, R. L.; Gerbick, S. M.; Jansma, W. G.; Kedzie, M. J.; Kelly, M. P.; Kim, S.-h.; Lebedev, V. A.; MacDonald, S. W. T.; Nicol, T. H.; Ostroumov, P. N.; Reid, T. C.; Shepard, K. W.; White, M. J.

2015-12-01

Argonne National Laboratory has developed and is implementing a novel 2 K superconducting cavity cryomodule operating at 162.5 MHz. This cryomodule is designed for the acceleration of 2 mA H-/proton beams from 2.1 to 10 MeV as part of the Fermilab Proton Improvement Project-II (PIP-II). This work is an evolution of techniques recently implemented in two previous heavy-ion accelerator cryomodules now operating at Argonne National Laboratory. The 2 K cryomodule is comprised of 8 half-wave cavities operated in the continuous wave mode with 8 superconducting magnets, one in front of each cavity. All of the solenoids and cavities operate off of a single gravity fed 2 K helium cryogenic system expected to provide up to 50 W of 2 K cooling. Here we review the mechanical design of the cavities and cryomodule which were developed using methods similar to those required in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. This will include an overview of the cryomodule layout, the alignment of the accelerator components via modifications of the cryomodule vacuum vessel and provide a status report on the cryomodule assembly.

Reliable, Practical Kilowatt-class Cryogenics for Superconducting Devices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spoor, Philip

2016-12-15

Following the successful development of a Flexibly-Attached Remote cryocooler for ~200W at 80K under a Phase II DOE grant, Clever Fellows Innovation Consortium, Inc. (dba CFIC-Qdrive; acquired by Chart Industries in 2012) was invited by the DOE to scale up this technology to ~1000W/80K in a Phase III program. This target is responsive to the “Cryogenics Roadmap” developed by the DOE to accelerate the development of cryogenic cooling necessary to support the emerging superconducting power applications. Mirroring the Roadmap, our proposal included a capacity target (1000W at 80K) and a cost target (<$40/watt, at 80K), but unlike the Roadmap, wemore » did not formally propose to meet a specific efficiency target. We achieved 75% of the capacity target, with a record-size coaxial “pulse-tube” coldfinger, but only by working on the project well beyond the original “period of performance” on unfunded extension. We believe 100% of the capacity target was within reach, but our own budget and time constraints forbade additional effort. We were less successful in meeting the cost targets. Ultimately, the specific configuration that was the subject of Phase III was not commercialized, largely because the market for superconducting devices has not been nearly as robust as was expected at the advent of the Roadmap.« less

Electron pairing without superconductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levy, Jeremy

Strontium titanate (SrTiO3) is the first and best known superconducting semiconductor. It exhibits an extremely low carrier density threshold for superconductivity, and possesses a phase diagram similar to that of high-temperature superconductors--two factors that suggest an unconventional pairing mechanism. Despite sustained interest for 50 years, direct experimental insight into the nature of electron pairing in SrTiO3 has remained elusive. Here we perform transport experiments with nanowire-based single-electron transistors at the interface between SrTiO3 and a thin layer of lanthanum aluminate, LaAlO3. Electrostatic gating reveals a series of two-electron conductance resonances--paired electron states--that bifurcate above a critical pairing field Bp of about 1-4 tesla, an order of magnitude larger than the superconducting critical magnetic field. For magnetic fields below Bp, these resonances are insensitive to the applied magnetic field; for fields in excess of Bp, the resonances exhibit a linear Zeeman-like energy splitting. Electron pairing is stable at temperatures as high as 900 millikelvin, well above the superconducting transition temperature (about 300 millikelvin). These experiments demonstrate the existence of a robust electronic phase in which electrons pair without forming a superconducting state. Key experimental signatures are captured by a model involving an attractive Hubbard interaction that describes real-space electron pairing as a precursor to superconductivity. Support from AFOSR, ONR, ARO, NSF, DOE and NSSEFF is gratefully acknowledged.

Superconductivity in an electron band just above the Fermi level: possible route to BCS-BEC superconductivity.

PubMed

Okazaki, K; Ito, Y; Ota, Y; Kotani, Y; Shimojima, T; Kiss, T; Watanabe, S; Chen, C-T; Niitaka, S; Hanaguri, T; Takagi, H; Chainani, A; Shin, S

2014-02-28

Conventional superconductivity follows Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer(BCS) theory of electrons-pairing in momentum-space, while superfluidity is the Bose-Einstein condensation(BEC) of atoms paired in real-space. These properties of solid metals and ultra-cold gases, respectively, are connected by the BCS-BEC crossover. Here we investigate the band dispersions in FeTe(0.6)Se(0.4)(Tc = 14.5 K ~ 1.2 meV) in an accessible range below and above the Fermi level(EF) using ultra-high resolution laser angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We uncover an electron band lying just 0.7 meV (~8 K) above EF at the Γ-point, which shows a sharp superconducting coherence peak with gap formation below Tc. The estimated superconducting gap Δ and Fermi energy [Symbol: see text]F indicate composite superconductivity in an iron-based superconductor, consisting of strong-coupling BEC in the electron band and weak-coupling BCS-like superconductivity in the hole band. The study identifies the possible route to BCS-BEC superconductivity.

Superconducting Mixers for Far-Infrared Spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Betz, A. L.; Boreiko, R. T.; Grossman, E. R.; Reintsema, C. D.; Ono, R. H.; Gerecht, E.

2002-01-01

The goal of this project was to fabricate and test planar arrays of superconducting mixers for the 2-6 THz band. The technology is intended for multi-beam receivers aboard Explorer-class missions and the SOFIA Airborne Observatory. The mixer technology is the superconducting transition-edge microbolometer, which is more commonly known as the Hot-Electron micro-Bolometer (HEB). As originally proposed, two superconducting technologies were to be developed: (1) low-Tc niobium HEBs which could approach quantum-noise-limited sensitivities but require cooling to 2- 4 K, and (2) high-Tc YBCO HEBs with sensitivities 10 times worse but with a relaxed cooling requirement of 30-60 K. The low-Tc devices would be best for astronomy applications on SOFIA, whereas the high-Tc devices would be more suitable for planetary missions using systems without stored cryogens. The work plan called for planar micro-fabrication and initial testing of HEB devices at the NIST Boulder clean-room facility. Subsequent assembly and RF testing of selected devices would be done at the CASA laboratory at U. Colorado. Approximately 1-year after work began on this project, Dr. Eyal Gerecht joined the NIST group, and assumed day-to-day responsibility for Nb-HEB development at NIST outside of micro-fabrication. The YBCO-HEB work was to be guided by Dr. Ron Ono, who was the NIST expert in YBCO technology. Unfortunately, recurrent health problems limited the time Ron could devote to the project in its first year. These problems became aggravated in early 2001, and sadly led to Ron's death in October, 2001. His loss was not only a blow to his friends and associates at NIST, but was mounted by the US superconductivity community at large. With his passing, work on high-Tc HEBs ceased at NIST. There was no one to replace him or his expertise. Our work subsequently shifted solely to Nb-HEB devices. In the sections which follow, our progress in the development of diffusion-cooled Nb-HEB mixers is detailed. To

Optogenetic light pulses generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erofeev, A. I.; Matveev, M. V.; Zakharova, O. A.; Terekhin, S. G.; Kilimnik, V. A.; Bezprozvanny, I. B.; Vlasova, O. L.

2017-11-01

To date, optogenetics is one of the most popular methods in the world in neuroscience. There are new equipment and devices created to keep the progress of this method. This article describes a light pulse generator developed at the Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, designed for optogenetic experiments.

Superconducting thin-film gyroscope readout for Gravity Probe-B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lockhart, James M.; Cheung, W. Stephen; Gill, Dale K.

1987-01-01

The high-resolution gyroscope readout system for the Stanford Gravity Probe-B experiment, whose purpose is to measure two general relativistic precessions of gyroscopes in earth orbit, is described. In order to achieve the required resolution in angle (0.001 arcsec), the readout system combines high-precision mechanical fabrication and measurement techniques with superconducting thin-film technology, ultralow magnetic fields, and SQUID detectors. The system design, performance limits achievable with current technology, and the results of fabrication and laboratory testing to date are discussed.

Oxide-based platform for reconfigurable superconducting nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Veazey, Joshua P; Cheng, Guanglei; Irvin, Patrick; Cen, Cheng; Bogorin, Daniela F; Bi, Feng; Huang, Mengchen; Bark, Chung-Wung; Ryu, Sangwoo; Cho, Kwang-Hwan; Eom, Chang-Beom; Levy, Jeremy

2013-09-20

We report quasi-1D superconductivity at the interface of LaAlO3 and SrTiO3. The material system and nanostructure fabrication method supply a new platform for superconducting nanoelectronics. Nanostructures having line widths w ~ 10 nm are formed from the parent two-dimensional electron liquid using conductive atomic force microscope lithography. Nanowire cross-sections are small compared to the superconducting coherence length in LaAlO3/SrTiO3, placing them in the quasi-1D regime. Broad superconducting transitions versus temperature and finite resistances in the superconducting state well below Tc ≈ 200 mK are observed, suggesting the presence of fluctuation- and heating-induced resistance. The superconducting resistances and V-I characteristics are tunable through the use of a back gate. Four-terminal resistances in the superconducting state show an unusual dependence on the current path, varying by as much as an order of magnitude. This new technology, i.e., the ability to 'write' gate-tunable superconducting nanostructures on an insulating LaAlO3/SrTiO3 'canvas', opens possibilities for the development of new families of reconfigurable superconducting nanoelectronics.

Using superconducting undulator for enhanced imaging capabilities of MaRIE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yampolsky, Nikolai

MaRIE x-ray free electron laser (FEL) is envisioned to deliver a burst of closely spaced in time pulses for enabling the capability of studying the dynamic processes in a sample. MaRIE capability can be largely enhanced using the superconducting undulator, which has the capability of doubling its period. This technology will allow reaching the photon energy as low as ~200-500 eV. As a result, the MaRIE facility will have a broader photon energy range enabling a larger variety of experiments. The soft x-ray capability is more likely to achieve the 3D imaging of dynamic processes in noncrystal materials than themore » hard x-ray capability alone.« less

Effectiveness of enhanced pulse oximetry sonifications for conveying oxygen saturation ranges: a laboratory comparison of five auditory displays.

PubMed

Paterson, E; Sanderson, P M; Paterson, N A B; Loeb, R G

2017-12-01

Anaesthetists monitor auditory information about a patient's vital signs in an environment that can be noisy and while performing other cognitively demanding tasks. It can be difficult to identify oxygen saturation (SpO2) values using existing pulse oximeter auditory displays (sonifications). In a laboratory setting, we compared the ability of non-clinician participants to detect transitions into and out of an SpO2 target range using five different sonifications while they performed a secondary distractor arithmetic task in the presence of background noise. The control sonification was based on the auditory display of current pulse oximeters and comprised a variable pitch with an alarm. The four experimental conditions included an Alarm Only condition, a Variable pitch only condition, and two conditions using sonifications enhanced with additional sound dimensions. Accuracy to detect SpO2 target transitions was the primary outcome. We found that participants using the two sonifications enhanced with the additional sound dimensions of tremolo and brightness were significantly more accurate (83 and 96%, respectively) at detecting transitions to and from a target SpO2 range than participants using a pitch only sonification plus alarms (57%) as implemented in current pulse oximeters. Enhanced sonifications are more informative than conventional sonification. The implication is that they might allow anaesthetists to judge better when desaturation decreases below, or returns to, a target range. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Inflight resistance measurement on high-T(sub c) superconducting thin films exposed to orbital atomic oxygen on CONCAP-2 (STS-46)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gregory, J. C.; Raiker, G. N.; Bijvoet, J. A.; Nerren, P. D.; Sutherland, W. T.; Mogro-Camperso, A.; Turner, L. G.; Kwok, Hoi; Raistrick, I. D.; Cross, J. B.

1995-01-01

In 1992, UAH (University of Alabama in Huntsville) conducted a unique experiment on STS-46 in which YBa2Cu3O7 (commonly known as '1-2-3' superconductor) high-T(c) superconducting thin film samples prepared at three different laboratories were exposed to 5 eV atomic oxygen in low Earth orbit on the ambient and 320 C hot plate during the first flight of the CONCAP-2 (Complex Autonomous Payload) experiment carrier. The resistance of the thin films was measured in flight during the atomic oxygen exposure and heating cycle. Superconducting properties were measured in the laboratory before and after the flight by the individual experimenters. Films with good superconducting properties, and which were exposed to the oxygen flux, survived the flight including those heated to 320 C (600 K) with properties essentially unchanged, while other samples which were heated but not exposed to oxygen were degraded. The properties of other flight controls held at ambient temperature appear unchanged and indistinguishable from those of ground controls, whether exposed to oxygen or not.

A Superfluid Pulse Tube Refrigerator Without Moving Parts for Sub-Kelvin Cooling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Franklin K.

2012-01-01

A report describes a pulse tube refrigerator that uses a mixture of He-3 and superfluid He-4 to cool to temperatures below 300 mK, while rejecting heat at temperatures up to 1.7 K. The refrigerator is driven by a novel thermodynamically reversible pump that is capable of pumping the He-3 He-4 mixture without the need for moving parts. The refrigerator consists of a reversible thermal magnetic pump module, two warm heat exchangers, a recuperative heat exchanger, two cold heat exchangers, two pulse tubes, and an orifice. It is two superfluid pulse tubes that run 180 out of phase. All components of this machine except the reversible thermal pump have been demonstrated at least as proof-of-concept physical models in previous superfluid Stirling cycle machines. The pump consists of two canisters packed with pieces of gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG). The canisters are connected by a superleak (a porous piece of VYCOR glass). A superconducting magnetic coil surrounds each of the canisters.

Potential damage to DC superconducting magnets due to the high frequency electromagnetic waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gabriel, G. J.

1977-01-01

Experimental data are presented in support of the hypothesis that a dc superconducting magnet coil does not behave strictly as an inductor, but as a complicated electrodynamic device capable of supporting electromagnetic waves. Travel times of nanosecond pulses and evidence of sinusoidal standing waves were observed on a prototype four-layer solenoidal coil at room temperature. Ringing observed during switching transients appears as a sequence of multiple reflected square pulses whose durations are related to the layer lengths. With sinusoidal excitation of the coil, the voltage amplitude between a pair of points on the coil exhibits maxima at those frequencies such that the distance between these points is an odd multiple of half wavelength in free space. Evidence indicates that any disturbance, such as that resulting from switching or sudden fault, initiates multiple reflections between layers, thus raising the possibility for sufficiently high voltages to cause breakdown.

Percolating transport in superconducting nanoparticle films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fostner, Shawn; Nande, Amol; Smith, Alex; Martinez Gazoni, Rodrigo; Grigg, Jack; Temst, Kristiaan; Van Bael, Margriet J.; Brown, Simon A.

2017-12-01

Nanostructured and disordered superconductors exhibit many exotic fundamental phenomena, and also have many possible applications. We show here that films of superconducting lead nanoparticles with a wide range of particle coverages, exhibit non-linear V(I) characteristics that are consistent with percolation theory. Specifically, it is found that V ∝(I-Ic) a , where a = 2.1 ± 0.2, independent of both temperature and particle coverage, and that the measured critical currents (Ic) are also consistent with percolation models. For samples with low normal state resistances, this behaviour is observable only in pulsed current measurements, which suppress heating effects. We show that the present results are not explained by vortex unbinding [Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless] physics, which is expected in such samples, but which gives rise to a different power law behaviour. Finally, we compare our results to previous calculations and simulations, and conclude that further theoretical developments are required to explain the high level of consistency in the measured exponents a.

Superconductivity in highly disordered dense carbon disulfide

PubMed Central

Dias, Ranga P.; Yoo, Choong-Shik; Struzhkin, Viktor V.; Kim, Minseob; Muramatsu, Takaki; Matsuoka, Takahiro; Ohishi, Yasuo; Sinogeikin, Stanislav

2013-01-01

High pressure plays an increasingly important role in both understanding superconductivity and the development of new superconducting materials. New superconductors were found in metallic and metal oxide systems at high pressure. However, because of the filled close-shell configuration, the superconductivity in molecular systems has been limited to charge-transferred salts and metal-doped carbon species with relatively low superconducting transition temperatures. Here, we report the low-temperature superconducting phase observed in diamagnetic carbon disulfide under high pressure. The superconductivity arises from a highly disordered extended state (CS4 phase or phase III[CS4]) at ∼6.2 K over a broad pressure range from 50 to 172 GPa. Based on the X-ray scattering data, we suggest that the local structural change from a tetrahedral to an octahedral configuration is responsible for the observed superconductivity. PMID:23818624

Superconductivity in highly disordered dense carbon disulfide.

PubMed

Dias, Ranga P; Yoo, Choong-Shik; Struzhkin, Viktor V; Kim, Minseob; Muramatsu, Takaki; Matsuoka, Takahiro; Ohishi, Yasuo; Sinogeikin, Stanislav

2013-07-16

High pressure plays an increasingly important role in both understanding superconductivity and the development of new superconducting materials. New superconductors were found in metallic and metal oxide systems at high pressure. However, because of the filled close-shell configuration, the superconductivity in molecular systems has been limited to charge-transferred salts and metal-doped carbon species with relatively low superconducting transition temperatures. Here, we report the low-temperature superconducting phase observed in diamagnetic carbon disulfide under high pressure. The superconductivity arises from a highly disordered extended state (CS4 phase or phase III[CS4]) at ~6.2 K over a broad pressure range from 50 to 172 GPa. Based on the X-ray scattering data, we suggest that the local structural change from a tetrahedral to an octahedral configuration is responsible for the observed superconductivity.

Suppressed Superconductivity on the Surface of Superconducting RF Quality Niobium for Particle Accelerating Cavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sung, Z. H.; Polyanskii, A. A.; Lee, P. J.; Gurevich, A.; Larbalestier, D. C.

2011-03-01

Significant performance degradation of superconducting RF (radio frequency) niobium cavities in high RF field is strongly associated with the breakdown of superconductivity on localized multi-scale surface defects lying within the 40 nm penetration depth. These defects may be on the nanometer scale, like grain boundaries and dislocations or even at the much larger scale of surface roughness and welding pits. By combining multiple superconducting characterization techniques including magneto-optical (MO) imaging and direct transport measurement with non-contact characterization of the surface topology using scanning confocal microscopy, we were able to show clear evidence of suppression of surface superconductivity at chemically treated RF-quality niobium. We found that pinning of vortices along GBs is weaker than pinning of vortices in the grains, which may indicate suppressed superfluid density on GBs. We also directly measured the local magnetic characteristics of BCP-treated Nb sample surface using a micro-Hall sensor in order to further understanding of the effect of surface topological features on the breakdown of superconducting state in RF mode.

Superconductive articles including cerium oxide layer

DOEpatents

Wu, Xin D.; Muenchausen, Ross E.

1993-01-01

A ceramic superconductor comprising a metal oxide substrate, a ceramic high temperature superconductive material, and a intermediate layer of a material having a cubic crystal structure, said layer situated between the substrate and the superconductive material is provided, and a structure for supporting a ceramic superconducting material is provided, said structure comprising a metal oxide substrate, and a layer situated over the surface of the substrate to substantially inhibit interdiffusion between the substrate and a ceramic superconducting material deposited upon said structure.

Gain and Efficiency of a Superconducting Microwave Compressor with a Switching Cavity in an Interference Switch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artemenko, S. N.; Samoylenko, G. M.

2016-11-01

We study the processes of radiation output from a microwave storage cavity through a superconducting interference switch, which is based on a H-junction with a superconducting switching cavity connected to the side branch of the junction for various ways of controlling the parameters of the switching cavity. It is shown that efficient control over radiation output in such a switch can be achieved by varying the resonance frequency or Q-factor of the switching cavity, as well as by varying these parameters simultaneously. It is found that in the case of controlling the resonance frequency of the switching cavity, there exists an optimal interval of the frequency variation, within which the total efficiency and extraction efficiency are maximum. When the Q-factor of the switching cavity changes, the dependence of the total efficiency and extraction efficiency on the Q-factor has the monotonic character. The mixed regime of radiation output control is also studied. The envelopes of the output compressor pulses are plotted on the basis of recurrent relationships between the amplitudes of the waves in the system for three regimes of switch operation. It is shown that pulses with an almost rectangular shape of the envelope can be formed in the regime of controlling the switching cavity by varying the Q-factor. An example of possible realization of the switching cavity is considered.

Superconducting quantum circuits theory and application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Xiuhao

Superconducting quantum circuit models are widely used to understand superconducting devices. This thesis consists of four studies wherein the superconducting quantum circuit is used to illustrate challenges related to quantum information encoding and processing, quantum simulation, quantum signal detection and amplification. The existence of scalar Aharanov-Bohm phase has been a controversial topic for decades. Scalar AB phase, defined as time integral of electric potential, gives rises to an extra phase factor in wavefunction. We proposed a superconducting quantum Faraday cage to detect temporal interference effect as a consequence of scalar AB phase. Using the superconducting quantum circuit model, the physical system is solved and resulting AB effect is predicted. Further discussion in this chapter shows that treating the experimental apparatus quantum mechanically, spatial scalar AB effect, proposed by Aharanov-Bohm, can't be observed. Either a decoherent interference apparatus is used to observe spatial scalar AB effect, or a quantum Faraday cage is used to observe temporal scalar AB effect. The second study involves protecting a quantum system from losing coherence, which is crucial to any practical quantum computation scheme. We present a theory to encode any qubit, especially superconducting qubits, into a universal quantum degeneracy point (UQDP) where low frequency noise is suppressed significantly. Numerical simulations for superconducting charge qubit using experimental parameters show that its coherence time is prolong by two orders of magnitude using our universal degeneracy point approach. With this improvement, a set of universal quantum gates can be performed at high fidelity without losing too much quantum coherence. Starting in 2004, the use of circuit QED has enabled the manipulation of superconducting qubits with photons. We applied quantum optical approach to model coupled resonators and obtained a four-wave mixing toolbox to operate photons

Single-pulse coherent diffraction imaging using soft x-ray laser.

PubMed

Kang, Hyon Chol; Kim, Hyung Taek; Kim, Sang Soo; Kim, Chan; Yu, Tae Jun; Lee, Seong Ku; Kim, Chul Min; Kim, I Jong; Sung, Jae Hee; Janulewicz, Karol A; Lee, Jongmin; Noh, Do Young

2012-05-15

We report a coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) using a single 8 ps soft x-ray laser pulse at a wavelength of 13.9 nm. The soft x-ray pulse was generated by a laboratory-scale intense pumping laser providing coherent x-ray pulses up to the level of 10(11) photons/pulse. A spatial resolution below 194 nm was achieved with a single pulse, and it was shown that a resolution below 55 nm is feasible with improved detector capability. The single-pulse CDI might provide a way to investigate dynamics of nanoscale molecules or particles.

Measuring the Transition Temperature of a Superconductor in a Pre-University Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ireson, Gren

2006-01-01

This article presents the methodology and results for a simple approach to the measurement of the transition temperature of a superconducting material, in a pre-university laboratory session, using readily available apparatus (and some liquid nitrogen).

Superconducting pipes and levitating magnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levin, Yan; Rizzato, Felipe B.

2006-12-01

Motivated by a beautiful demonstration of the Faraday and the Lenz laws in which a small neodymium magnet falls slowly through a conducting nonferromagnetic tube, we consider the dynamics of a magnet falling coaxially through a superconducting pipe. Unlike the case of normal conducting pipes, in which the magnet quickly reaches the terminal velocity, inside a superconducting tube the magnet falls freely. On the other hand, to enter the pipe the magnet must overcome a large electromagnetic energy barrier. For sufficiently strong magnets, the barrier is so large that the magnet will not be able to penetrate it and will be levitated over the mouth of the pipe. We calculate the work that must done to force the magnet to enter a superconducting tube. The calculations show that superconducting pipes are very efficient at screening magnetic fields. For example, the magnetic field of a dipole at the center of a short pipe of radius a and length L≳a decays, in the axial direction, with a characteristic length ξ≈0.26a . The efficient screening of the magnetic field might be useful for shielding highly sensitive superconducting quantum interference devices. Finally, the motion of the magnet through a superconducting pipe is compared and contrasted to the flow of ions through a trans-membrane channel.

Superconductive articles including cerium oxide layer

DOEpatents

Wu, X.D.; Muenchausen, R.E.

1993-11-16

A ceramic superconductor comprising a metal oxide substrate, a ceramic high temperature superconductive material, and a intermediate layer of a material having a cubic crystal structure, said layer situated between the substrate and the superconductive material is provided, and a structure for supporting a ceramic superconducting material is provided, said structure comprising a metal oxide substrate, and a layer situated over the surface of the substrate to substantially inhibit interdiffusion between the substrate and a ceramic superconducting material deposited upon said structure. 7 figures.

Overview of long pulse H-mode operation on EAST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, X.; Garofalo, A. M.; Wan, B.; Li, J.; Qian, J.; Li, E.; Liu, F.; Zhao, Y.; Wang, M.; Xu, H.; EAST Team

2017-10-01

The EAST research program aims to demonstrate steady-state long-pulse high-performance H-mode operations with ITER-like poloidal configuration and RF-dominated heating schemes. In the recent experimental campaign, a long pulse fully non-inductive H-mode discharge lasting over 100 seconds using the upper ITER-like tungsten divertor has been achieved in EAST. This scenario used only RF heating and current drive, but also benefitted from an integrated control of the wall conditioning, plasma configuration, divertor heat flux, particle exhaust, impurity management and superconducting coils safety. Maintaining effective coupling of multiple RF heating and current drive sources on EAST is a critical ingredient. This long pulse discharge had good energy confinement, H98,y2 1.1-1.2, and all of the plasma parameters reach a true steady-state. Power balance indicates that the confinement improvement is due partly to a significantly reduced core electron transport inside minor radius rho<0.4. This work was supported by the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Program of China Contract No. 2015GB10200 and the US Department of Energy Contract No. DE-SC0010685.

Multiband nodeless superconductivity near the charge-density-wave quantum critical point in ZrTe3-x Se x

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Cui; Lan-Po, He; Xiao-Chen, Hong; Xiang-De, Zhu; Cedomir, Petrovic; Shi-Yan, Li

2016-07-01

It was found that selenium doping can suppress the charge-density-wave (CDW) order and induce bulk superconductivity in ZrTe3. The observed superconducting dome suggests the existence of a CDW quantum critical point (QCP) in ZrTe3-x Se x near x ≈ 0.04. To elucidate the superconducting state near the CDW QCP, we measure the thermal conductivity of two ZrTe3-x Se x single crystals (x = 0.044 and 0.051) down to 80 mK. For both samples, the residual linear term κ 0/T at zero field is negligible, which is a clear evidence for nodeless superconducting gap. Furthermore, the field dependence of κ 0/T manifests a multigap behavior. These results demonstrate multiple nodeless superconducting gaps in ZrTe3-x Se x , which indicates conventional superconductivity despite of the existence of a CDW QCP. Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant Nos. 2012CB821402 and 2015CB921401), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 91421101, 11422429, and 11204312), the Program for Professor of Special Appointment (Eastern Scholar) at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning, China, and STCSM of China (Grant No. 15XD1500200). Work at Brookhaven National Laboratory was supported by the US DOE under Contract No. DESC00112704.

National Action Plan on Superconductivity Research and Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1989-12-01

The Superconductivity Action Plan pursuant to the Superconductivity and Competitiveness Act of 1988 is presented. The plan draws upon contributions from leaders in the technical community of the Federal Government responsible for research and development in superconductivity programs, as well as from the report of the Committee to Advise the President on Superconductivity. Input from leaders in the private sector was obtained during the formulation and review of the plan. Some contents: Coordination of the plan; Technical areas (high temperature superconductivity materials in general, high temperature superconductivity films for sensors and electronics, magnets, large area high temperature superconductivity films, bulk conductors); and Policy areas.

Francis Bitter National Laboratory quarterly progress report, July 1, 1972--September 30, 1972

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1972-10-31

Reports on research projects at Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory are presented on 19 different topics including the following: far infrared magneto-optics; quantum optics; soft x-rays and laser-produced plasmas; magneto-optical theory; magnetism and superconductivity; Mossbauer effect studies; superconducting thin films; amorphous semiconductors and superconductivity; nuclear magnetic resonance of biomolecules; low magnetic fields; superconducting medical magnet; magnetically guided catheters; magnetic separation; high current switching; development of guided electromagnetic flight; Alcator; high voltage discharges in cryocables; and low temperature thermometry in high magnetic fields. The Magnet Research and Technology Program and reports of visiting scientists are also included in this report. Reportsmore » on some research not supported by NSF are included, and the supporting agencies are indicated. A list of publications and speeches presented at meetings during the quarter covered by this report are included in an appendix.« less

Magnetic field dependence of high- T c interface superconductivity in L a 1.55 S r 0.45 Cu O 4 / L a 2 Cu O 4 heterostructures

DOE PAGES

Gasparov, V. A.; Drigo, L.; Audouard, A.; ...

2016-07-11

Heterostructures made of a layer of a cuprate insulator La 2CuO 4 on the top of a layer of a nonsuperconducting cuprate metal La 1.55Sr 0.45CuO 4 show high-T c interface superconductivity confined within a single CuO 2 plane. Given this extreme quasi-two-dimensional quantum confinement, it is of interest to find out how interface superconductivity behaves when exposed to an external magnetic field. With this motivation, we have performed contactless tunnel-diode-oscillator-based measurements in pulsed magnetic fields up to 56 T as well as measurements of the complex mutual inductance between a spiral coil and the film in static fields upmore » to 3 T. Remarkably, we observe that interface superconductivity survives up to very high perpendicular fields, in excess of 40 T. Additionally, the critical magnetic field H m(T) reveals an upward divergence with decreasing temperature, in line with vortex melting as in bulk superconducting cuprates.« less

U. S. Navy’s Superconductivity Programs; Scientific Curosity To Fleet Utility

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-01

NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND...ADDRESS(ES) Naval Research Laboratory,Washington,DC,20375 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS...classes of materials studied for superconductivity were ternary alloys13, and organic materials14. The dilution refrigerator largely replaced

Pulse speed on a plucked wire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odekirk, Tristan; Slaton, William V.

2012-04-01

This paper serves to update an elegant experiment published in The Physics Teacher to measure the speed of a pulse on a taut metal wire. Unfortunately, commercially available units2 that serve the same purpose are priced outside the range of most high school or college physics teaching laboratories. Wakeland et al. show how an affordable adaptation of the traditional standing wave apparatus using taut metal wire and horseshoe magnets can be used to measure the speed of a pulse by using an oscilloscope to measure an induced voltage in the wire as the pulse transverses the middle of the magnets, which are a known distance apart.

Visualizing domain wall and reverse domain superconductivity.

PubMed

Iavarone, M; Moore, S A; Fedor, J; Ciocys, S T; Karapetrov, G; Pearson, J; Novosad, V; Bader, S D

2014-08-28

In magnetically coupled, planar ferromagnet-superconductor (F/S) hybrid structures, magnetic domain walls can be used to spatially confine the superconductivity. In contrast to a superconductor in a uniform applied magnetic field, the nucleation of the superconducting order parameter in F/S structures is governed by the inhomogeneous magnetic field distribution. The interplay between the superconductivity localized at the domain walls and far from the walls leads to effects such as re-entrant superconductivity and reverse domain superconductivity with the critical temperature depending upon the location. Here we use scanning tunnelling spectroscopy to directly image the nucleation of superconductivity at the domain wall in F/S structures realized with Co-Pd multilayers and Pb thin films. Our results demonstrate that such F/S structures are attractive model systems that offer the possibility to control the strength and the location of the superconducting nucleus by applying an external magnetic field, potentially useful to guide vortices for computing application.

Method for forming bismuth-based superconducting ceramics

DOEpatents

Maroni, Victor A.; Merchant, Nazarali N.; Parrella, Ronald D.

2005-05-17

A method for reducing the concentration of non-superconducting phases during the heat treatment of Pb doped Ag/Bi-2223 composites having Bi-2223 and Bi-2212 superconducting phases is disclosed. A Pb doped Ag/Bi-2223 composite having Bi-2223 and Bi-2212 superconducting phases is heated in an atmosphere having an oxygen partial pressure not less than about 0.04 atmospheres and the temperature is maintained at the lower of a non-superconducting phase take-off temperature and the Bi-2223 superconducting phase grain growth take-off temperature. The oxygen partial pressure is varied and the temperature is varied between about 815.degree. C. and about 835.degree. C. to produce not less than 80 percent conversion to Pb doped Bi-2223 superconducting phase and not greater than about 20 volume percent non-superconducting phases. The oxygen partial pressure is preferably varied between about 0.04 and about 0.21 atmospheres. A product by the method is disclosed.

Visualizing domain wall and reverse domain superconductivity

PubMed Central

Iavarone, M.; Moore, S. A.; Fedor, J.; Ciocys, S. T.; Karapetrov, G.; Pearson, J.; Novosad, V.; Bader, S. D.

2014-01-01

In magnetically coupled, planar ferromagnet-superconductor (F/S) hybrid structures, magnetic domain walls can be used to spatially confine the superconductivity. In contrast to a superconductor in a uniform applied magnetic field, the nucleation of the superconducting order parameter in F/S structures is governed by the inhomogeneous magnetic field distribution. The interplay between the superconductivity localized at the domain walls and far from the walls leads to effects such as re-entrant superconductivity and reverse domain superconductivity with the critical temperature depending upon the location. Here we use scanning tunnelling spectroscopy to directly image the nucleation of superconductivity at the domain wall in F/S structures realized with Co-Pd multilayers and Pb thin films. Our results demonstrate that such F/S structures are attractive model systems that offer the possibility to control the strength and the location of the superconducting nucleus by applying an external magnetic field, potentially useful to guide vortices for computing application. PMID:25164004

Analysis of higher harmonics on bidirectional heat pulse propagation experiment in helical and tokamak plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, T.; Ida, K.; Inagaki, S.; Tsuchiya, H.; Tamura, N.; Choe, G. H.; Yun, G. S.; Park, H. K.; Ko, W. H.; Evans, T. E.; Austin, M. E.; Shafer, M. W.; Ono, M.; López-bruna, D.; Ochando, M. A.; Estrada, T.; Hidalgo, C.; Moon, C.; Igami, H.; Yoshimura, Y.; Tsujimura, T. Ii.; Itoh, S.-I.; Itoh, K.

2017-07-01

In this contribution we analyze modulation electron cyclotron resonance heating (MECH) experiment and discuss higher harmonic frequency dependence of transport coefficients. We use the bidirectional heat pulse propagation method, in which both inward propagating heat pulse and outward propagating heat pulse are analyzed at a radial range, in order to distinguish frequency dependence of transport coefficients due to hysteresis from that due to other reasons, such as radially dependent transport coefficients, a finite damping term, or boundary effects. The method is applied to MECH experiments performed in various helical and tokamak devices, i.e. Large Helical Device (LHD), TJ-II, Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR), and Doublet III-D (DIII-D) with different plasma conditions. The frequency dependence of transport coefficients are clearly observed, showing a possibility of existence of transport hysteresis in flux-gradient relation.

Superconducting Continuous Graphene Fibers via Calcium Intercalation.

PubMed

Liu, Yingjun; Liang, Hui; Xu, Zhen; Xi, Jiabin; Chen, Genfu; Gao, Weiwei; Xue, Mianqi; Gao, Chao

2017-04-25

Superconductors are important materials in the field of low-temperature magnet applications and long-distance electrical power transmission systems. Besides metal-based superconducting materials, carbon-based superconductors have attracted considerable attention in recent years. Up to now, five allotropes of carbon, including diamond, graphite, C 60 , CNTs, and graphene, have been reported to show superconducting behavior. However, most of the carbon-based superconductors are limited to small size and discontinuous phases, which inevitably hinders further application in macroscopic form. Therefore, it raises a question of whether continuously carbon-based superconducting wires could be accessed, which is of vital importance from viewpoints of fundamental research and practical application. Here, inspired by superconducting graphene, we successfully fabricated flexible graphene-based superconducting fibers via a well-established calcium (Ca) intercalation strategy. The resultant Ca-intercalated graphene fiber (Ca-GF) shows a superconducting transition at ∼11 K, which is almost 2 orders of magnitude higher than that of early reported alkali metal intercalated graphite and comparable to that of commercial superconducting NbTi wire. The combination of lightness and easy scalability makes Ca-GF highly promising as a lightweight superconducting wire.

Research on long pulse ECRH system of EAST in support of ITER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Xiaojie, E-mail: xjiew@ipp.ac.cn; Liu, Fukun; Shan, Jiafang

2015-12-10

Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), as a fully superconducting tokamak in China, aims to achieve high performance plasma under steady-state operation. To fulfill the physical objectives of EAST, a program of 4-MW long pulse electron cyclotron resonance heating and current drive (EC H&CD) system, which would offer greater flexibility for plasma shape and plasma stabilization has been launched on EAST since 2011. The system, composed of 4 gyrotrons with nominal 1MW output power and 1000s pulse length each, is designed with the feature of steerable power handling capabilities at 140 GHz, using second harmonic of the extraordinary mode(X2). The missions ofmore » the ECRH system are to provide plasma heating, current drive, plasma profile tailoring and control of magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities. Presently, the first two 140-GHz 1-MW gyrotrons, provided by GYCOM and CPI, respectively, have been tested at long pulse operation. The tubes, the associated power supplies, cooling system, cryogenic plant, 2 transmission lines and an equatorial launcher are now installed at EAST. The power generated from each tube will be transmitted by an evacuated corrugated waveguide transmission line and injected into plasma from the low field side (radial port) through a front steering equatorial launcher. Considering the diverse applications of the EC system, the beam’s launch angles can be continuously varied with the optimized scanning range of over 30° in poloidal direction and ±25° in toroidal, as well as the polarization could be adjusted during the discharge by the orientations of a pair of polarizers in the transmission line to maintain the highest absorption for different operational scenarios. The commissioning of the first 2MW ECRH plant for EAST is under way. The design, R&D activities and recent progress of the long pulse 140-GHz ECRH system are presented in this paper. As the technological requirements for EAST ECRH have many similarities

Exotic Superconductivity in Correlated Electron Systems

DOE PAGES

Mu, Gang; Sandu, Viorel; Li, Wei; ...

2015-05-25

Over the past decades, the search for high-T c superconductivity (SC) and its novel superconducting mechanisms is one of the most challenging tasks of condensed matter physicists and material scientists, wherein the most striking achievement is the discovery of high- c and unconventional superconductivity in strongly correlated 3d-electron systems, such as cuprates and iron pnictides/chalcogenides. Those exotic superconductors display the behaviors beyond the scope of the BCS theory (in the SC states) and the Landau-Fermi liquid theory (in the normal states). In general, such exotic superconductivity can be seen as correlated electron systems, where there are strong interplays among charge,more » spin, orbital, and lattice degrees of freedom. Thus, we focus on the exotic superconductivity in materials with correlated electrons in the present special issue.« less

Superconducting active impedance converter

DOEpatents

Ginley, D.S.; Hietala, V.M.; Martens, J.S.

1993-11-16

A transimpedance amplifier for use with high temperature superconducting, other superconducting, and conventional semiconductors allows for appropriate signal amplification and impedance matching to processing electronics. The amplifier incorporates the superconducting flux flow transistor into a differential amplifier configuration which allows for operation over a wide temperature range, and is characterized by high gain, relatively low noise, and response times less than 200 picoseconds over at least a 10-80 K. temperature range. The invention is particularly useful when a signal derived from either far-IR focal plane detectors or from Josephson junctions is to be processed by higher signal/higher impedance electronics, such as conventional semiconductor technology. 12 figures.

Superconducting active impedance converter

DOEpatents

Ginley, David S.; Hietala, Vincent M.; Martens, Jon S.

1993-01-01

A transimpedance amplifier for use with high temperature superconducting, other superconducting, and conventional semiconductor allows for appropriate signal amplification and impedance matching to processing electronics. The amplifier incorporates the superconducting flux flow transistor into a differential amplifier configuration which allows for operation over a wide temperature range, and is characterized by high gain, relatively low noise, and response times less than 200 picoseconds over at least a 10-80 K. temperature range. The invention is particularly useful when a signal derived from either far-IR focal plane detectors or from Josephson junctions is to be processed by higher signal/higher impedance electronics, such as conventional semiconductor technology.

Routes to heavy-fermion superconductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steglich, F.; Stockert, O.; Wirth, S.; Geibel, C.; Yuan, H. Q.; Kirchner, S.; Si, Q.

2013-07-01

Superconductivity in lanthanide- and actinide-based heavy-fermion (HF) metals can have different microscopic origins. Among others, Cooper pair formation based on fluctuations of the valence, of the quadrupole moment or of the spin of the localized 4f/5f shell have been proposed. Spin-fluctuation mediated superconductivity in CeCu2Si2 was demonstrated by inelastic neutron scattering to exist in the vicinity of a spin-density-wave (SDW) quantum critical point (QCP). The isostructural HF compound YbRh2Si2 which is prototypical for a Kondo-breakdown QCP has so far not shown any sign of superconductivity down to T ≈ 10 mK. In contrast, results of de-Haas-van-Alphen experiments by Shishido et al. (J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 74, 1103 (2005)) suggest superconductivity in CeRhIn5 close to an antiferromagnetic QCP beyond the SDW type, at which the Kondo effect breaks down. For the related compound CeCoIn5 however, a field-induced QCP of SDW type is extrapolated to exist inside the superconducting phase.

Superconducting wire with improved strain characteristics

DOEpatents

Luhman, Thomas; Klamut, Carl J.; Suenaga, Masaki; Welch, David

1982-01-01

A superconducting wire comprising a superconducting filament and a beryllium strengthened bronze matrix in which the addition of beryllium to the matrix permits a low volume matrix to exhibit reduced elastic deformation after heat treating which increases the compression of the superconducting filament on cooling and thereby improve the strain characteristics of the wire.

Superconducting wire with improved strain characteristics

DOEpatents

Luhman, Thomas; Klamut, Carl J.; Suenaga, Masaki; Welch, David

1982-01-01

A superconducting wire comprising a superconducting filament and a beryllium strengthened bronze matrix in which the addition of beryllium to the matrix permits a low volume matrix to exhibit reduced elastic deformation after heat treating which increases the compression of the superconducting filament on cooling and thereby improves the strain characteristics of the wire.

Superconducting wire with improved strain characteristics

DOEpatents

Luhman, T.; Klamut, C.J.; Suenaga, M.; Welch, D.

1979-12-19

A superconducting wire comprising a superconducting filament and a beryllium strengthened bronze matrix in which the addition of beryllium to the matrix permits a low volume matrix to exhibit reduced elastic deformation after heat treating which increases the compression of the superconducting filament on cooling and thereby improve the strain characteristics of the wire.

Superconducting pipes and levitating magnets.

PubMed

Levin, Yan; Rizzato, Felipe B

2006-12-01

Motivated by a beautiful demonstration of the Faraday and the Lenz laws in which a small neodymium magnet falls slowly through a conducting nonferromagnetic tube, we consider the dynamics of a magnet falling coaxially through a superconducting pipe. Unlike the case of normal conducting pipes, in which the magnet quickly reaches the terminal velocity, inside a superconducting tube the magnet falls freely. On the other hand, to enter the pipe the magnet must overcome a large electromagnetic energy barrier. For sufficiently strong magnets, the barrier is so large that the magnet will not be able to penetrate it and will be levitated over the mouth of the pipe. We calculate the work that must done to force the magnet to enter a superconducting tube. The calculations show that superconducting pipes are very efficient at screening magnetic fields. For example, the magnetic field of a dipole at the center of a short pipe of radius a and length L approximately > a decays, in the axial direction, with a characteristic length xi approximately 0.26a. The efficient screening of the magnetic field might be useful for shielding highly sensitive superconducting quantum interference devices. Finally, the motion of the magnet through a superconducting pipe is compared and contrasted to the flow of ions through a trans-membrane channel.

Advanced superconducting gradiometers for mine detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clem, Ted R.

1996-05-01

Sensors incorporating superconducting quantum interference devices provide the greatest sensitivity for magnetic anomaly detection available with current technology. During the 1980s, the Coastal Systems Station (CSS) developed a superconducting magnetic gradiometer capable of operation outside of the laboratory environment. With this sensor, the CSS was able to demonstrate buried mine detection for the U.S. Navy. Subsequently, the sensor was incorporated into a multisensor suite onboard an underwater towed vehicle to provide a robust mine hunting capability for the Magnetic and Acoustic Detection of Mines Project. This sensor using thin film niobium and a new liquid helium cooling concept was developed to provide significant increases in sensitivity and detection range. In the late 1980s, a new class of `high- Tc' superconductor were discovered with critical temperatures above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (77 K). This advance has opened up new opportunities for mine reconnaissance and hunting, especially for operation onboard small unmanned underwater vehicles. A high-Tc sensor concept using liquid nitrogen refrigeration has been developed and a test article of that concept is currently being evaluated for its applicability to mobile operation. The design principles for the two new sensor approaches and the results of their evaluations will be described. Finally, the implications of these advances to mine reconnaissance and hunting will be discussed.

ORNL superconducting technology program for electric energy systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawsey, R. A.

1993-02-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Superconducting Technology Program is conducted as part of a national effort by the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy to develop the technology base needed by US industry for commercial development of electric power applications of high-temperature superconductivity. The two major elements of this program are wire development and systems development. This document describes the major research and development activities for this program together with related accomplishments. The technical progress reported was summarized from information prepared for the FY-92 Peer Review of Projects, which was conducted by DOE's Office of Program Analysis, Office of Energy Research. This ORNL program is highly leveraged by the staff and other resources of US industry and universities. Interlaboratory teams are also in place on a number of industry-driven projects. Patent disclosures, working group meetings, staff exchanges, and joint publications and presentations ensure that there is technology transfer to US industry. Working together, the collaborative teams are making tremendous progress in solving the scientific and technical issues necessary for the commercialization of long lengths of practical high-temperature superconductor wire and wire products.

The road to superconducting spintronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eschrig, Matthias

Energy efficient computing has become a major challenge, with the increasing importance of large data centres across the world, which already today have a power consumption comparable to that of Spain, with steeply increasing trend. Superconducting computing is progressively becoming an alternative for large-scale applications, with the costs for cooling being largely outweighed by the gain in energy efficiency. The combination of superconductivity and spintronics - ``superspintronics'' - has the potential and flexibility to develop into such a green technology. This young field is based on the observation that new phenomena emerge at interfaces between superconducting and other, competing, phases. The past 15 years have seen a series of pivotal predictions and experimental discoveries relating to the interplay between superconductivity and ferromagnetism. The building blocks of superspintronics are equal-spin Cooper pairs, which are generated at the interface between superconducting and a ferromagnetic materials in the presence of non-collinear magnetism. Such novel, spin-polarised Cooper pairs carry spin-supercurrents in ferromagnets and thus contribute to spin-transport and spin-control. Geometric Berry phases appear during the singlet-triplet conversion process in structures with non-coplanar magnetisation, enhancing functionality of devices, and non-locality introduced by superconducting order leads to long-range effects. With the successful generation and control of equal-spin Cooper pairs the hitherto notorious incompatibility of superconductivity and ferromagnetism has been not only overcome, but turned synergistic. I will discuss these developments and their extraordinary potential. I also will present open questions posed by recent experiments and point out implications for theory. This work is supported by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC Grant No. EP/J010618/1).

Sandia National Laboratories: Z Pulsed Power Facility

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Superconducting Metallic Glass Transition-Edge-Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hays, Charles C. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A superconducting metallic glass transition-edge sensor (MGTES) and a method for fabricating the MGTES are provided. A single-layer superconducting amorphous metal alloy is deposited on a substrate. The single-layer superconducting amorphous metal alloy is an absorber for the MGTES and is electrically connected to a circuit configured for readout and biasing to sense electromagnetic radiation.

Heterogeneous Superconducting Low-Noise Sensing Coils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hahn, Inseob; Penanen, Konstantin I.; Ho Eom, Byeong

2008-01-01

A heterogeneous material construction has been devised for sensing coils of superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometers that are subject to a combination of requirements peculiar to some advanced applications, notably including low-field magnetic resonance imaging for medical diagnosis. The requirements in question are the following: The sensing coils must be large enough (in some cases having dimensions of as much as tens of centimeters) to afford adequate sensitivity; The sensing coils must be made electrically superconductive to eliminate Johnson noise (thermally induced noise proportional to electrical resistance); and Although the sensing coils must be cooled to below their superconducting- transition temperatures with sufficient cooling power to overcome moderate ambient radiative heat leakage, they must not be immersed in cryogenic liquid baths. For a given superconducting sensing coil, this combination of requirements can be satisfied by providing a sufficiently thermally conductive link between the coil and a cold source. However, the superconducting coil material is not suitable as such a link because electrically superconductive materials are typically poor thermal conductors. The heterogeneous material construction makes it possible to solve both the electrical- and thermal-conductivity problems. The basic idea is to construct the coil as a skeleton made of a highly thermally conductive material (typically, annealed copper), then coat the skeleton with an electrically superconductive alloy (typically, a lead-tin solder) [see figure]. In operation, the copper skeleton provides the required thermally conductive connection to the cold source, while the electrically superconductive coating material shields against Johnson noise that originates in the copper skeleton.

Superconductivity of magnesium diboride

DOE PAGES

Bud’ko, Sergey L.; Canfield, Paul C.

2015-07-15

Over the past 14 years MgB 2 has gone from a startling discovery to a promising, applied superconductor. In our article we present a brief overview of the synthesis and the basic superconducting properties of this remarkable compound. Specifically, the effect of pressure, substitutions and neutron irradiation on superconducting properties are discussed.

Shift in Chemical Potential of Superconducting Bi2212 Measured by Ultrafast Photoemission Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Tristan; Smallwood, Chris; Zhang, Wentao; Eisaki, Hiroshi; Lee, Dung-Hai; Lanzara, Alessandra

2015-03-01

Time- and Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (tr-ARPES) has been used to directly measure the dynamics of many different properties of high-temperature superconductors, including the quasiparticle relaxation, cooper pair recombination, and many-body interactions. There have also been several intriguing results on several materials showing how laser pulses can manipulate their chemical potential on ultrafast timescales, and it's been suggested that these effects could find applications in optoelectronic devices. Studies on GaAs have also found that laser pulses may induce a surface voltage effect. Here, we extend these studies for the first time to a Bi2212 sample in the superconducting state, and disentangle the shift in chemical potential from surface voltage effects. This work was supported by Berkeley Lab's program on Quantum Materials, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division, under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

Method of improving superconducting qualities of fabricated constructs by shock preprocessing of precursor materials

DOEpatents

Nellis, William J.; Maple, M. Brian

1992-01-01

Disclosed is a method of improving the physical properties of superconducting materials which comprises: a. applying a high strain rate deformation to said materi The United States Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. W-7405-ENG-48 between the U.S. Department of Energy and the University of California, for the operation of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Search for Superconductivity in Micrometeorites

PubMed Central

Guénon, S.; Ramírez, J. G.; Basaran, Ali C.; Wampler, J.; Thiemens, M.; Taylor, S.; Schuller, Ivan K.

2014-01-01

We have developed a very sensitive, highly selective, non-destructive technique for screening inhomogeneous materials for the presence of superconductivity. This technique, based on phase sensitive detection of microwave absorption is capable of detecting 10−12 cc of a superconductor embedded in a non-superconducting, non-magnetic matrix. For the first time, we apply this technique to the search for superconductivity in extraterrestrial samples. We tested approximately 65 micrometeorites collected from the water well at the Amundsen-Scott South pole station and compared their spectra with those of eight reference materials. None of these micrometeorites contained superconducting compounds, but we saw the Verwey transition of magnetite in our microwave system. This demonstrates that we are able to detect electro-magnetic phase transitions in extraterrestrial materials at cryogenic temperatures. PMID:25476841

Armored spring-core superconducting cable and method of construction

DOEpatents

McIntyre, Peter M.; Soika, Rainer H.

2002-01-01

An armored spring-core superconducting cable (12) is provided. The armored spring-core superconducting cable (12) may include a spring-core (20), at least one superconducting strand (24) wound onto the spring-core (20), and an armored shell (22) that encases the superconducting strands (24). The spring-core (20) is generally a perforated tube that allows purge gases and cryogenic liquids to be circulated through the armored superconducting cable (12), as well as managing the internal stresses within the armored spring-core superconducting cable (12). The armored shell (22) manages the external stresses of the armored spring-core superconducting cable (12) to protect the fragile superconducting strands (24). The armored spring-core superconducting cable (12) may also include a conductive jacket (34) formed outwardly of the armored shell (22).

Coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity in YBCO nanoparticles.

PubMed

Zhu, Zhonghua; Gao, Daqiang; Dong, Chunhui; Yang, Guijin; Zhang, Jing; Zhang, Jinlin; Shi, Zhenhua; Gao, Hua; Luo, Honggang; Xue, Desheng

2012-03-21

Nanoparticles of superconducting YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-δ) were synthesized via a citrate pyrolysis technique. Room temperature ferromagnetism was revealed in the samples by a vibrating sample magnetometer. Electron spin resonance spectra at selected temperatures indicated that there is a transition from the normal to the superconducting state at temperatures below 100 K. The M-T curves with various applied magnetic fields showed that the superconducting transition temperatures are 92 K and 55 K for the air-annealed and the post-annealed samples, respectively. Compared to the air-annealed sample, the saturation magnetization of the sample by reheating the air-annealed one in argon atmosphere is enhanced but its superconductivity is weakened, which implies that the ferromagnetism maybe originates from the surface oxygen defects. By superconducting quantum interference device measurements, we further confirmed the ferromagnetic behavior at high temperatures and interesting upturns in field cooling magnetization curves within the superconducting region are found. We attributed the upturn phenomena to the coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity at low temperatures. Room temperature ferromagnetism of superconducting YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-δ) nanoparticles has been observed in some previous related studies, but the issue of the coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity within the superconducting region is still unclear. In the present work, it will be addressed in detail. The cooperation phenomena found in the spin-singlet superconductors will help us to understand the nature of superconductivity and ferromagnetism in more depth.

Superconducting magnet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

Extensive computer based engineering design effort resulted in optimization of a superconducting magnet design with an average bulk current density of approximately 12KA/cm(2). Twisted, stranded 0.0045 inch diameter NbTi superconductor in a copper matrix was selected. Winding the coil from this bundle facilitated uniform winding of the small diameter wire. Test coils were wound using a first lot of the wire. The actual packing density was measured from these. Interwinding voltage break down tests on the test coils indicated the need for adjustment of the wire insulation on the lot of wire subsequently ordered for construction of the delivered superconducting magnet. Using the actual packing densities from the test coils, a final magnet design, with the required enhancement and field profile, was generated. All mechanical and thermal design parameters were then also fixed. The superconducting magnet was then fabricated and tested. The first test was made with the magnet immersed in liquid helium at 4.2K. The second test was conducted at 2K in vacuum. In the latter test, the magnet was conduction cooled from the mounting flange end.

100J Pulsed Laser Shock Driver for Dynamic Compression Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, X.; Sethian, J.; Bromage, J.; Fochs, S.; Broege, D.; Zuegel, J.; Roides, R.; Cuffney, R.; Brent, G.; Zweiback, J.; Currier, Z.; D'Amico, K.; Hawreliak, J.; Zhang, J.; Rigg, P. A.; Gupta, Y. M.

2017-06-01

Logos Technologies and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE, University of Rochester) - in partnership with Washington State University - have designed, built and deployed a one of a kind 100J pulsed UV (351 nm) laser system to perform real-time, x-ray diffraction and imaging experiments in laser-driven compression experiments at the Dynamic Compression Sector (DCS) at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory. The laser complements the other dynamic compression drivers at DCS. The laser system features beam smoothing for 2-d spatially uniform loading of samples and four, highly reproducible, temporal profiles (total pulse duration: 5-15 ns) to accommodate a wide variety of scientific needs. Other pulse shapes can be achieved as the experimental needs evolve. Timing of the laser pulse is highly precise (<200 ps) to allow accurate synchronization of the x-rays with the dynamic compression event. Details of the laser system, its operating parameters, and representative results will be presented. Work supported by DOE/NNSA.

Numerical Simulation of a Nanosecond Pulse Discharge in Mach 5 Flow

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

Numerical Simulation of a Nanosecond Pulse Discharge in Mach 5 Flow Jonathan Poggie∗and Nicholas J. Bisek† Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright...was developed for nanosecond- pulse discharges , including real- istic air kinetics, electron energy transport, and compressible bulk gas flow. A reduced...shock waves originating near the sheath edge, consistent with experimental observations. I. Introduction In a nanosecond- pulse discharge , the input

Half-metallic superconducting triplet spin multivalves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alidoust, Mohammad; Halterman, Klaus

2018-02-01

We study spin switching effects in finite-size superconducting multivalve structures. We examine F1F2SF3 and F1F2SF3F4 hybrids where a singlet superconductor (S) layer is sandwiched among ferromagnet (F) layers with differing thicknesses and magnetization orientations. Our results reveal a considerable number of experimentally viable spin-valve configurations that lead to on-off switching of the superconducting state. For S widths on the order of the superconducting coherence length ξ0, noncollinear magnetization orientations in adjacent F layers with multiple spin axes leads to a rich variety of triplet spin-valve effects. Motivated by recent experiments, we focus on samples where the magnetizations in the F1 and F4 layers exist in a fully spin-polarized half-metallic phase, and calculate the superconducting transition temperature, spatially and energy resolved density of states, and the spin-singlet and spin-triplet superconducting correlations. Our findings demonstrate that superconductivity in these devices can be completely switched on or off over a wide range of magnetization misalignment angles due to the generation of equal-spin and opposite-spin triplet pairings.

Amplitude distributions of dark counts and photon counts in NbN superconducting single-photon detectors integrated with the HEMT readout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitaygorsky, J.; Słysz, W.; Shouten, R.; Dorenbos, S.; Reiger, E.; Zwiller, V.; Sobolewski, Roman

2017-01-01

We present a new operation regime of NbN superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) by integrating them with a low-noise cryogenic high-electron-mobility transistor and a high-load resistor. The integrated sensors are designed to get a better understanding of the origin of dark counts triggered by the detector, as our scheme allows us to distinguish the origin of dark pulses from the actual photon pulses in SSPDs. The presented approach is based on a statistical analysis of amplitude distributions of recorded trains of the SSPD photoresponse transients. It also enables to obtain information on energy of the incident photons, as well as demonstrates some photon-number-resolving capability of meander-type SSPDs.

Fast superconducting magnetic field switch

DOEpatents

Goren, Yehuda; Mahale, Narayan K.

1996-01-01

The superconducting magnetic switch or fast kicker magnet is employed with electron stream or a bunch of electrons to rapidly change the direction of flow of the electron stream or bunch of electrons. The apparatus employs a beam tube which is coated with a film of superconducting material. The tube is cooled to a temperature below the superconducting transition temperature and is subjected to a constant magnetic field which is produced by an external dc magnet. The magnetic field produced by the dc magnet is less than the critical field for the superconducting material, thus, creating a Meissner Effect condition. A controllable fast electromagnet is used to provide a magnetic field which supplements that of the dc magnet so that when the fast magnet is energized the combined magnetic field is now greater that the critical field and the superconducting material returns to its normal state allowing the magnetic field to penetrate the tube. This produces an internal field which effects the direction of motion and of the electron stream or electron bunch. The switch can also operate as a switching mechanism for charged particles.

Fast superconducting magnetic field switch

DOEpatents

Goren, Y.; Mahale, N.K.

1996-08-06

The superconducting magnetic switch or fast kicker magnet is employed with electron stream or a bunch of electrons to rapidly change the direction of flow of the electron stream or bunch of electrons. The apparatus employs a beam tube which is coated with a film of superconducting material. The tube is cooled to a temperature below the superconducting transition temperature and is subjected to a constant magnetic field which is produced by an external dc magnet. The magnetic field produced by the dc magnet is less than the critical field for the superconducting material, thus, creating a Meissner Effect condition. A controllable fast electromagnet is used to provide a magnetic field which supplements that of the dc magnet so that when the fast magnet is energized the combined magnetic field is now greater that the critical field and the superconducting material returns to its normal state allowing the magnetic field to penetrate the tube. This produces an internal field which effects the direction of motion and of the electron stream or electron bunch. The switch can also operate as a switching mechanism for charged particles. 6 figs.

Superconductivity in compensated and uncompensated semiconductors.

PubMed

Yanase, Youichi; Yorozu, Naoyuki

2008-12-01

We investigate the localization and superconductivity in heavily doped semiconductors. The crossover from the superconductivity in the host band to that in the impurity band is described on the basis of the disordered three-dimensional attractive Hubbard model for binary alloys. The microscopic inhomogeneity and the thermal superconducting fluctuation are taken into account using the self-consistent 1-loop order theory. The superconductor-insulator transition accompanies the crossover from the host band to the impurity band. We point out an enhancement of the critical temperature T c around the crossover. Further localization of electron wave functions leads to the localization of Cooper pairs and induces the pseudogap. We find that both the doping compensation by additional donors and the carrier increase by additional acceptors suppress the superconductivity. A theoretical interpretation is proposed for the superconductivity in the boron-doped diamond, SiC, and Si.

Superconductivity in compensated and uncompensated semiconductors

PubMed Central

Yanase, Youichi; Yorozu, Naoyuki

2008-01-01

We investigate the localization and superconductivity in heavily doped semiconductors. The crossover from the superconductivity in the host band to that in the impurity band is described on the basis of the disordered three-dimensional attractive Hubbard model for binary alloys. The microscopic inhomogeneity and the thermal superconducting fluctuation are taken into account using the self-consistent 1-loop order theory. The superconductor-insulator transition accompanies the crossover from the host band to the impurity band. We point out an enhancement of the critical temperature Tc around the crossover. Further localization of electron wave functions leads to the localization of Cooper pairs and induces the pseudogap. We find that both the doping compensation by additional donors and the carrier increase by additional acceptors suppress the superconductivity. A theoretical interpretation is proposed for the superconductivity in the boron-doped diamond, SiC, and Si. PMID:27878018

Superconducting dome in doped quasi-two-dimensional organic Mott insulators: A paradigm for strongly correlated superconductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hébert, Charles-David; Sémon, Patrick; Tremblay, A.-M. S.

2015-11-01

Layered organic superconductors of the BEDT family are model systems for understanding the interplay of the Mott transition with superconductivity, magnetic order, and frustration, ingredients that are essential to understand superconductivity also in the cuprate high-temperature superconductors. Recent experimental studies on a hole-doped version of the organic compounds reveals an enhancement of superconductivity and a rapid crossover between two different conducting phases above the superconducting dome. One of these phases is a Fermi liquid, the other not. Using plaquette cellular dynamical mean field theory with state-of-the-art continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo calculations, we study this problem with the two-dimensional Hubbard model on the anisotropic triangular lattice. Phase diagrams as a function of temperature T and interaction strength U /t are obtained for anisotropy parameters t'=0.4 t ,t'=0.8 t and for various fillings. As in the case of the cuprates, we find, at finite doping, a first-order transition between two normal-state phases. One of theses phases has a pseudogap while the other does not. At temperatures above the critical point of the first-order transition, there is a Widom line where crossovers occur. The maximum (optimal) superconducting critical temperature Tcm at finite doping is enhanced by about 25% compared with its maximum at half filling and the range of U /t where superconductivity appears is greatly extended. These results are in broad agreement with experiment. Also, increasing frustration (larger t'/t ) significantly reduces magnetic ordering, as expected. This suggests that for compounds with intermediate to high frustration, very light doping should reveal the influence of the first-order transition and associated crossovers. These crossovers could possibly be even visible in the superconducting phase through subtle signatures. We also predict that destroying the superconducting phase by a magnetic field should reveal the

Focus on superconducting properties of iron chalcogenides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takano, Yoshihiko

2012-10-01

Since the discovery of iron-based superconductors, much attention has been given to the exploration of new superconducting compounds. Numerous superconducting iron compounds have been found and categorized into five groups: LnFeAsO (Ln = lanthanide), BaFe2As2, KFeAs, FeSe and FeAs with perovskite blocking layers. Among them, FeSe has the simplest crystal structure. Since the crystal structure is composed of only superconducting Fe layers, the FeSe family must be the best material to investigate the mechanism of iron-based superconductivity. FeSe shows very strong pressure effects. The superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of FeSe is approximately 8 K at ambient pressure. However Tc dramatically increases up to 37 K under applied pressure of 4-6 GPa. This is the third highest Tc value among binary superconductors, surpassed only by CsC60 under pressure (Tc = 38 K) and MgB2 (Tc = 39 K). On the other hand, despite FeTe having a crystal structure analogous to that of FeSe, FeTe shows antiferromagnetic properties without superconductivity. Doping of small ions, either Se or S, however, can induce superconductivity in FeTe1-xSex or FeTe1-xSx . The superconductivity is very weak for small x values, and annealing under certain conditions is required to obtain strong superconductivity, for instance annealing in oxygen or alcoholic beverages such as red wine. The following selection of papers describe many important experimental and theoretical studies on iron chalcogenide superconductors including preparation of single crystals, bulk samples and thin films; NMR measurements; photoemission spectroscopy; high-pressure studies; annealing effects and research on new BiS2-based superconductors. I hope this focus issue will help researchers understand the frontiers of iron chalcogenide superconductors and assist in the discovery of new phenomena related to iron-based superconductivity.

AB-204B and A-106 helicopters and a bit about superconducting R and D in Italy. [Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martin, F.P.

1969-08-01

This report describes the AB-204B ASW helicopter now in service with the Italian navy and the Agusta developed A-106 light helicopter. A short report on high energy physics research devices and superconducting magnet construction at the Italian Nuclear Energy Laboratories is also included.

scraps: An open-source Python-based analysis package for analyzing and plotting superconducting resonator data

DOE PAGES

Carter, Faustin Wirkus; Khaire, Trupti S.; Novosad, Valentyn; ...

2016-11-07

We present "scraps" (SuperConducting Analysis and Plotting Software), a Python package designed to aid in the analysis and visualization of large amounts of superconducting resonator data, specifically complex transmission as a function of frequency, acquired at many different temperatures and driving powers. The package includes a least-squares fitting engine as well as a Monte-Carlo Markov Chain sampler for sampling the posterior distribution given priors, marginalizing over nuisance parameters, and estimating covariances. A set of plotting tools for generating publication-quality figures is also provided in the package. Lastly, we discuss the functionality of the software and provide some examples of itsmore » utility on data collected from a niobium-nitride coplanar waveguide resonator fabricated at Argonne National Laboratory.« less

Large enhancement of superconductivity in Zr point contacts.

PubMed

Aslam, Mohammad; Singh, Chandan; Das, Shekhar; Kumar, Ritesh; Datta, Soumya; Halder, Soumyadip; Gayen, Sirshendu; Kabir, Mukul; Sheet, Goutam

2018-04-30

For certain complex superconducting systems, the superconducting properties get enhanced under mesoscopic point contacts made of elemental non-superconducting metals. However, understanding of the mechanism through which such contact induced local enhancement of superconductivity happens has been limited due to the complex nature of such compounds. In this paper we present a large enhancement of superconducting transition temperature (T_c) and superconducting energy gap (Δ) in a simple elemental superconductor Zr. While bulk Zr shows a critical temperature around 0.6K, superconductivity survives at Ag/Zr and Pt/Zr point contacts up to 3K with a corresponding five-fold enhancement of Δ. Further, the first-principles calculations on a model system provide useful insights. We show that the enhancement in superconducting properties can be attributed to a modification in the electron-phonon coupling accompanied by an enhancement of the density of states which involves the appearance of a new electron band at the Ag/Zr interfaces. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Thermal expansion of coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatayama, Nobukuni; Konno, Rikio

2010-01-01

The temperature dependence of thermal expansion of coexistence of ferromag-netism and superconductivity below the superconducting transition temperature Tc↑ of a majority spin conduction band is investigated. Majority spin and minority spin superconducting gaps exist in the coexistent state. We assume that the Curie temperature is much larger than the superconducting transition temperatures. The free energy that Linder et al. [Phys. Rev. B76, 054511 (2007)] derived is used. The thermal expansion of coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity is derived by the application of the method of Takahashi and Nakano [J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 18, 521 (2006)]. We find that we have the anomalies of the thermal expansion in the vicinity of the superconducting transition temperatures.

Method for making mirrored surfaces comprising superconducting material

DOEpatents

Early, J.T.; Hargrove, R.S.

1989-12-12

Superconducting mirror surfaces are provided by forming a mirror surface from a material which is superconductive at a temperature above about 40 K and adjusting the temperature of the surface to that temperature at which the material is superconducting. The mirror surfaces are essentially perfect reflectors for electromagnetic radiation with photon energy less than the superconducting band gap.

A second-generation superconducting undulator cryostat for the APS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuerst, J.; Hasse, Q.; Ivanyushenkov, Y.; Kasa, M.; Shiroyanagi, Y.

2017-12-01

A second-generation cryocooler-based cryostat has been designed and built to support a new helically wound superconducting undulator (SCU) magnet for the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The design represents an evolution of existing SCU cryostats currently in operation in the APS storage ring. Value engineering and lessons learned have resulted in a smaller, cheaper, and simpler cryostat design compatible with existing planar magnets as well as the new helically wound device. We describe heat load and quench response results, design and operational details, and the “build-to-spec” procurement strategy.

High field superconducting solenoid for the LASA in Milan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Acerbi, E.; Aleessandria, F.; Baccaglioni, G.

1988-03-01

This paper presents the preliminary design of a 19 T superconducting facility for the LASA Laboratory in Milan. The main features of the facility, realized with NbTi, Nb/sub 3/Sn and V/sub 3/Ga coils, are represented by an high field homogeneity in the center region and by the presence of two cryostats which allow to operate separately the NbTi coil (useful bore 0.55 m) and the Nb/sub 3/Sn - V/sub 3/Ga coils (useful bore 0.05 - 0.07 m). The main parameters of the facility and the design criteria are discussed in details.

Superconducting tensor gravity gradiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paik, H. J.

1981-01-01

The employment of superconductivity and other material properties at cryogenic temperatures to fabricate sensitive, low-drift, gravity gradiometer is described. The device yields a reduction of noise of four orders of magnitude over room temperature gradiometers, and direct summation and subtraction of signals from accelerometers in varying orientations are possible with superconducting circuitry. Additional circuits permit determination of the linear and angular acceleration vectors independent of the measurement of the gravity gradient tensor. A dewar flask capable of maintaining helium in a liquid state for a year's duration is under development by NASA, and a superconducting tensor gravity gradiometer for the NASA Geodynamics Program is intended for a LEO polar trajectory to measure the harmonic expansion coefficients of the earth's gravity field up to order 300.

Fabrication and Characterization of Superconducting Resonators

PubMed Central

Cataldo, Giuseppe; Barrentine, Emily M.; Brown, Ari D.; Moseley, Samuel H.; U-Yen, Kongpop; Wollack, Edward J.

2016-01-01

Superconducting microwave resonators are of interest for a wide range of applications, including for their use as microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) for the detection of faint astrophysical signatures, as well as for quantum computing applications and materials characterization. In this paper, procedures are presented for the fabrication and characterization of thin-film superconducting microwave resonators. The fabrication methodology allows for the realization of superconducting transmission-line resonators with features on both sides of an atomically smooth single-crystal silicon dielectric. This work describes the procedure for the installation of resonator devices into a cryogenic microwave testbed and for cool-down below the superconducting transition temperature. The set-up of the cryogenic microwave testbed allows one to do careful measurements of the complex microwave transmission of these resonator devices, enabling the extraction of the properties of the superconducting lines and dielectric substrate (e.g., internal quality factors, loss and kinetic inductance fractions), which are important for device design and performance. PMID:27284966

2011 Superconductivity Centennial Conference - EUCAS-ISEC-ICMC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogalla, Horst

2012-11-01

In 2011 a Centennial Conference was organized in the "World Forum" Conference Center in Den Haag, the Netherlands, celebrating the discovery of Superconductivity by Heike Kamerlingh Onnes and his group 100 years ago in Leiden in the Netherlands. They found superconductivity in pure mercury after successfully liquefying helium for which Kamerlingh Onnes received a Nobel Prize in 1913. Since then superconductivity has been in the vivid focus of fundamental solid state physics, applied sciences and engineering in a very active community which already in 2005 came forward with the request to organize a Centennial Conference. Horst Rogalla and Dick Veldhuis from the University of Twente and Peter Kes from the University of Leiden took over the task to organize this conference in cooperation with three international conferences, the European Conference on Applied Superconductivity (EUCAS), the International Superconducting Electronics Conference (ISEC) and the International Cryogenic Materials Conference (ICMC). All three are biannual conferences with quite a long history in superconductivity, its applications and its materials.

Study on the flow nonuniformity in a high capacity Stirling pulse tube cryocooler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, X.; Zhi, X.; Duan, C.; Jiang, X.; Qiu, L.; Li, J.

2017-12-01

High capacity Stirling-type pulse tube cryocoolers (SPTC) have promising applications in high temperature superconductive motor and gas liquefaction. However, with the increase of cooling capacity, its performance deviates from well-accepted one-dimensional model simulation, such as Sage and Regen, mainly due to the strong field nonuniformity. In this study, several flow straighteners placed at both ends of the pulse tube are investigated to improve the flow distribution. A two-dimensional model of the pulse tube based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method has been built to study the flow distribution of the pulse tube with different flow straighteners including copper screens, copper slots, taper transition and taper stainless slot. A SPTC set-up which has more than one hundred Watts cooling power at 80 K has been built and tested. The flow straighteners mentioned above have been applied and tested. The results show that with the best flow straightener the cooling performance of the SPTC can be significantly improved. Both CFD simulation and experiment show that the straighteners have impacts on the flow distribution and the performance of the high capacity SPTC.

Plasmon and exciton superconductivity mechanisms in layered structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gabovich, A. M.; Pashitskiy, E. A.; Uvarova, S. K.

1977-01-01

Plasmon and exciton superconductivity mechanisms are discussed. Superconductivity in a three layer metal semiconductor metal and insulator semimetal insulator sandwich structure was described in terms of the temperature dependent Green function of the longitudinal (Coulomb) field. The dependences of the superconducting transition temperature on structure parameters were obtained. In a semiconducting film, as a result of interactions of degenerate free carriers with excitons, superconductivity exists only in a certain range of parameter values, and the corresponding critical temperature is much lower than in the plasmon mechanism of superconductivity.

A Hydrocarbon Fuel Flash Vaporization System for a Pulsed Detonation Engine

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

Experiments were performed in the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Pulsed Detonation Research Facility at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. The PDE ...AFRL-MN-EG-TP-2006-7420 A HYDROCARBON FUEL FLASH VAPORIZATION SYSTEM FOR A PULSED DETONATION ENGINE (PREPRINT) K. Colin Tucker...85,7<&/$66,),&$7,212) E7(/(3+21(180%(5 ,QFOXGHDUHDFRGH A Hydrocarbon Fuel Flash Vaporization System for a Pulsed Detonation Engine K

Harvesting (67)Cu from the Collection of a Secondary Beam Cocktail at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory.

PubMed

Mastren, Tara; Pen, Aranh; Loveless, Shaun; Marquez, Bernadette V; Bollinger, Elizabeth; Marois, Boone; Hubley, Nicholas; Brown, Kyle; Morrissey, David J; Peaslee, Graham F; Lapi, Suzanne E

2015-10-20

Isotope harvesting is a promising new method to obtain isotopes for which there is no reliable continuous supply at present. To determine the possibility of obtaining radiochemically pure radioisotopes from an aqueous beam dump at a heavy-ion fragmentation facility, preliminary experiments were performed to chemically extract a copper isotope from a large mixture of projectile fragmentation products in an aqueous medium. In this work a 93 MeV/u secondary beam cocktail was collected in an aqueous beam stop at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) located on the Michigan State University (MSU) campus. The beam cocktail consisted of ∼2.9% (67)Cu in a large mixture of co-produced isotopes ranging in atomic number from ∼19 to 34. The chemical extraction of (67)Cu was achieved via a two-step process: primary extraction using a divalent metal chelation disk followed by anion-exchange chromatography. A significant fraction (74 ± 4%) of the (67)Cu collected in the aqueous beam stop was recovered with >99% radiochemical purity. To illustrate the utility of this product, the purified (67)Cu material was then used to radiolabel an anti-EGFR antibody, Panitumumab, and injected into mice bearing colon cancer xenografts. The tumor uptake at 5 days postinjection was found to be 12.5 ± 0.7% which was in very good agreement with previously reported studies with this radiolabeled antibody. The present results demonstrate that harvesting isotopes from a heavy-ion fragmentation facility could be a promising new method for obtaining high-quality isotopes that are not currently available by traditional methods.

Nano-fabricated superconducting radio-frequency composites, method for producing nano-fabricated superconducting rf composites

DOEpatents

Norem, James H.; Pellin, Michael J.

2013-06-11

Superconducting rf is limited by a wide range of failure mechanisms inherent in the typical manufacture methods. This invention provides a method for fabricating superconducting rf structures comprising coating the structures with single atomic-layer thick films of alternating chemical composition. Also provided is a cavity defining the invented laminate structure.

Synthetic Superconductivity in Single-Layer Crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levitov, Leonid; Borgnia, Dan; Lee, Patrick

2015-03-01

Electronic states in atomically thin 2D crystals are fully exposed and can couple to extrinsic degrees of freedom via long-range Coulomb interactions. Novel many-body effects in such systems can be engineered by embedding them in a polar environment. Superconducting pairing interaction induced in this way can enhance the intrinsic electron-phonon pairing mechanism. We take on this notion, which was around since the 60's (''excitonic superconductivity''), and consider synthetic superconductivity (SSC) induced in 2D crystals by a polar environment. One interesting aspect of this scenario is that Coulomb repulsion acts as superconductivity friend rather than a foe. Such repulsion-to-attraction transmutation allows to access strong-coupling superconductivity regime even when intrinsic pairing interaction is weak. We analyze pairing interaction in 2D crystals placed atop a highly polarizable dielectric with dispersive permittivity ɛ (ω) and predict that by optimizing system parameters a substantial enhancement can be achieved. We also argue that the SSC mechanism can be responsible, at least in part, for 100 K superconductivity recently observed in FeSe monolayers grown on SrTiO3 substrate, with Tc more than 10 times larger than in bulk 3D FeSe crystals, arxiv:1406.3435.

Collective coupling in hybrid superconducting circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Shiro

Hybrid quantum systems utilizing superconducting circuits have attracted significant recent attention, not only for quantum information processing tasks but also as a way to explore fundamentally new physics regimes. In this talk, I will discuss two superconducting circuit based hybrid quantum system approaches. The first is a superconducting flux qubit - electron spin ensemble hybrid system in which quantum information manipulated in the flux qubit can be transferred to, stored in and retrieved from the ensemble. Although the coherence time of the ensemble is short, about 20 ns, this is a significant first step to utilize the spin ensemble as quantum memory for superconducting flux qubits. The second approach is a superconducting resonator - flux qubit ensemble hybrid system in which we fabricated a superconducting LC resonator coupled to a large ensemble of flux qubits. Here we observed a dispersive frequency shift of approximately 250 MHz in the resonators transmission spectrum. This indicates thousands of flux qubits are coupling to the resonator collectively. Although we need to improve our qubits inhomogeneity, our system has many potential uses including the creation of new quantum metamaterials, novel applications in quantum metrology and so on. This work was partially supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 25220601.

A review of pulse tube refrigeration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Radebaugh, Ray

1990-01-01

This paper reviews the development of the three types of pulse tube refrigerators: basic, resonant, and orifice types. The principles of operation are given. It is shown that the pulse tube refrigerator is a variation of the Stirling-cycle refrigerator, where the moving displacer is substituted by a heat transfer mechanism or by an orifice to bring about the proper phase shifts between pressure and mass flow rate. A harmonic analysis with phasors is described which gives reasonable results for the refrigeration power, yet is simple enough to make clear the processes which give rise to the refrigeration. The efficiency and refrigeration power are compared with those of other refrigeration cycles. A brief review is given of the research being done at various laboratories on both one- and two-stage pulse tubes. A preliminary assessment of the role of pulse tube refrigerators is discussed.

Nozzle for superconducting fiber production

DOEpatents

Righi, Jamal

1992-11-17

A nozzle apparatus for producing flexible fibers of superconducting material receives melted material from a crucible for containing a charge of the superconducting material. The material is melted in the crucible and falls in a stream through a bottom hole in the crucible. The stream falls through a protecting collar which maintains the stream at high temperatures. The stream is then supplied through the downwardly directed nozzle where it is subjected to a high velocity air flow which breaks the melted superconducting material into ligaments which solidify into the flexible fibers. The fibers are collected by blowing them against a porous cloth.

Lattice parameters guide superconductivity in iron-arsenides

DOE PAGES

Konzen, Lance M. N.; Sefat, Athena S.

2017-01-12

The discovery of superconducting materials has led to their use in modern technological marvels, such as magnetic field sensors in MRI machines, powerful research magnets, and high-speed trains. Despite such applications, the uses of superconductors are not widespread due to high cooling costs. Since the discovery of Cu- and Fe-based high-temperature superconductors (HTS), numerous studies have tried to explain and understand the superconducting phenomenon. While no exact explanations are given, several trends are reported in relation to the materials basis in magnetism and spin excitations. In fact, most HTS have antiferromagnetic undoped ‘parent’ materials that undergo a superconducting transition uponmore » small chemical substitutions in them. As it is currently unclear which ‘dopants’ can favor of superconductivity, this manuscript investigates crystal structure changes upon chemical substitutions, to find clues in lattice parameters for the superconducting occurrence. We review the chemical substitution effects on the crystal lattice of iron-based materials (2008 to present). We note that (a) HTS compounds have nearly tetragonal structures with a-lattice parameter close to 4 Å, and (b) superconductivity can depend strongly on the c-lattice parameter changes with chemical substitution. For example, a decrease in c-lattice parameter is required to induce ‘in-plane’ superconductivity. The review of lattice parameter trends in iron-based superconductors presented here, should guide synthesis of new materials and give clues for superconductivity.« less

Robustness of Topological Superconductivity in Solid State Hybrid Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sitthison, Piyapong

The non-Abelian statistics of Majorana fermions (MFs) makes them an ideal platform for implementing topological quantum computation. In addition to the fascinating fundamental physics underlying the emergence of MFs, this potential for applications makes the study of these quasiparticles an extremely popular subject in condensed matter physics. The commonly called `Majorana fermions' are zero-energy bound states that emerge near boundaries and defects in topological superconducting phases, which can be engineered, for example, by proximity coupling strong spin-orbit coupling semiconductor nanowires and ordinary s-wave superconductors. The stability of these bound states is determined by the stability of the underlying topological superconducting phase. Hence, understanding their stability (which is critical for quantum computation), involves studying the robustness of the engineered topological superconductors. This work addresses this important problem in the context of two types of hybrid structures that have been proposed for realizing topological superconductivity: topological insulator - superconductor (TI-SC) and semiconductor - superconductor (SM-SC) nanostructures. In both structures, electrostatic effects due to applied external potentials and interface-induced potentials are significant. This work focuses on developing a theoretical framework for understanding these effects, to facilitate the optimization of the nanostructures studied in the laboratory. The approach presented in this thesis is based on describing the low-energy physics of the hybrid structure using effective tight-binding models that explicitly incorporate the proximity effects emerging at interfaces. Generically, as a result of the proximity coupling to the superconductor, an induced gap emerges in the semiconductor (topological insulator) sub-system. The strength of the proximity-induced gap is determined by the transparency of the interface and by the amplitude of the low- energy SM

Te vacancy-driven superconductivity in orthorhombic molybdenum ditelluride

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Suyeon; Kang, Se Hwang; Yu, Ho Sung; Kim, Hyo Won; Ko, Wonhee; Hwang, Sung Woo; Han, Woo Hyun; Choe, Duk-Hyun; Jung, Young Hwa; Chang, Kee Joo; Lee, Young Hee; Yang, Heejun; Wng Kim, Sung

2017-06-01

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have received great attentions because of diverse quantum electronic states such as topological insulating (TI), Weyl semimetallic (WSM) and superconducting states. Recently, the superconducting states emerged in pressurized semimetallic TMDs such as MoTe2 and WTe2 have become one of the central issues due to their predicted WSM states. However, the difficulty in synthetic control of chalcogen vacancies and the ambiguous magneto transport properties have hindered the rigorous study on superconducting and WSM states. Here, we report the emergence of superconductivity at 2.1 K in Te-deficient orthorhombic T d-MoTe2-x with an intrinsic electron-doping, while stoichiometric monoclinic 1T‧-MoTe2 shows no superconducting state down to 10 mK, but exhibits a large magnetoresistance of 32 000% at 2 K in a magnetic field of 14 T originating from nearly perfect compensation of electron and hole carriers. Scanning tunnelling spectroscopy and synchrotron x-ray diffraction combined with theoretical calculations clarify that Te vacancies trigger superconductivity via intrinsic electron doping and the evolution of the T d phase from the 1T‧ phase below 200 K. Unlike the pressure-induced superconducting state of monoclinic MoTe2, this Te vacancy-induced superconductivity is emerged in orthorhombic MoTe2, which is predicted as Weyl semimetal, via electron-doping. This chalcogen vacancy induced-superconductivity provides a new route for cultivating superconducting state together with WSM state in 2D van der Waals materials.

Anomalous electron doping independent two-dimensional superconductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wei; Xing, Xiangzhuo; Zhao, Haijun; Feng, Jiajia; Pan, Yongqiang; Zhou, Nan; Zhang, Yufeng; Qian, Bin; Shi, Zhixiang

2017-07-01

Transition metal (Co and Ni) co-doping effects are investigated on an underdoped Ca0.94La0.06Fe2As2 compound. It is discovered that electron doping from substituting Fe with transition metal (TM = Co, Ni) can trigger high-{T}{{c}} superconductivity around 35 K, which emerges abruptly before the total suppression of the innate spin-density-wave/anti-ferromagnetism (SDW/AFM) state. Remarkably, the critical temperature for the high-{T}{{c}} superconductivity remains constant against a wide range of TM doping levels. And the net electron doping density dependence of the superconducting {T}{{c}} based on the rigid band model can be nicely scaled into a single curve for Co and Ni substitutions, in stark contrast to the case of Ba(Fe1-x TM x )2As2. This carrier density independent superconductivity and the unusual scaling behavior are presumably resulted from the interface superconductivity based on the similarity with the interface superconductivity in a La2-x Sr x CuO4-La2CuO4 bilayer. Evidence of the two-dimensional character of the superfluid by angle-resolved magneto-resistance measurements can further strengthen the interface nature of the high-{T}{{c}} superconductivity.

Superconducting 112 MHz QWR electron gun

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Belomestnykh, S.; Ben-Zvi, I.; Boulware, C.H.

Brookhaven National Laboratory and Niowave, Inc. have designed and fabricated a superconducting 112 MHz quarter-wave resonator (QWR) electron gun. The first cold test of the QWR cryomodule has been completed at Niowave. The paper describes the cryomodule design, presents the cold test results, and outline plans to upgrade the cryomodule. Future experiments include studies of different photocathodes and use for the coherent electron cooling proof-of-principle experiment. Two cathode stalk options, one for multi-alkali photocathodes and the other one for a diamond-amplified photocathode, are discussed. A quarter-wave resonator concept of superconducting RF (SRF) electron gun was proposed at BNL for electronmore » cooling hadron beams in RHIC. QWRs can be made sufficiently compact even at low RF frequencies (long wavelengths). The long wavelength allows to produce long electron bunches, thus minimizing space charge effects and enabling high bunch charge. Also, such guns should be suitable for experiments requiring high average current electron beams. A 112 MHz QWR gun was designed, fabricated, and cold-tested in collaboration between BNL and Niowave. This is the lowest frequency SRF gun ever tested successfully. In this paper we describe the gun design and fabrication, present the cold test results, and outline our plans. This gun will also serve as a prototype for a future SRF gun to be used for coherent electron cooling of hadrons in eRHIC.« less

Thin Film Approaches to the SRF Cavity Problem: Fabrication and Characterization of Superconducting Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beringer, Douglas B.

Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavities are responsible for the acceleration of charged particles to relativistic velocities in most modern linear accelerators, such as those employed at high-energy research facilities like Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory's CEBAF and the LHC at CERN. Recognizing SRF as primarily a surface phenomenon enables the possibility of applying thin films to the interior surface of SRF cavities, opening a formidable tool chest of opportunities by combining and designing materials that offer greater benefit. Thus, while improvements in radio frequency cavity design and refinements in cavity processing techniques have improved accelerator performance and efficiency - 1.5 GHz bulk niobium SRF cavities have achieved accelerating gradients in excess of 35 MV/m - there exist fundamental material bounds in bulk superconductors limiting the maximally sustained accelerating field gradient (approximately 45 MV/m for Niobium) where inevitable thermodynamic breakdown occurs. With state of the art niobium based cavity design fast approaching these theoretical limits, novel material innovations must be sought in order to realize next generation SRF cavities. One proposed method to improve SRF performance is to utilize thin film superconducting-insulating-superconducting (SIS) multilayer structures to effectively magnetically screen a bulk superconducting layer such that it can operate at higher field gradients before suffering critically detrimental SRF losses. This dissertation focuses on the production and characterization of thin film superconductors for such SIS layers for radio-frequency applications.

Air Force Phillips Laboratory Battery Program overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

House, Shaun

1992-01-01

Battery development and testing efforts at Phillips Laboratory fall into three main categories: nickel hydrogen, sodium sulfur, and solid state batteries. Nickel hydrogen work is broken down into a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Life Test Program, a LEO Pulse Test Program, and a Hydrogen Embrittlement Investigation. Sodium sulfur work is broken down into a Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) Battery Flight Test and a Hot Launch Evaluation. Solid state polymer battery work consists of a GEO Battery Development Program, a Pulse Power Battery Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), and an in-house evaluation of current generation laboratory cells. An overview of the program is presented.

Cooling arrangement for a superconducting coil

DOEpatents

Herd, K.G.; Laskaris, E.T.

1998-06-30

A superconducting device is disclosed, such as a superconducting rotor for a generator or motor. A vacuum enclosure has an interior wall surrounding a cavity containing a vacuum. A superconductive coil is placed in the cavity. A generally-annularly-arranged, thermally-conductive sheet has an inward-facing surface contacting generally the entire outward-facing surface of the superconductive coil. A generally-annularly-arranged coolant tube contains a cryogenic fluid and contacts a generally-circumferential portion of the outward-facing surface of the sheet. A generally-annularly-arranged, thermally-insulative coil overwrap generally circumferentially surrounds the sheet. The coolant tube and the inward-facing surface of the coil overwrap together contact generally the entire outward-facing surface of the sheet. 3 figs.

Femtosecond profiling of shaped x-ray pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffmann, M. C.; Grguraš, I.; Behrens, C.; Bostedt, C.; Bozek, J.; Bromberger, H.; Coffee, R.; Costello, J. T.; DiMauro, L. F.; Ding, Y.; Doumy, G.; Helml, W.; Ilchen, M.; Kienberger, R.; Lee, S.; Maier, A. R.; Mazza, T.; Meyer, M.; Messerschmidt, M.; Schorb, S.; Schweinberger, W.; Zhang, K.; Cavalieri, A. L.

2018-03-01

Arbitrary manipulation of the temporal and spectral properties of x-ray pulses at free-electron lasers would revolutionize many experimental applications. At the Linac Coherent Light Source at Stanford National Accelerator Laboratory, the momentum phase-space of the free-electron laser driving electron bunch can be tuned to emit a pair of x-ray pulses with independently variable photon energy and femtosecond delay. However, while accelerator parameters can easily be adjusted to tune the electron bunch phase-space, the final impact of these actuators on the x-ray pulse cannot be predicted with sufficient precision. Furthermore, shot-to-shot instabilities that distort the pulse shape unpredictably cannot be fully suppressed. Therefore, the ability to directly characterize the x-rays is essential to ensure precise and consistent control. In this work, we have generated x-ray pulse pairs via electron bunch shaping and characterized them on a single-shot basis with femtosecond resolution through time-resolved photoelectron streaking spectroscopy. This achievement completes an important step toward future x-ray pulse shaping techniques.

Femtosecond profiling of shaped x-ray pulses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoffmann, M. C.; Grguras, I.; Behrens, C.

Arbitrary manipulation of the temporal and spectral properties of x-ray pulses at free-electron lasers would revolutionize many experimental applications. At the Linac Coherent Light Source at Stanford National Accelerator Laboratory, the momentum phase-space of the free-electron laser driving electron bunch can be tuned to emit a pair of x-ray pulses with independently variable photon energy and femtosecond delay. However, while accelerator parameters can easily be adjusted to tune the electron bunch phase-space, the final impact of these actuators on the x-ray pulse cannot be predicted with sufficient precision. Furthermore, shot-to-shot instabilities that distort the pulse shape unpredictably cannot be fullymore » suppressed. Therefore, the ability to directly characterize the x-rays is essential to ensure precise and consistent control. In this work, we have generated x-ray pulse pairs via electron bunch shaping and characterized them on a single-shot basis with femtosecond resolution through time-resolved photoelectron streaking spectroscopy. Furthermore, this achievement completes an important step toward future x-ray pulse shaping techniques.« less

Femtosecond profiling of shaped x-ray pulses

DOE PAGES

Hoffmann, M. C.; Grguras, I.; Behrens, C.; ...

2018-03-26

Arbitrary manipulation of the temporal and spectral properties of x-ray pulses at free-electron lasers would revolutionize many experimental applications. At the Linac Coherent Light Source at Stanford National Accelerator Laboratory, the momentum phase-space of the free-electron laser driving electron bunch can be tuned to emit a pair of x-ray pulses with independently variable photon energy and femtosecond delay. However, while accelerator parameters can easily be adjusted to tune the electron bunch phase-space, the final impact of these actuators on the x-ray pulse cannot be predicted with sufficient precision. Furthermore, shot-to-shot instabilities that distort the pulse shape unpredictably cannot be fullymore » suppressed. Therefore, the ability to directly characterize the x-rays is essential to ensure precise and consistent control. In this work, we have generated x-ray pulse pairs via electron bunch shaping and characterized them on a single-shot basis with femtosecond resolution through time-resolved photoelectron streaking spectroscopy. Furthermore, this achievement completes an important step toward future x-ray pulse shaping techniques.« less

Synchronous Generators with Superconductive Excitation Windings,

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-07-27

AD-Al3i 832 SYNCHRONOUS GENERATORS WITH SUPERCONDUCTIVE EXCITATION i/i WINDINGS(U) FOREIGN TECHNOLOGY DIV WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH W PASZEK ET AL. 27...1.1 FTD-ID(RS)T-1087-83 FOREIGN TECHNOLOGY DIVISION SYNCHRONOUS GENERATORS WITH SUPERCONDUCTIVE EXCITATION WINDINGS by W. Paszek and A. Rozycki DTIC...MICROFICHE NR: FTD-83-C-000906 j.r.voiFor SYNCHRONOUS GENERATORS WITH SUPERCONDUCTIVE T EXCITATION WINDINGS 0;~f~on~ SJustification By: W./Paszek and A

Development of a Specific Impulse Balance for a Pulsed Capillary Discharge (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-13

thrust stand [rad/s] I. Introduction A capillary discharge based coaxial , electrothermal pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) is currently under...20-23 July 2008. 14. ABSTRACT A capillary discharge based pulsed plasma thruster is currently under development at the Air Force Research...Edwards AFB, CA 93524 A capillary discharge based pulsed plasma thruster is currently under development at the Air Force Research Laboratory. A

Upper critical field measurements in high-Tc superconducting oxides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ousset, J. C.; Bobo, J. F.; Ulmet, J. P.; Rakoto, H.; Cheggour, N.

We present upper critical field measurements on the superconducting oxides RE Ba2Cu3O7-δ (RE = Y, Gd) performed in a pulsed magnetic field up to 43 T. Values for Hc2 as high as 52 T and 77 T for Y and Gd respectively, are expected at 77 K. However, in order to observe no resistive behaviour up to 43 T the temperature must be decreased down to 50 K. In the case of oxygen deficient systems the magnetoresistance reveals two superconducting phases wich could be related to two different orders of oxygen vacancies. Nous présentons des mesures de champ critique Hc2 sur les supraconducteurs TR Ba 2Cu3O7-δ (TR = Y, Gd) réalisées en champ magnétique pulsé jusqu'à 43 T. Elles permettent de prévoir des valeurs de H c2 de 52 T et 77 T respectivement pour Y et Gd à 77 K. Cependant, pour ne pas observer de comportement résistif jusqu'au champ maximum, il est nécessaire de refroidir l'échantillon jusqu'à 50 K. Dans le cas des systèmes déficients en oxygène (δ important) nous mettons en évidence l'existence de deux phases supraconductrices qui pourraient être dues à deux ordres différents des lacunes d'oxygène.

ORNL superconducting technology program for electric power systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawsey, R. A.

1994-04-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Superconducting Technology Program is conducted as part of a national effort by the US Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to develop the technology base needed by US industry for commercial development of electric power applications of high-temperature superconductivity. The two major elements of this program are conductor development and applications development. This document describes the major research and development activities for this program together with related accomplishments. The technical progress reported was summarized from information prepared for the FY 1993 Annual Program Review held July 28--29, 1993. This ORNL program is highly leveraged by the staff and other resources of US industry and universities. In fact, nearly three-fourths of the ORNL effort is devoted to industrial competitiveness projects with private companies. Interlaboratory teams are also in place on a number of industry-driven projects. Patent disclosures, working group meetings, staff exchanges, and joint publications and presentations ensure that there is technology transfer to US industry. Working together, the collaborative teams are making rapid progress in solving the scientific and technical issues necessary for the commercialization of long lengths of practical high-temperature superconductor wire and wire products.

Microwave photonics with superconducting quantum circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Xiu; Kockum, Anton Frisk; Miranowicz, Adam; Liu, Yu-xi; Nori, Franco

2017-11-01

In the past 20 years, impressive progress has been made both experimentally and theoretically in superconducting quantum circuits, which provide a platform for manipulating microwave photons. This emerging field of superconducting quantum microwave circuits has been driven by many new interesting phenomena in microwave photonics and quantum information processing. For instance, the interaction between superconducting quantum circuits and single microwave photons can reach the regimes of strong, ultra-strong, and even deep-strong coupling. Many higher-order effects, unusual and less familiar in traditional cavity quantum electrodynamics with natural atoms, have been experimentally observed, e.g., giant Kerr effects, multi-photon processes, and single-atom induced bistability of microwave photons. These developments may lead to improved understanding of the counterintuitive properties of quantum mechanics, and speed up applications ranging from microwave photonics to superconducting quantum information processing. In this article, we review experimental and theoretical progress in microwave photonics with superconducting quantum circuits. We hope that this global review can provide a useful roadmap for this rapidly developing field.

Superconductivity bordering Rashba type topological transition

DOE PAGES

Jin, M. L.; Sun, F.; Xing, L. Y.; ...

2017-01-04

Strong spin orbital interaction (SOI) can induce unique quantum phenomena such as topological insulators, the Rashba effect, or p-wave superconductivity. Combining these three quantum phenomena into a single compound has important scientific implications. Here we report experimental observations of consecutive quantum phase transitions from a Rashba type topological trivial phase to topological insulator state then further proceeding to superconductivity in a SOI compound BiTeI tuned via pressures. The electrical resistivity measurement with V shape change signals the transition from a Rashba type topological trivial to a topological insulator phase at 2 GPa, which is caused by an energy gap closemore » then reopen with band inverse. Superconducting transition appears at 8 GPa with a critical temperature T C of 5.3 K. Structure refinements indicate that the consecutive phase transitions are correlated to the changes in the Bi–Te bond and bond angle as function of pressures. As a result, the Hall Effect measurements reveal an intimate relationship between superconductivity and the unusual change in carrier density that points to possible unconventional superconductivity.« less

Superconducting cable connections and methods

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

van der Laan, Daniel Cornelis

2017-09-05

Superconducting cable connector structures include a terminal body (or other structure) onto which the tapes from the superconducting cable extend. The terminal body (or other structure) has a diameter that is sufficiently larger than the diameter of the former of the superconducting cable, so that the tapes spread out over the outer surface of the terminal body. As a result, gaps are formed between tapes on the terminal body (or other structure). Those gaps are filled with solder (or other suitable flowable conductive material), to provide a current path of relatively high conductivity in the radial direction. Other connector structuresmore » omit the terminal body.« less

Growth And Patterning Of High-Tc Superconducting Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warner, J. D.; Bhasin, K. B.; Varaljay, N. C.; Bohman, D. Y.; Chorey, C. M.

1992-01-01

Superconducting films of YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta), having high superconducting-transition temperatures (Tc's), deposited on LaAlO3 substrates and etched into patterns representative of passive microwave devices, with no deterioration of superconducting properties.

Magnetic torque on a rotating superconducting sphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holdeman, L. B.

1975-01-01

The London theory of superconductivity is used to calculate the torque on a superconducting sphere rotating in a uniform applied magnetic field. The London theory is combined with classical electrodynamics for a calculation of the direct effect of excess charge on a rotating superconducting sphere. Classical electrodynamics, with the assumption of a perfect Meissner effect, is used to calculate the torque on a superconducting sphere rotating in an arbitrary magnetic induction; this macroscopic approach yields results which are correct to first order. Using the same approach, the torque due to a current loop encircling the rotating sphere is calculated.

Development of superconducting magnetic bearing with superconducting coil and bulk superconductor for flywheel energy storage system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, Y.; Seino, H.; Yoshizawa, K.; Nagashima, K.

2013-11-01

We have been developing superconducting magnetic bearing for flywheel energy storage system to be applied to the railway system. The bearing consists of a superconducting coil as a stator and bulk superconductors as a rotor. A flywheel disk connected to the bulk superconductors is suspended contactless by superconducting magnetic bearings (SMBs). We have manufactured a small scale device equipped with the SMB. The flywheel was rotated contactless over 2000 rpm which was a frequency between its rigid body mode and elastic mode. The feasibility of this SMB structure was demonstrated.

Experimental gas-fired pulse-combustion studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blomquist, C. A.

1982-01-01

Experimental studies conducted at Argonne National Laboratory on a gas-fired, water-cooled, Helmholtz-type pulse combustion burner are discussed. In addition to the experimental work, information is presented on the evolution of pulse combustion, the types of pulse combustion burners and their applications, and the types of fuels used. Also included is a survey of other pertinent studies of gas-fired pulse combustion. The burner used in the Argonne research effort was equipped with adjustable air and gas flapper valves and was operated stably over a heat-input range of 30,000 to 200,000 Btu/h. The burner's overall heat transfer in the pulsating mode was 22 to 31% higher than when the unit was operated in the steady mode. Important phenomena discussed include (1) effects on performance produced by inserting a corebustor to change tailpipe diameter, (2) effects observed following addition of an air-inlet decoupling chamber to the unit, and (3) occurrence of carbon monoxide in the exhaust gas.

Superconductivity in solid benzene molecular crystal.

PubMed

Zhong, Guo-Hua; Yang, Chun-Lei; Chen, Xiao-Jia; Lin, Hai-Qing

2018-06-20

Light-element compounds hold great promise of high critical temperature superconductivity judging from the theoretical perspective. A hydrogen-rich material, benzene, is such a kind of candidate but also an organic compound. A series of first-principles calculations are performed on the electronic structures, dynamics properties, and electron-phonon interactions of solid benzene at high pressures. Benzene is found to be dynamically stable in the pressure range of 180-200 GPa and to exhibit superconductivity with a maximum transition temperature of 20 K at 195 GPa. The phonon modes of carbon atoms are identified to mainly contribute to the electron-phonon interactions driving this superconductivity. The predicted superconductivity in this simplest pristine hydrocarbon shows a common feature in aromatic hydrocarbons and also makes it a bridge to organic and hydrogen-rich superconductors.

Superconductivity in solid benzene molecular crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Guo-Hua; Yang, Chun-Lei; Chen, Xiao-Jia; Lin, Hai-Qing

2018-06-01

Light-element compounds hold great promise of high critical temperature superconductivity judging from the theoretical perspective. A hydrogen-rich material, benzene, is such a kind of candidate but also an organic compound. A series of first-principles calculations are performed on the electronic structures, dynamics properties, and electron–phonon interactions of solid benzene at high pressures. Benzene is found to be dynamically stable in the pressure range of 180–200 GPa and to exhibit superconductivity with a maximum transition temperature of 20 K at 195 GPa. The phonon modes of carbon atoms are identified to mainly contribute to the electron–phonon interactions driving this superconductivity. The predicted superconductivity in this simplest pristine hydrocarbon shows a common feature in aromatic hydrocarbons and also makes it a bridge to organic and hydrogen-rich superconductors.

Crystal structure, magnetic susceptibility and thermopower of superconducting and non-superconducting Nd 1.85Ce 0.15CuO 4+y

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magelschots, I.; Andersen, N. H.; Lebech, B.; Wisniewski, A.; Jacobsen, C. S.

1992-12-01

An experimental study of superconducting and non-superconducting Nd 1.85Ce 0.15CuO 4+ y, including structure determination by neutron powder diffraction, recording of oxygen changes by gas volumetry, and susceptibility and thermoelectric measurements, is reported. Difference neutron diffraction patterns from samples prepared on-line at the spectrometer show that the structures of superconducting and non-superconducting samples are identical within the limits set by the statistical errors of our data. Simultaneous gas volumetric measurements reveal that Δy<0.03 (1) when the sample is oxidized from the superconducting to the non-superconducting state. Structural refinements confirm that Nd 1.85Ce 0.15CuO 4+ y has the T‧-type tetragonal structure reported in the literature, but additional oxygen may be located on the apical O(3) oxygen site of the T-type structure, with a total oxygen content of 4+ y=4.03 (5). Consistent with this result, we find very small values of the thermoelectric power indicating that Nd 1.85Ce 0.15CuO 4+ y is close to the formal threshold, yc=0.075, between electron and hole conduction, but surprisingly, the thermoelectric power of the superconducting sample is positive, while it is negative in the non-superconducting sample below 210 K.

Novel Pulse Oximetry Sonifications for Neonatal Oxygen Saturation Monitoring: A Laboratory Study.

PubMed

Hinckfuss, Kelly; Sanderson, Penelope; Loeb, Robert G; Liley, Helen G; Liu, David

2016-03-01

We aimed to test whether the use of novel pulse oximetry sounds (sonifications) better informs listeners when a neonate's oxygen saturation (SpO2) deviates from the recommended range. Variable-pitch pulse oximeters do not accurately inform clinicians via sound alone when SpO2 is outside the target range of 90% to 95% for neonates on supplemental oxygen. Risk of blindness, organ damage, and death increase if SpO2 remains outside the target range. A more informative sonification may improve clinicians' ability to maintain the target range. In two desktop experiments, nonclinicians' ability to detect SpO2 range and direction of change was tested with novel versus conventional sonifications of simulated patient data. In Experiment 1, a "shoulder" sonification used larger pitch differences between adjacent saturation percentages for SpO2 values outside the target range. In Experiment 2, a "beacon" sonification used equal-appearing pitch differences, but when SpO2 was outside the target range, a fixed-pitch reference tone from the center of the target SpO2 range preceded every fourth pulse tone. The beacon sonification improved range identification accuracy over the control display (85% vs. 60%; p < .001), but the shoulder sonification did not (55% vs. 52%). The beacon provided a distinct auditory alert and reference that significantly improved nonclinical participants' ability to identify SpO2 range. Adding a beacon to the variable-pitch pulse oximeter sound may help clinicians identify when, and by how much, a neonate's SpO2 deviates from the target range, particularly during patient transport situations when auditory information becomes essential. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Reversal of the Upper Critical Field Anisotropy and Spin-Locked Superconductivity in K 2Cr 3As 3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Balakirev, Fedor Fedorovich; Kong, T.; Jaime, Marcelo

2016-02-08

Recently, superconductivity in K 2Cr 3As 3 (T c =6.1 K) was discovered. The crystalline lattice contains an array of weakly coupled, double well [(Cr 3As 3) 2-] ∞ linkages stretched along the c axis, suggesting the possibility of quasi-one-dimensional superconductivity. Moderately anisotropic upper critical field was revealed in single crystals, with very large initial slopes, dH ∥ c2 /dT=12 T/K along the Cr chains and dH perpendicular c2 /dT =7 T/K perpendicular to the chains. Given the ambiguity of conclusions based on the extrapolations of H c2(T) measured near T c to low temperatures, we performed high-field measurements ofmore » H c2(T) on K 2Cr 3As 3 single crystals in pulsed magnetic fields which enabled us to reveal the full anisotropic H c2(T) curves from T c down to 600 mK.« less

Characterization of Phase-Slip Centers created in superconducting NbxTi1-xN thin films close to Tc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrabi, Khalil; Maneval, Jean Paul; Maneval Collaboration

The dissipative states induced by an over-critical (pair-breaking) current in superconducting NbxTi1-xN strips were investigated and characterized in the vicinity of the critical temperature Tc ( 8.7 K). The suppression of superconductivity then occurs locally and leads to the creation of a phase-slip center (PSC). In the case where the over-critical current is applied as a step pulse, the PSC voltage rise is preceded by a nucleation time td which can be analyzed through a Time-Dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory due to Tinkham. In conformity with previous work, we interpret the effective gap relaxation time of the theory as the film cooling time. By consideration of the respective weights of the electron and phonon specific heats, the phonon escape time can be derived from experiments. It is here found to be 1.8 ns for a 20 nm NbTiN film sputtered on polished crystalline Al2O3\\ King Fahd University of Peroleum and Minerals Saudi Arabia.

Damping in high-temperature superconducting levitation systems

DOEpatents

Hull, John R [Sammamish, WA

2009-12-15

Methods and apparatuses for improved damping in high-temperature superconducting levitation systems are disclosed. A superconducting element (e.g., a stator) generating a magnetic field and a magnet (e.g. a rotor) supported by the magnetic field are provided such that the superconducting element is supported relative to a ground state with damped motion substantially perpendicular to the support of the magnetic field on the magnet. Applying this, a cryostat housing the superconducting bearing may be coupled to the ground state with high damping but low radial stiffness, such that its resonant frequency is less than that of the superconducting bearing. The damping of the cryostat may be substantially transferred to the levitated magnetic rotor, thus, providing damping without affecting the rotational loss, as can be derived applying coupled harmonic oscillator theory in rotor dynamics. Thus, damping can be provided to a levitated object, without substantially affecting the rotational loss.

Superconducting inductive displacement detection of a microcantilever

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinante, A.

2014-07-01

We demonstrate a superconducting inductive technique to measure the displacement of a micromechanical resonator. In our scheme, a type I superconducting microsphere is attached to the free end of a microcantilever and approached to the loop of a dc Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) microsusceptometer. A local magnetic field as low as 100 μT, generated by a field coil concentric to the SQUID, enables detection of the cantilever thermomechanical noise at 4.2 K. The magnetomechanical coupling and the magnetic spring are in good agreement with image method calculations assuming pure Meissner effect. These measurements are relevant to recent proposals of quantum magnetomechanics experiments based on levitating superconducting microparticles.

Pantechnik new superconducting ion source: PantechniK Indian Superconducting Ion Source.

PubMed

Gaubert, G; Bieth, C; Bougy, W; Brionne, N; Donzel, X; Leroy, R; Sineau, A; Vallerand, C; Villari, A C C; Thuillier, T

2012-02-01

The new ECR ion source PantechniK Indian Superconducting Ion Source (PKISIS) was recently commissioned at Pantechnik. Three superconducting coils generate the axial magnetic field configuration, while the radial magnetic field is done with the multi-layer permanent magnets. Special care was devoted to the design of the hexapolar structure, allowing a maximum magnetic field of 1.32 T at the wall of the 82 mm diameter plasma chamber. The three superconducting coils using low temperature superconducting wires are cooled by a single double stage cryo-cooler (4.2 K). Cryogen-free technology is used, providing reliability and easy maintenance at low cost. The maximum installed RF power (18.0 GHz) is of 2 kW. Metallic beams can be produced with an oven (T(max) = 1400 °C) installed with an angle of 5° with respect to the source axis or a sputtering system, mounted on the axis of the source. The beam extraction system is constituted of three electrodes in accel-decel configuration. The new source of Pantechnik is conceived for reaching optimum performances at 18 GHz RF frequencies. PKISIS magnetic fields are 2.1 T axial B(inj) and 1.32 T radial field in the wall, variable B(min) with an independent coil and a large and opened extraction region. Moreover, PKISIS integrates modern design concepts, like RF direct injection (2 kW availability), dc-bias moving disk, out-of-axis oven and axial sputtering facility for metal beams. Finally, PKISIS is also conceived in order to operate in a high-voltage platform with minor power consumption.

Conceptual study of superconducting urban area power systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noe, Mathias; Bach, Robert; Prusseit, Werner; Willén, Dag; Gold-acker, Wilfried; Poelchau, Juri; Linke, Christian

2010-06-01

Efficient transmission, distribution and usage of electricity are fundamental requirements for providing citizens, societies and economies with essential energy resources. It will be a major future challenge to integrate more sustainable generation resources, to meet growing electricity demand and to renew electricity networks. Research and development on superconducting equipment and components have an important role to play in addressing these challenges. Up to now, most studies on superconducting applications in power systems have been concentrated on the application of specific devices like for example cables and current limiters. In contrast to this, the main focus of our study is to show the consequence of a large scale integration of superconducting power equipment in distribution level urban power systems. Specific objectives are to summarize the state-of-the-art of superconducting power equipment including cooling systems and to compare the superconducting power system with respect to energy and economic efficiency with conventional solutions. Several scenarios were considered starting from the replacement of an existing distribution level sub-grid up to a full superconducting urban area distribution level power system. One major result is that a full superconducting urban area distribution level power system could be cost competitive with existing solutions in the future. In addition to that, superconducting power systems offer higher energy efficiency as well as a number of technical advantages like lower voltage drops and improved stability.

Spectroscopic evidence of odd frequency superconducting order

PubMed Central

Pal, Avradeep; Ouassou, J. A.; Eschrig, M.; Linder, J.; Blamire, M. G.

2017-01-01

Spin filter superconducting S/I/N tunnel junctions (NbN/GdN/TiN) show a robust and pronounced Zero Bias Conductance Peak (ZBCP) at low temperatures, the magnitude of which is several times the normal state conductance of the junction. Such a conductance anomaly is representative of unconventional superconductivity and is interpreted as a direct signature of an odd frequency superconducting order. PMID:28106102

The Superconducting Bird: A Didactical Toy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guarner, E.; Sanchez, A. M.

1992-01-01

Describes the design of the superconducting bird, a device to demonstrate the phenomenon of superconductivity. Discusses the utilization of the device as an example of a motor and compares it to the toy called the drinking bird. (MDH)

High-Field Superconductivity on Iron Chalcogenide FeSe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Anlu; Kitagawa, Shunsaku; Ishida, Kenji; Böhmer, Anna E.; Meingast, Christoph; Wolf, Thomas

2018-06-01

We have performed ac-susceptibility and 77Se-NMR measurements on single-crystal FeSe in the field range from 12.5 to 14.75 T below 1.6 K in order to investigate the superconducting properties of the B phase. Our results show that although superconductivity persists beyond the A-B transition line (H*), the broadening of the 77Se-NMR linewidth arising from the superconducting diamagnetic effect decreases at around H*, suggesting that superconducting character is changed at H*.

Techniques for Connecting Superconducting Thin Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mester, John; Gwo, Dz-Hung

2006-01-01

Several improved techniques for connecting superconducting thin films on substrates have been developed. The techniques afford some versatility for tailoring the electronic and mechanical characteristics of junctions between superconductors in experimental electronic devices. The techniques are particularly useful for making superconducting or alternatively normally conductive junctions (e.g., Josephson junctions) between patterned superconducting thin films in order to exploit electron quantum-tunneling effects. The techniques are applicable to both low-Tc and high-Tc superconductors (where Tc represents the superconducting- transition temperature of a given material), offering different advantages for each. Most low-Tc superconductors are metallic, and heretofore, connections among them have been made by spot welding. Most high-Tc superconductors are nonmetallic and cannot be spot welded. These techniques offer alternatives to spot welding of most low-Tc superconductors and additional solutions to problems of connecting most high-Tc superconductors.

Observation of dark pulses in 10 nm thick YBCO nanostrips presenting hysteretic current voltage characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ejrnaes, M.; Parlato, L.; Arpaia, R.; Bauch, T.; Lombardi, F.; Cristiano, R.; Tafuri, F.; Pepe, G. P.

2017-12-01

We have fabricated several 10 nm thick and 65 nm wide YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) nanostrips. The nanostrips with the highest critical current densities are characterized by hysteretic current voltage characteristics (IVCs) with a direct bistable switch from the zero-voltage to the finite voltage state. The presence of hysteretic IVCs allowed the observation of dark pulses due to fluctuations phenomena. The key role of the bistable behavior is its ability to transform a small disturbance (e.g. an intrinsic fluctuation) into a measurable transient signal, i.e. a dark pulse. On the contrary, in devices characterized by lower critical current density values, the IVCs are non-hysteretic and dark pulses have not been observed. To investigate the physical origin of the dark pulses, we have measured the bias current dependence of the dark pulse rate: the observed exponential increase with the bias current is compatible with mechanisms based on thermal activation of magnetic vortices in the nanostrip. We believe that the successful amplification of small fluctuation events into measurable signals in nanostrips of ultrathin YBCO is a milestone for further investigation of YBCO nanostrips for superconducting nanostrip single photon detectors and other quantum detectors for operation at higher temperatures.

High critical current superconducting tapes

DOEpatents

Holesinger, Terry G [Los Alamos, NM; Jia, Quanxi [Los Alamos, NM; Foltyn, Stephen R [Los Alamos, NM

2003-09-23

Improvements in critical current capacity for superconducting film structures are disclosed and include the use of a superconducting RE-BCO layer including a mixture of rare earth metals, e.g., yttrium and europium, where the ratio of yttrium to europium in the RE-BCO layer ranges from about 3 to 1 to from about 1.5 to 1.

Lattice parameters guide superconductivity in iron-arsenides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konzen, Lance M. N.; Sefat, Athena S.

2017-03-01

The discovery of superconducting materials has led to their use in technological marvels such as magnetic-field sensors in MRI machines, powerful research magnets, short transmission cables, and high-speed trains. Despite such applications, the uses of superconductors are not widespread because they function much below room-temperature, hence the costly cooling. Since the discovery of Cu- and Fe-based high-temperature superconductors (HTS), much intense effort has tried to explain and understand the superconducting phenomenon. While no exact explanations are given, several trends are reported in relation to the materials basis in magnetism and spin excitations. In fact, most HTS have antiferromagnetic undoped ‘parent’ materials that undergo a superconducting transition upon small chemical substitutions in them. As it is currently unclear which ‘dopants’ can favor superconductivity, this manuscript investigates crystal structure changes upon chemical substitutions, to find clues in lattice parameters for the superconducting occurrence. We review the chemical substitution effects on the crystal lattice of iron-arsenide-based crystals (2008 to present). We note that (a) HTS compounds have nearly tetragonal structures with a-lattice parameter close to 4 Å, and (b) superconductivity can depend strongly on the c-lattice parameter changes with chemical substitution. For example, a decrease in c-lattice parameter is required to induce ‘in-plane’ superconductivity. The review of lattice parameter trends in iron-arsenides presented here should guide synthesis of new materials and provoke theoretical input, giving clues for HTS.

Lattice parameters guide superconductivity in iron-arsenides.

PubMed

Konzen, Lance M N; Sefat, Athena S

2017-03-01

The discovery of superconducting materials has led to their use in technological marvels such as magnetic-field sensors in MRI machines, powerful research magnets, short transmission cables, and high-speed trains. Despite such applications, the uses of superconductors are not widespread because they function much below room-temperature, hence the costly cooling. Since the discovery of Cu- and Fe-based high-temperature superconductors (HTS), much intense effort has tried to explain and understand the superconducting phenomenon. While no exact explanations are given, several trends are reported in relation to the materials basis in magnetism and spin excitations. In fact, most HTS have antiferromagnetic undoped 'parent' materials that undergo a superconducting transition upon small chemical substitutions in them. As it is currently unclear which 'dopants' can favor superconductivity, this manuscript investigates crystal structure changes upon chemical substitutions, to find clues in lattice parameters for the superconducting occurrence. We review the chemical substitution effects on the crystal lattice of iron-arsenide-based crystals (2008 to present). We note that (a) HTS compounds have nearly tetragonal structures with a-lattice parameter close to 4 Å, and (b) superconductivity can depend strongly on the c-lattice parameter changes with chemical substitution. For example, a decrease in c-lattice parameter is required to induce 'in-plane' superconductivity. The review of lattice parameter trends in iron-arsenides presented here should guide synthesis of new materials and provoke theoretical input, giving clues for HTS.

Microwave-to-optical frequency conversion using a cesium atom coupled to a superconducting resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gard, Bryan T.; Jacobs, Kurt; McDermott, R.; Saffman, M.

2017-07-01

A candidate for converting quantum information from microwave to optical frequencies is the use of a single atom that interacts with a superconducting microwave resonator on one hand and an optical cavity on the other. The large electric dipole moments and microwave transition frequencies possessed by Rydberg states allow them to couple strongly to superconducting devices. Lasers can then be used to connect a Rydberg transition to an optical transition to realize the conversion. Since the fundamental source of noise in this process is spontaneous emission from the atomic levels, the resulting control problem involves choosing the pulse shapes of the driving lasers so as to maximize the transfer rate while minimizing this loss. Here we consider the concrete example of a cesium atom, along with two specific choices for the levels to be used in the conversion cycle. Under the assumption that spontaneous emission is the only significant source of errors, we use numerical optimization to determine the likely rates for reliable quantum communication that could be achieved with this device. These rates are on the order of a few megaqubits per second.

Cryogenic test facility instrumentation with fiber optic and fiber optic sensors for testing superconducting accelerator magnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiuchiolo, A.; Bajas, H.; Bajko, M.; Castaldo, B.; Consales, M.; Cusano, A.; Giordano, M.; Giloux, C.; Perez, J. C.; Sansone, L.; Viret, P.

2017-12-01

The magnets for the next steps in accelerator physics, such as the High Luminosity upgrade of the LHC (HL- LHC) and the Future Circular Collider (FCC), require the development of new technologies for manufacturing and monitoring. To meet the HL-LHC new requirements, a large upgrade of the CERN SM18 cryogenic test facilities is ongoing with the implementation of new cryostats and cryogenic instrumentation. The paper deals with the advances in the development and the calibration of fiber optic sensors in the range 300 - 4 K using a dedicated closed-cycle refrigerator system composed of a pulse tube and a cryogen-free cryostat. The calibrated fiber optic sensors (FOS) have been installed in three vertical cryostats used for testing superconducting magnets down to 1.9 K or 4.2 K and in the variable temperature test bench (100 - 4.2 K). Some examples of FOS measurements of cryostat temperature evolution are presented as well as measurements of strain performed on a subscale of High Temperature Superconducting magnet during its powering tests.

Computer Center: Software Review: The DynaPulse 200M.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pankiewicz, Philip R., Ed.

1995-01-01

Reviews the DynaPulse 200M Education Edition microcomputer-based laboratory, which combines interactive software with curriculum and medical instrumentation to teach students about the cardiovascular system. (MKR)

Ceramic/metal and A15/metal superconducting composite materials exploiting the superconducting proximity effect and method of making the same

DOEpatents

Holcomb, Matthew J.

1999-01-01

A composite superconducting material made of coated particles of ceramic superconducting material and a metal matrix material. The metal matrix material fills the regions between the coated particles. The coating material is a material that is chemically nonreactive with the ceramic. Preferably, it is silver. The coating serves to chemically insulate the ceramic from the metal matrix material. The metal matrix material is a metal that is susceptible to the superconducting proximity effect. Preferably, it is a NbTi alloy. The metal matrix material is induced to become superconducting by the superconducting proximity effect when the temperature of the material goes below the critical temperature of the ceramic. The material has the improved mechanical properties of the metal matrix material. Preferably, the material consists of approximately 10% NbTi, 90% coated ceramic particles (by volume). Certain aspects of the material and method will depend upon the particular ceramic superconductor employed. An alternative embodiment of the invention utilizes A15 compound superconducting particles in a metal matrix material which is preferably a NbTi alloy.

High-field superconducting nested coil magnet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laverick, C.; Lobell, G. M.

1970-01-01

Superconducting magnet, employed in conjunction with five types of superconducting cables in a nested solenoid configuration, produces total, central magnetic field strengths approaching 70 kG. The multiple coils permit maximum information on cable characteristics to be gathered from one test.

Interface demarcation in GaAs by current pulsing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matthiesen, D. H.; Kafalas, J. A.; Duchene, G. A.; Bellows, A. H.

1990-01-01

GTE Laboratories is currently conducting a program to investigate the effect of convection in the melt on the properties of bulk grown gallium arsenide (GaAs). In addition to extensive ground based experimentation, a Get Away Special growth system has been developed to grow two GaAs crystals aboard the Space Shuttle, each with a one inch diameter. In order to perform a complete segregation analysis of the crystals grown in space, it is necessary to measure the interface shape and growth rate as well as the spatial distribution of the selenium dopant. The techniques for interface demarcation in selenium doped GaAs by current pulsing have been developed at GTE Laboratories and successful interface demarcation has been achieved for current pulses ranging from 20 to 90 amps, in both single crystal and polycrystalline regions.

Damping in high-temperature superconducting levitation systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hull, John R.

2009-12-15

Methods and apparatuses for improved damping in high-temperature superconducting levitation systems are disclosed. A superconducting element (e.g., a stator) generating a magnetic field and a magnet (e.g. a rotor) supported by the magnetic field are provided such that the superconducting element is supported relative to a ground state with damped motion substantially perpendicular to the support of the magnetic field on the magnet. Applying this, a cryostat housing the superconducting bearing may be coupled to the ground state with high damping but low radial stiffness, such that its resonant frequency is less than that of the superconducting bearing. The dampingmore » of the cryostat may be substantially transferred to the levitated magnetic rotor, thus, providing damping without affecting the rotational loss, as can be derived applying coupled harmonic oscillator theory in rotor dynamics. Thus, damping can be provided to a levitated object, without substantially affecting the rotational loss.« less

Superconducting parity effect across the Anderson limit

PubMed Central

Vlaic, Sergio; Pons, Stéphane; Zhang, Tianzhen; Assouline, Alexandre; Zimmers, Alexandre; David, Christophe; Rodary, Guillemin; Girard, Jean-Christophe; Roditchev, Dimitri; Aubin, Hervé

2017-01-01

How small can superconductors be? For isolated nanoparticles subject to quantum size effects, P.W. Anderson in 1959 conjectured that superconductivity could only exist when the electronic level spacing δ is smaller than the superconducting gap energy Δ. Here we report a scanning tunnelling spectroscopy study of superconducting lead (Pb) nanocrystals grown on the (110) surface of InAs. We find that for nanocrystals of lateral size smaller than the Fermi wavelength of the 2D electron gas at the surface of InAs, the electronic transmission of the interface is weak; this leads to Coulomb blockade and enables the extraction of electron addition energy of the nanocrystals. For large nanocrystals, the addition energy displays superconducting parity effect, a direct consequence of Cooper pairing. Studying this parity effect as a function of nanocrystal volume, we find the suppression of Cooper pairing when the mean electronic level spacing overcomes the superconducting gap energy, thus demonstrating unambiguously the validity of the Anderson criterion. PMID:28240294

Observation of Superconductivity in Tetragonal FeS.

PubMed

Lai, Xiaofang; Zhang, Hui; Wang, Yingqi; Wang, Xin; Zhang, Xian; Lin, Jianhua; Huang, Fuqiang

2015-08-19

The possibility of superconductivity in tetragonal FeS has attracted considerable interest because of its similarities to the FeSe superconductor. However, all efforts made to pursue superconductivity in tetragonal FeS have failed so far, and it remains controversial whether tetragonal FeS is metallic or semiconducting. Here we report the observation of superconductivity at 5 K in tetragonal FeS that is synthesized by the hydrothermal reaction of iron powder with sulfide solution. The obtained samples are highly crystalline and less air-sensitive, in contrast to those reported in the literature, which are meta-stable and air-sensitive. Magnetic and electrical properties measurements show that the samples behave as a paramagnetic metal in the normal state and exhibit superconductivity below 5 K. The high crystallinity and the stoichiometry of the samples play important roles in the observation of superconductivity. The present results demonstrate that tetragonal FeS is a promising new platform to realize high-temperature superconductors.

Meissner effect measurement of single indium particle using a customized on-chip nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Long; Chen, Lei; Wang, Hao; Liu, Xiaoyu; Wang, Zhen

2017-04-01

As many emergent phenomena of superconductivity appear on a smaller scale and at lower dimension, commercial magnetic property measurement systems (MPMSs) no longer provide the sensitivity necessary to study the Meissner effect of small superconductors. The nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device (nano-SQUID) is considered one of the most sensitive magnetic sensors for the magnetic characterization of mesoscopic or microscopic samples. Here, we develop a customized on-chip nano-SQUID measurement system based on a pulsed current biasing method. The noise performance of our system is approximately 4.6 × 10-17 emu/Hz1/2, representing an improvement of 9 orders of magnitude compared with that of a commercial MPMS (~10-8 emu/Hz1/2). Furthermore, we demonstrate the measurement of the Meissner effect of a single indium (In) particle (of 47 μm in diameter) using our on-chip nano-SQUID system. The system enables the observation of the prompt superconducting transition of the Meissner effect of a single In particle, thereby providing more accurate characterization of the critical field Hc and temperature Tc. In addition, the retrapping field Hre as a function of temperature T of single In particle shows disparate behavior from that of a large ensemble.

Passive Superconducting Shielding: Experimental Results and Computer Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warner, B. A.; Kamiya, K.

2003-01-01

Passive superconducting shielding for magnetic refrigerators has advantages over active shielding and passive ferromagnetic shielding in that it is lightweight and easy to construct. However, it is not as easy to model and does not fail gracefully. Failure of a passive superconducting shield may lead to persistent flux and persistent currents. Unfortunately, modeling software for superconducting materials is not as easily available as is software for simple coils or for ferromagnetic materials. This paper will discuss ways of using available software to model passive superconducting shielding.

Superconducting thin films on potassium tantalate substrates

DOEpatents

Feenstra, Roeland; Boatner, Lynn A.

1992-01-01

A superconductive system for the lossless transmission of electrical current comprising a thin film of superconducting material Y.sub.1 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x epitaxially deposited upon a KTaO.sub.3 substrate. The KTaO.sub.3 is an improved substrate over those of the prior art since the it exhibits small lattice constant mismatch and does not chemically react with the superconducting film.

Multiband superconductivity and nanoscale inhomogeneity at oxide interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caprara, S.; Biscaras, J.; Bergeal, N.; Bucheli, D.; Hurand, S.; Feuillet-Palma, C.; Rastogi, A.; Budhani, R. C.; Lesueur, J.; Grilli, M.

2013-07-01

The two-dimensional electron gas at the LaTiO3/SrTiO3 or LaAlO3/SrTiO3 oxide interfaces becomes superconducting when the carrier density is tuned by gating. The measured resistance and superfluid density reveal an inhomogeneous superconductivity resulting from percolation of filamentary structures of superconducting “puddles” with randomly distributed critical temperatures, embedded in a nonsuperconducting matrix. Following the evidence that superconductivity is related to the appearance of high-mobility carriers, we model intrapuddle superconductivity by a multiband system within a weak coupling BCS scheme. The microscopic parameters, extracted by fitting the transport data with a percolative model, yield a consistent description of the dependence of the average intrapuddle critical temperature and superfluid density on the carrier density.

Laboratory Demonstrations for PDE and Metals Combustion at NASA MSFC's Advanced Propulsion Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Report provides status reporting on activities under order no. H-30549 for the period December 1 through December 31, 1999. Details the activities of the contract in the coordination of planned conduct of experiments at the MSFC Advanced Propulsion Laboratory in pulse detonation MHD power production and metals combustion.

Effects of divided attention and operating room noise on perception of pulse oximeter pitch changes: a laboratory study.

PubMed

Stevenson, Ryan A; Schlesinger, Joseph J; Wallace, Mark T

2013-02-01

Anesthesiology requires performing visually oriented procedures while monitoring auditory information about a patient's vital signs. A concern in operating room environments is the amount of competing information and the effects that divided attention has on patient monitoring, such as detecting auditory changes in arterial oxygen saturation via pulse oximetry. The authors measured the impact of visual attentional load and auditory background noise on the ability of anesthesia residents to monitor the pulse oximeter auditory display in a laboratory setting. Accuracies and response times were recorded reflecting anesthesiologists' abilities to detect changes in oxygen saturation across three levels of visual attention in quiet and with noise. Results show that visual attentional load substantially affects the ability to detect changes in oxygen saturation concentrations conveyed by auditory cues signaling 99 and 98% saturation. These effects are compounded by auditory noise, up to a 17% decline in performance. These deficits are seen in the ability to accurately detect a change in oxygen saturation and in speed of response. Most anesthesia accidents are initiated by small errors that cascade into serious events. Lack of monitor vigilance and inattention are two of the more commonly cited factors. Reducing such errors is thus a priority for improving patient safety. Specifically, efforts to reduce distractors and decrease background noise should be considered during induction and emergence, periods of especially high risk, when anesthesiologists has to attend to many tasks and are thus susceptible to error.

PREFACE: Superconductivity in ultrathin films and nanoscale systems Superconductivity in ultrathin films and nanoscale systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianconi, Antonio; Bose, Sangita; Garcia-Garcia, Antonio Miguel

2012-12-01

The recent technological developments in the synthesis and characterization of high-quality nanostructures and developments in the theoretical techniques needed to model these materials, have motivated this focus section of Superconductor Science and Technology. Another motivation is the compelling evidence that all new superconducting materials, such as iron pnictides and chalcogenides, diborides (doped MgB2) and fullerides (alkali-doped C60 compounds), are heterostrucures at the atomic limit, such as the cuprates made of stacks of nanoscale superconducting layers intercalated by different atomic layers with nanoscale periodicity. Recently a great amount of interest has been shown in the role of lattice nano-architecture in controlling the fine details of Fermi surface topology. The experimental and theoretical study of superconductivity in the nanoscale started in the early 1960s, shortly after the discovery of the BCS theory. Thereafter there has been rapid progress both in experiments and the theoretical understanding of nanoscale superconductors. Experimentally, thin films, granular films, nanowires, nanotubes and single nanoparticles have all been explored. New quantum effects appear in the nanoscale related to multi-component condensates. Advances in the understanding of shape resonances or Fano resonances close to 2.5 Lifshitz transitions near a band edge in nanowires, 2D films and superlattices [1, 2] of these nanosized modules, provide the possibility of manipulating new quantum electronic states. Parity effects and shell effects in single, isolated nanoparticles have been reported by several groups. Theoretically, newer techniques based on solving Richardson's equation (an exact theory incorporating finite size effects to the BCS theory) numerically by path integral methods or solving the entire Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation in these limits have been attempted, which has improved our understanding of the mechanism of superconductivity in these confined

Dimensionality Driven Enhancement of Ferromagnetic Superconductivity in URhGe.

PubMed

Braithwaite, Daniel; Aoki, Dai; Brison, Jean-Pascal; Flouquet, Jacques; Knebel, Georg; Nakamura, Ai; Pourret, Alexandre

2018-01-19

In most unconventional superconductors, like the high-T_{c} cuprates, iron pnictides, or heavy-fermion systems, superconductivity emerges in the proximity of an electronic instability. Identifying unambiguously the pairing mechanism remains nevertheless an enormous challenge. Among these systems, the orthorhombic uranium ferromagnetic superconductors have a unique position, notably because magnetic fields couple directly to ferromagnetic order, leading to the fascinating discovery of the reemergence of superconductivity in URhGe at a high field. Here we show that uniaxial stress is a remarkable tool allowing the fine-tuning of the pairing strength. With a relatively small stress, the superconducting phase diagram is spectacularly modified, with a merging of the low- and high-field superconducting states and a significant enhancement of the superconductivity. The superconducting critical temperature increases both at zero field and under a field, reaching 1 K, more than twice higher than at ambient pressure. This enhancement of superconductivity is shown to be directly related to a change of the magnetic dimensionality detected from an increase of the transverse magnetic susceptibility: In addition to the Ising-type longitudinal ferromagnetic fluctuations, transverse magnetic fluctuations also play an important role in the superconducting pairing.

A scalable multi-photon coincidence detector based on superconducting nanowires.

PubMed

Zhu, Di; Zhao, Qing-Yuan; Choi, Hyeongrak; Lu, Tsung-Ju; Dane, Andrew E; Englund, Dirk; Berggren, Karl K

2018-06-04

Coincidence detection of single photons is crucial in numerous quantum technologies and usually requires multiple time-resolved single-photon detectors. However, the electronic readout becomes a major challenge when the measurement basis scales to large numbers of spatial modes. Here, we address this problem by introducing a two-terminal coincidence detector that enables scalable readout of an array of detector segments based on superconducting nanowire microstrip transmission line. Exploiting timing logic, we demonstrate a sixteen-element detector that resolves all 136 possible single-photon and two-photon coincidence events. We further explore the pulse shapes of the detector output and resolve up to four-photon events in a four-element device, giving the detector photon-number-resolving capability. This new detector architecture and operating scheme will be particularly useful for multi-photon coincidence detection in large-scale photonic integrated circuits.

Stable superconducting magnet. [high current levels below critical temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boom, R. W. (Inventor)

1967-01-01

Operation of a superconducting magnet is considered. A method is described for; (1) obtaining a relatively high current in a superconducting magnet positioned in a bath of a gas refrigerant; (2) operating a superconducting magnet at a relatively high current level without training; and (3) operating a superconducting magnet containing a plurality of turns of a niobium zirconium wire at a relatively high current level without training.

Power superconducting power transmission cable

DOEpatents

Ashworth, Stephen P.

2003-06-10

The present invention is for a compact superconducting power transmission cable operating at distribution level voltages. The superconducting cable is a conductor with a number of tapes assembled into a subconductor. These conductors are then mounted co-planarly in an elongated dielectric to produce a 3-phase cable. The arrangement increases the magnetic field parallel to the tapes thereby reducing ac losses.

Power superconducting power transmission cable

DOEpatents

Ashworth, Stephen P.

2003-01-01

The present invention is for a compact superconducting power transmission cable operating at distribution level voltages. The superconducting cable is a conductor with a number of tapes assembled into a subconductor. These conductors are then mounted co-planarly in an elongated dielectric to produce a 3-phase cable. The arrangement increases the magnetic field parallel to the tapes thereby reducing ac losses.

Three-Axis Superconducting Gravity Gradiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paik, Ho Jung

1987-01-01

Gravity gradients measured even on accelerating platforms. Three-axis superconducting gravity gradiometer based on flux quantization and Meissner effect in superconductors and employs superconducting quantum interference device as amplifier. Incorporates several magnetically levitated proof masses. Gradiometer design integrates accelerometers for operation in differential mode. Principal use in commercial instruments for measurement of Earth-gravity gradients in geo-physical surveying and exploration for oil.

Generation of Shear Alfvén Waves by Repetitive High Power Microwave Pulses Near the Electron Plasma Frequency - A laboratory study of a ``Virtual Antenna''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuhou; Gekelman, Walter; Pribyl, Patrick; van Compernolle, Bart; Papadopoulos, Konstantinos

2015-11-01

ELF / ULF waves are important in terrestrial radio communications but difficult to launch using ground-based structures due to their enormous wavelengths. In spite of this generation of such waves by field-aligned ionospheric heating modulation was first demonstrated using the HAARP facility. In the future heaters near the equator will be constructed and laboratory experiments on cross-field wave propagation could be key to the program's success. Here we report a detailed laboratory study conducted on the Large Plasma Device (LaPD) at UCLA. In this experiment, ten rapid pulses of high power microwaves (250 kW X-band) near the plasma frequency were launched transverse to the background field, and were modulated at a variable fraction (0.1-1.0) of fci. Along with bulk electron heating and density modification, the microwave pulses generated a population of fast electrons. The field-aligned current carried by the fast electrons acted as an antenna that radiated shear Alfvén waves. It was demonstrated that a controllable arbitrary frequency (f

Fuselage disbond inspection procedure using pulsed thermography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashbaugh, Mike; Thompson, Jeffrey G.

2002-05-01

One use of pulsed thermography that has shown promise in aircraft inspection for some time is an inspection for disbonds in metallic structures. The FAA has funded research at Wayne State University in this area and Boeing identified a specific inspection requirement for disbonds on Boeing 747 aircraft. Laboratory and subsequent field testing monitored by the AANC has demonstrated the reliability of this type of inspection. As a result Boeing expects to approve a general fuselage disbond inspection procedure using pulsed thermography in the 2nd Quarter of 2001.

Superconducting magnesium diboride films on Si with Tc0˜24 K grown via vacuum annealing from stoichiometric precursors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, H. Y.; Christen, H. M.; Zhang, L.; Cantoni, C.; Paranthaman, M.; Sales, B. C.; Christen, D. K.; Lowndes, D. H.

2001-10-01

Superconducting magnesium diboride films with Tc0˜24 K and sharp transition ˜1 K were prepared on Si by pulsed-laser deposition from stoichiometric MgB2 target. Contrary to previous reports, anneals at 630 °C and a background of 2×10-4Ar/4%H2 were performed without the requirement of Mg vapor or Mg cap layer. This integration of superconducting MgB2 film on Si may thus prove enabling in superconductor-semiconductor device applications. Images of surface morphology and cross-section profiles by scanning electron microscopy show that the films have a uniform surface morphology and thickness. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy study reveals these films were contaminated with oxygen, originating either from the growth environment or from sample exposure to air. The oxygen contamination may account for the low Tc for those in situ annealed films, while the use of Si as a substrate does not result in a decrease in Tc as compared to other substrates.

US Navy superconductivity program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gubser, Donald U.

1991-01-01

Both the new high temperature superconductors (HTS) and the low temperature superconductors (LTS) are important components of the Navy's total plan to integrate superconductivity into field operational systems. Fundamental research is an important component of the total Navy program and focuses on the HTS materials. Power applications (ship propulsion) use LTS materials while space applications (millimeter wave electronics) use HTS materials. The Space Experiment to be conducted at NRL will involve space flight testing of HTS devices built by industry and will demonstrate the ability to engineer and space qualify these devices for systems use. Another important component of the Navy's effort is the development of Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) magnetometers. This program will use LTS materials initially, but plans to implement HTS materials as soon as possible. Hybrid HTS/LTS systems are probable in many applications. A review of the status of the Navy's HTS materials research is given as well as an update on the Navy's development efforts in superconductivity.

Power pulsing of the CMOS sensor Mimosa 26

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuprash, Oleg

2013-12-01

Mimosa 26 is a monolithic active pixel sensor developed by IPHC (Strasbourg) & IRFU (Saclay) as a prototype for the ILC vertex detector studies. The resolution requirements for the ILC tracking detector are very extreme, demanding very low material in the detector, thus only air cooling can be considered. Power consumption has to be reduced as far as possible. The beam structure of the ILC allows the possibility of power pulsing: only for about the 1 ms long bunch train full power is required, and during the 199 ms long pauses between the bunch trains the power can be reduced to a minimum. Not being adapted for the power pulsing, the sensor shows in laboratory tests a good performance under power pulsing. The power pulsing allows to significantly reduce the heating of the chip and divides power consumption approximately by a factor of 6. In this report a summary of power pulsing studies using the digital readout of Mimosa 26 is given.

Plasma Switch for High-Power Active Pulse Compressor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hirshfield, Jay L.

2013-11-04

Results are presented from experiments carried out at the Naval Research Laboratory X-band magnicon facility on a two-channel X-band active RF pulse compressor that employed plasma switches. Experimental evidence is shown to validate the basic goals of the project, which include: simultaneous firing of plasma switches in both channels of the RF circuit, operation of quasi-optical 3-dB hybrid directional coupler coherent superposition of RF compressed pulses from both channels, and operation of the X-band magnicon directly in the RF pulse compressor. For incident 1.2 ?s pulses in the range 0.63 ? 1.35 MW, compressed pulses of peak powers 5.7 ?more » 11.3 MW were obtained, corresponding to peak power gain ratios of 8.3 ? 9.3. Insufficient bakeout and conditioning of the high-power RF circuit prevented experiments from being conducted at higher RF input power levels.« less

Apparatus and process for making a superconducting magnet for particle accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jarabak, A.J.; Sunderman, W.H.; Mendola, E.G.

1992-03-10

This patent describes an apparatus for manufacturing a coil of superconducting material. It comprises a horizontally disposed winding mandrel; an adjustable support for receiving a spool of superconducting material, the spool having a vertical axis; means for translating the spool of superconducting material in a generally oval path around the winding mandrel so that the superconducting material is de-reeled from the spool, in order to wind a predetermined amount of superconducting material onto the mandrel, such that a coil of superconducting material is formed; means for guiding the superconducting material from the spool so as to deliver the superconducting materialmore » to the winding mandrel on a plane perpendicular to the vertical axis of the spool and parallel with a winding plane on the winding mandrel; means for imparting a tensioning force on the superconducting material as it is guided from the spool; means for rotating the winding mandrel about the horizontal axis thereof; means for clamping the superconducting material against the winding mandrel as the wire is wound thereon; means for securing the coil to the winding mandrel for lifting mandrel with the coil thereon; and means for curing the coil of superconducting material whereby a finished coil of superconducting material is formed.« less

Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, J. D.

1985-05-01

The 30 MJ, 10 MW superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) system was devised to interact in the Western US Power System as an alternate means to damp unstable oscillations at 0.35 Hz on the Pacific HVAC Interites. The operating limits of the 30 MJ SMES unit were established, and different means of controlling real and reactive power were tested. The unit can follow a sinusoidal power demand signal with an amplitude of up to 8.6 MW with the converter working in a 12 pulse mode. When the converter operates in the constant VAR mode, a time varying real power demand signal of up to 5 MW can be met. It was shown that the Pacific ac Interite has current and reactive power variations of the same frequency as the modulating frequency of the SMES device. The reliability of the SMES subsystems with a narrow band noise input was assessed. Parameters of the ac power system were determined. Converter short circuit tests, load tests under various control conditions, dc breaker tests for coil current interruption, and converter failure mode tests were conducted. The experimental operation of the SMES system is concluded.

Superconductivity in Al-substituted Ba8Si46 clathrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yang; Garcia, Jose; Chen, Ning; Liu, Lihua; Li, Feng; Wei, Yuping; Bi, Shanli; Cao, Guohui; Feng, Z. S.

2013-05-01

There is a great deal of interest vested in the superconductivity of Si clathrate compounds with sp3 network, in which the structure is dominated by strong covalent bonds among silicon atoms, rather than the metallic bonding that is more typical of traditional superconductors. A joint experimental and theoretical investigation of superconductivity in Al-substituted type-I silicon clathrates is reported. Samples of the general formula Ba8Si46-xAlx, with different values of x were prepared. With an increase in the Al composition, the superconducting transition temperature TC was observed to decrease systematically. The resistivity measurement revealed that Ba8Si42Al4 is superconductive with transition temperature at TC = 5.5 K. The magnetic measurements showed that the bulk superconducting Ba8Si42Al4 is a type II superconductor. For x = 6 sample Ba8Si40Al6, the superconducting transition was observed down to TC = 4.7 K which pointed to a strong suppression of superconductivity with increasing Al content as compared with TC = 8 K for Ba8Si46. Suppression of superconductivity can be attributed primarily to a decrease in the density of states at the Fermi level, caused by reduced integrity of the sp3 hybridized networks as well as the lowering of carrier concentration. These results corroborated by first-principles calculations showed that Al substitution results in a large decrease of the electronic density of states at the Fermi level, which also explains the decreased superconducting critical temperature within the BCS framework. The work provided a comprehensive understanding of the doping effect on superconductivity of clathrates.

Recent advances in superconducting-mixer simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Withington, S.; Kennedy, P. R.

1992-01-01

Over the last few years, considerable progress have been made in the development of techniques for fabricating high-quality superconducting circuits, and this success, together with major advances in the theoretical understanding of quantum detection and mixing at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths, has made the development of CAD techniques for superconducting nonlinear circuits an important new enterprise. For example, arrays of quasioptical mixers are now being manufactured, where the antennas, matching networks, filters and superconducting tunnel junctions are all fabricated by depositing niobium and a variety of oxides on a single quartz substrate. There are no adjustable tuning elements on these integrated circuits, and therefore, one must be able to predict their electrical behavior precisely. This requirement, together with a general interest in the generic behavior of devices such as direct detectors and harmonic mixers, has lead us to develop a range of CAD tools for simulating the large-signal, small-signal, and noise behavior of superconducting tunnel junction circuits.

Strongly correlated superconductivity and quantum criticality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tremblay, A.-M. S.

Doped Mott insulators and doped charge-transfer insulators describe classes of materials that can exhibit unconventional superconducting ground states. Examples include the cuprates and the layered organic superconductors of the BEDT family. I present results obtained from plaquette cellular dynamical mean-field theory. Continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo evaluation of the hybridization expansion allows one to study the models in the large interaction limit where quasiparticles can disappear. The normal state which is unstable to the superconducting state exhibits a first-order transition between a pseudogap and a correlated metal phase. That transition is the finite-doping extension of the metal-insulator transition obtained at half-filling. This transition serves as an organizing principle for the normal and superconducting states of both cuprates and doped organic superconductors. In the less strongly correlated limit, these methods also describe the more conventional case where the superconducting dome surrounds an antiferromagnetic quantum critical point. Sponsored by NSERC RGPIN-2014-04584, CIFAR, Research Chair in the Theory of Quantum Materials.

All-metal superconducting planar microwave resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horsley, Matt; Pereverzev, Sergey; Dubois, Jonathon; Friedrich, Stephan; Qu, Dongxia; Libby, Steve; Lordi, Vincenzo; Carosi, Gianpaolo; Stoeffl, Wolfgang; Chapline, George; Drury, Owen; Quantum Noise in Superconducting Devices Team

There is common agreement that noise and resonance frequency jitter in superconducting microwave planar resonators are caused by presence of two-level systems, or fluctuators, in resonator materials- in dielectric substrate, in superconducting and dielectric layers and on the boundaries and interfaces. Scaling of noise with device dimensions indicate that fluctuators are likely concentrated around boundaries; physical nature of those fluctuators remains unclear. The presence of dielectrics is not necessary for the superconducting device functionality, and one can ask question about properties of all-metal device, where dielectric substrate and oxide films on metal are absent. Resonator made from of thin conducting layer with cuts in it is usually called slot line resonator. We report on the design, fabrication and initial testing of multiple split rings slot line resonator made out of thin molybdenum plate. This work is being funded as part of a three year strategic initiative (LDRD 16-SI-004) to better understand noise in superconducting devices.

Cryogenic performance of a cryocooler-cooled superconducting undulator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fuerst, J. D.; Doose, C.; Hasse, Q.

2014-01-29

A cryocooler-cooled superconducting undulator has been installed and operated with beam at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The device consists of a dual-core 42-pole magnet structure that is cooled to 4.2 K with a system of four cryocoolers operating in a zero-boil-off configuration. This effort represents the culmination of a development program to establish concept feasibility and evaluate cryostat design and cryocooler-based refrigeration. Cryostat performance is described including cool-down/warm-up, steady-state operation, cooling margin, and the impact of beam during operation in the APS storage ring. Plans for future devices with longer magnets, which will incorporatemore » lessons learned from the development program, are also discussed.« less

Fabrication of Nb/Pb structures through ultrashort pulsed laser deposition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gontad, Francisco; Lorusso, Antonella, E-mail: antonella.lorusso@le.infn.it; Perrone, Alessio

This work reports the fabrication of Nb/Pb structures with an application as photocathode devices. The use of relatively low energy densities for the ablation of Nb with ultrashort pulses favors the reduction of droplets during the growth of the film. However, the use of laser fluences in this ablation regime results in a consequent reduction in the average deposition rate. On the other hand, despite the low deposition rate, the films present a superior adherence to the substrate and an excellent coverage of the irregular substrate surface, avoiding the appearance of voids or discontinuities on the film surface. Moreover, themore » low energy densities used for the ablation favor the growth of nanocrystalline films with a similar crystalline structure to the bulk material. Therefore, the use of low ablation energy densities with ultrashort pulses for the deposition of the Nb thin films allows the growth of very adherent and nanocrystalline films with adequate properties for the fabrication of Nb/Pb structures to be included in superconducting radiofrequency cavities.« less

Analytical modeling of transport aircraft crash scenarios to obtain floor pulses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wittlin, G.; Lackey, D.

1983-01-01

The KRAS program was used to analyze transport aircraft candidate crash scenarios. Aircraft floor pulses and seat/occupant responses are presented. Results show that: (1) longitudinal only pulses can be represented by equivalent step inputs and/or static requirements; (2) the L1649 crash test floor longitudinal pulse for the aft direction (forward inertia) is less than 9g static or an equivalent 5g pulse; aft inertia accelerations are extremely small ((ch76) 3g) for representative crash scenarios; (3) a viable procedure to relate crash scenario floor pulses to standard laboratory dynamic and static test data using state of the art analysis and test procedures was demonstrated; and (4) floor pulse magnitudes are expected to be lower for wide body aircraft than for smaller narrow body aircraft.

Preliminary study of superconducting bulk magnets for Maglev

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujimoto, Hiroyuki; Kamijo, Hiroki

Recent development shows that melt-processed YBaCuO (Y123) or Rare Earth (RE)123 superconductors have a high Jc at 77 K and high magnetic field, leading to high field application as a superconducting quasi-permanent bulk magnet with the liquid nitrogen refrigeration. One of the promising applications is a superconducting magnet for the magnetically levitated (Maglev) train. We discuss a superconducting bulk magnet for the Maglev train in the aspect of a preliminary design of the bulk magnet and also processing for (L)REBaCuO bulk superconductors and their characteristic superconducting properties.

Pulsed-Laser Irradiation Space Weathering of a Carbonaceous Chondrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, M. S.; Keller, L. P.; Christoffersen, R.; Loeffler, M. J.; Morris, R. V.; Graff, T. G.; Rahman, Z.

2017-07-01

We used pulsed laser irradiation of the Murchison meteorite to simulate space weathering processes in the laboratory. We analyzed changes in the spectral, chemical, and microstructural characteristics of the material after irradiation.

Superconductivity in electron-doped arsenene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Xin; Gao, Miao; Yan, Xun-Wang; Lu, Zhong-Yi; Xiang, Tao

2018-04-01

Based on the first-principles density functional theory electronic structure calculation, we investigate the possible phonon-mediated superconductivity in arsenene, a two-dimensional buckled arsenic atomic sheet, under electron doping. We find that the strong superconducting pairing interaction results mainly from the $p_z$-like electrons of arsenic atoms and the $A_1$ phonon mode around the $K$ point, and the superconducting transition temperature can be as high as 30.8 K in the arsenene with 0.2 doped electrons per unit cell and 12\\% applied biaxial tensile strain. This transition temperature is about ten times higher than that in the bulk arsenic under high pressure. It is also the highest transition temperature that is predicted for electron-doped two-dimensional elemental superconductors, including graphene, silicene, phosphorene, and borophene.

Strain tolerant microfilamentary superconducting wire

DOEpatents

Finnemore, D.K.; Miller, T.A.; Ostenson, J.E.; Schwartzkopf, L.A.; Sanders, S.C.

1993-02-23

A strain tolerant microfilamentary wire capable of carrying superconducting currents is provided comprising a plurality of discontinuous filaments formed from a high temperature superconducting material. The discontinuous filaments have a length at least several orders of magnitude greater than the filament diameter and are sufficiently strong while in an amorphous state to withstand compaction. A normal metal is interposed between and binds the discontinuous filaments to form a normal metal matrix capable of withstanding heat treatment for converting the filaments to a superconducting state. The geometry of the filaments within the normal metal matrix provides substantial filament-to-filament overlap, and the normal metal is sufficiently thin to allow supercurrent transfer between the overlapped discontinuous filaments but is also sufficiently thick to provide strain relief to the filaments.

Two distinct superconducting phases in LiFeAs

PubMed Central

Nag, P. K.; Schlegel, R.; Baumann, D.; Grafe, H.-J.; Beck, R.; Wurmehl, S.; Büchner, B.; Hess, C.

2016-01-01

A non-trivial temperature evolution of superconductivity including a temperature-induced phase transition between two superconducting phases or even a time-reversal symmetry breaking order parameter is in principle expected in multiband superconductors such as iron-pnictides. Here we present scanning tunnelling spectroscopy data of LiFeAs which reveal two distinct superconducting phases: at = 18 K a partial superconducting gap opens, evidenced by subtle, yet clear features in the tunnelling spectra, i.e. particle-hole symmetric coherence peak and dip-hump structures. At Tc = 16 K, these features substantiate dramatically and become characteristic of full superconductivity. Remarkably, the distance between the dip-hump structures and the coherence peaks remains practically constant in the whole temperature regimeT ≤ . This rules out the connection of the dip-hump structures to an antiferromagnetic spin resonance. PMID:27297474

Gate-Induced Interfacial Superconductivity in 1T-SnSe2.

PubMed

Zeng, Junwen; Liu, Erfu; Fu, Yajun; Chen, Zhuoyu; Pan, Chen; Wang, Chenyu; Wang, Miao; Wang, Yaojia; Xu, Kang; Cai, Songhua; Yan, Xingxu; Wang, Yu; Liu, Xiaowei; Wang, Peng; Liang, Shi-Jun; Cui, Yi; Hwang, Harold Y; Yuan, Hongtao; Miao, Feng

2018-02-14

Layered metal chalcogenide materials provide a versatile platform to investigate emergent phenomena and two-dimensional (2D) superconductivity at/near the atomically thin limit. In particular, gate-induced interfacial superconductivity realized by the use of an electric-double-layer transistor (EDLT) has greatly extended the capability to electrically induce superconductivity in oxides, nitrides, and transition metal chalcogenides and enable one to explore new physics, such as the Ising pairing mechanism. Exploiting gate-induced superconductivity in various materials can provide us with additional platforms to understand emergent interfacial superconductivity. Here, we report the discovery of gate-induced 2D superconductivity in layered 1T-SnSe 2 , a typical member of the main-group metal dichalcogenide (MDC) family, using an EDLT gating geometry. A superconducting transition temperature T c ≈ 3.9 K was demonstrated at the EDL interface. The 2D nature of the superconductivity therein was further confirmed based on (1) a 2D Tinkham description of the angle-dependent upper critical field B c2 , (2) the existence of a quantum creep state as well as a large ratio of the coherence length to the thickness of superconductivity. Interestingly, the in-plane B c2 approaching zero temperature was found to be 2-3 times higher than the Pauli limit, which might be related to an electric field-modulated spin-orbit interaction. Such results provide a new perspective to expand the material matrix available for gate-induced 2D superconductivity and the fundamental understanding of interfacial superconductivity.

Levitation properties of superconducting magnetic bearings using superconducting coils and bulk superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, Yuuki; Seino, Hiroshi; Nagashima, Ken

2010-11-01

We have been developing a flywheel energy storage system (FESS) with 36 MJ energy capacity for a railway system with superconducting magnetic bearings (SMBs). We prepared two kinds of models using superconducting coils and bulk superconductors (SCs). One model demonstrated SMB load capacity of 20 kN and the other model proved non-contact stable levitation and non-contact rotation with SMBs. Combining these results, the feasibility of a 36 MJ energy capacity FESS with SMBs completely inside a cryostat has been confirmed. In this paper, we report the levitation properties of SMBs in these models.

Summary of development of 70 MW class model superconducting generator--research and development of superconducting for electric power application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oishi, Ikuo; Nishijima, Kenichi

2002-03-01

A 70 MW class superconducting model generator was designed, manufactured, and tested from 1988 to 1999 as Phase I, which was Japan's national project on applications of superconducting technologies to electric power apparatuses that was commissioned by NEDO as part of New Sunshine Program of AIST and MITI. Phase II then is now being carried out by almost same organization as Phase I. With the development of the 70 MW class superconducting model generator, technologies for a 200 MW class pilot generator were established. The world's largest output (79 MW), world's longest continuous operation (1500 h), and other sufficient characteristics were achieved on the 70 MW class superconducting model generator, and key technologies of design and manufacture required for the 200 MW class pilot generator were established. This project contributed to progress of R&D of power apparatuses. Super-GM has started the next project (Phase II), which shall develop the key technologies for larger-capacity and more-compact machine and is scheduled from 2000 to 2003. Phase II shall be the first step for commercialization of superconducting generator.

Quantum fluctuations of the superconducting cosmic string

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Shoucheng

1987-01-01

Quantum fluctuations of the proposed superconducting string with Bose charge carriers are studied in terms of the vortices on the string world sheet. In the thermodynamical limit, it is found that they appear in the form of free vortices rather than as bound pairs. This fluctuation mode violates the topological conservation law on which superconductivity is based. However, this limit may not be reached. The critical size of the superconducting string is estimated as a function of the coupling constants involved.

Superconducting properties of Pb-Sn-In alloys directionally solidified aboard Skylab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, W. T., Jr.; Reger, J. L.

1975-01-01

Superconducting alloys of Pb-Sn-In were directionally solidified in the absence of gravity-induced convection and segregation by processing in a near weightless condition aboard Skylab. Lead-rich and tin-rich lamellar structures were obtained with both high and low G/R (temperature gradient/solidification rate) samples processed at 0-g and at 1-g in a ground-based laboratory. Thinner, higher density lamellae were found with the 0-g specimens. Magnetization curves at 4.2 K showed hysteresis effects with large areas under the curves indicating magnetic flux pinning by the normal state tin-rich phase.

High Temperature Superconducting Compounds

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-11-30

broadened interest in superconductivity in both the engineering and scientific communities. Superconducting materials may be offered as a solution to a...YBa2Cu307- has been made. For yttrium, the tris( isopropoxide ) was used exclusively, while the use of both Ba(O-i-Pr)2 and Ba(OCH2Ch2OEt)2 (prepared in... solutions of Cu(acac)2, Ba(OCH2CH 2OEt)2 , and Y(O-i-Pr)3 were spin coated on SrTiO 3 (100) and fired under oxygen to give oriented (b axis normal to the

Development of a Cryostat to Characterize Nano-scale Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longo, Mathew; Matheny, Matthew; Knudsen, Jasmine

2016-03-01

We have designed and constructed a low-noise vacuum cryostat to be used for the characterization of nano-scale superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). Such devices are very sensitive to magnetic fields and can measure changes in flux on the order of a single electron magnetic moment. As a part of the design process, we calculated the separation required between the cryogenic preamplifier and superconducting magnet, including a high-permeability magnetic shield, using a finite-element model of the apparatus. The cryostat comprises a vacuum cross at room temperature for filtered DC and shielded RF electrical connections, a thin-wall stainless steel support tube, a taper-sealed cryogenic vacuum can, and internal mechanical support and wiring for the nanoSQUID. The Dewar is modified with a room-temperature flange with a sliding seal for the cryostat. The flange supports the superconducting 3 Tesla magnet and thermometry wiring. Upon completion of the cryostat fabrication and Dewar modifications, operation of the nanoSQUIDs as transported from our collaborator's laboratory in Israel will be confirmed, as the lead forming the SQUID is sensitive to oxidation and the SQUIDs must be shipped in a vacuum container. After operation of the nanoSQUIDs is confirmed, the primary work of characterizing their high-speed properties will begin. This will include looking at the measurement of relaxation oscillations at high bandwidth in comparison to the theoretical predictions of the current model.

More superconductivity questions than answers.

PubMed

Robinson, A L

1987-07-17

Although making liquid nitrogen-temperature superconductors is easy enough that high school science projects already feature them, researchers still have little idea how the new ceramic oxides work and therefore little guidance for improving them. At the International Workshop on Novel Mechanisms of Superconductivity, held from 22 to 26 June in Berkeley, California, theorists reviewed a host of competing explanations of how these materials come by their remarkable properties, but they could not, get far in sifting through the candidates for the best one. One cause of the unsettled situation is that theorists have not yet pushed their models far enough to make many specific predictions about physical properties and therefore to provide a reason to choose one theory over another. But experimental data for comparison with theory are lacking, too. For example, experimentalists are just now succeeding in being able to grow single crystals and thin films of the ceramic oxide superconductors, whose properties were shown at the workshop to be highly anisotropic. Measurements already made on the polycrystalline sintered material available up to now are difficult to interpret and therefore need to be repeated on good-quality crystals and films, where the variation of properties with crystallographic orientation can be mapped out. Given the high level of Japanese activity in the field, it was surprising that no researchers from industrial laboratories in Japan presented their findings at the workshop. In the light of a budding international competition in commercializing superconductors, some American scientists interpreted the absence as an attempt to protect proprietary advances. A more pleasant surprise was the attendance of a delegation of six Soviet scientists, although one of the fathers of superconductivity theory, Vitaly Ginzburg of the P.N.Lebedev Institute of Physics in Moscow, who was expected, did not come.

Method and means for separating and classifying superconductive particles

DOEpatents

Park, Jin Y.; Kearney, Robert J.

1991-01-01

The specification and drawings describe a series of devices and methods for classifying and separating superconductive particles. The superconductive particles may be separated from non-superconductive particles, and the superconductive particles may be separated by degrees of susceptibility to the Meissner effect force. The particles may also be simultaneously separated by size or volume and mass to obtain substantially homogeneous groups of particles. The separation techniques include levitation, preferential sedimentation and preferential concentration. Multiple separation vector forces are disclosed.

Experimental Investigation of Superconducting Synchronous Machines

DTIC Science & Technology

The report details the design and testing of a synchronous motor with superconducting field and armature windings. Data are furnished on the...as a generator with its armature in LN2 and in the superconducting state are given. Data are given on the machine operated as a synchronous motor. The

Superconductivity in interacting interfaces of cuprate-based heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Castro, Daniele; Balestrino, Giuseppe

2018-07-01

Low dimensional superconducting systems have been the subject of numerous studies in the recent past, with the aim of achieving a higher and higher critical temperature (T c ). The recent improvement in film deposition techniques has allowed the realization of artificial heterostructures, with atomically flat surfaces and interfaces, where novel properties appear that are not present in the single constituent. For instance, quasi-2D superconductivity was found at the interface between different oxides. In this review we analyze, in particular, the quasi-2D superconductivity occurring at the interface between two non-superconducting oxides, mostly cuprates. Throughout a comparison of the superconducting properties of different oxide heterostructures and superlattices, we propose a phenomenological explanation of the behavior of the T c as a function of the number of conducting CuO2 planes. This is achieved by introducing two different interactions between the superconducting 2D sheets. This interpretation is finally extended also to standard high T c cuprates, contributing to the solution of the long-standing question of the dependence of T c on the number of CuO2 planes in these systems.

Fidelity Study of Superconductivity in Extended Hubbard Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plonka, Nachum; Jia, Chunjing; Moritz, Brian; Wang, Yao; Devereaux, Thomas

2015-03-01

The role of strong electronic correlations on unconventional superconductivity remains an important open question. Here, we explore the influence of long-range Coulomb interactions, present in real material systems, through nearest and next-nearest neighbor extended Hubbard interactions in addition to the usual on-site terms. Utilizing large scale, numerical exact diagonalization, we analyze the signatures of superconductivity in the ground states through the fidelity metric of quantum information theory. We find that these extended interactions enhance charge fluctuations with various wave vectors. These suppress superconductivity in general, but in certain parameter regimes superconductivity is sustained. This has implications for tuning extended interactions in real materials.

Tailoring Superconductivity with Quantum Dislocations.

PubMed

Li, Mingda; Song, Qichen; Liu, Te-Huan; Meroueh, Laureen; Mahan, Gerald D; Dresselhaus, Mildred S; Chen, Gang

2017-08-09

Despite the established knowledge that crystal dislocations can affect a material's superconducting properties, the exact mechanism of the electron-dislocation interaction in a dislocated superconductor has long been missing. Being a type of defect, dislocations are expected to decrease a material's superconducting transition temperature (T c ) by breaking the coherence. Yet experimentally, even in isotropic type I superconductors, dislocations can either decrease, increase, or have little influence on T c . These experimental findings have yet to be understood. Although the anisotropic pairing in dirty superconductors has explained impurity-induced T c reduction, no quantitative agreement has been reached in the case a dislocation given its complexity. In this study, by generalizing the one-dimensional quantized dislocation field to three dimensions, we reveal that there are indeed two distinct types of electron-dislocation interactions. Besides the usual electron-dislocation potential scattering, there is another interaction driving an effective attraction between electrons that is caused by dislons, which are quantized modes of a dislocation. The role of dislocations to superconductivity is thus clarified as the competition between the classical and quantum effects, showing excellent agreement with existing experimental data. In particular, the existence of both classical and quantum effects provides a plausible explanation for the illusive origin of dislocation-induced superconductivity in semiconducting PbS/PbTe superlattice nanostructures. A quantitative criterion has been derived, in which a dislocated superconductor with low elastic moduli and small electron effective mass and in a confined environment is inclined to enhance T c . This provides a new pathway for engineering a material's superconducting properties by using dislocations as an additional degree of freedom.

Stringlike Pulse Quantification Study by Pulse Wave in 3D Pulse Mapping

PubMed Central

Chung, Yu-Feng; Yeh, Cheng-Chang; Si, Xiao-Chen; Chang, Chien-Chen; Hu, Chung-Shing; Chu, Yu-Wen

2012-01-01

Abstract Background A stringlike pulse is highly related to hypertension, and many classification approaches have been proposed in which the differentiation pulse wave (dPW) can effectively classify the stringlike pulse indicating hypertension. Unfortunately, the dPW method cannot distinguish the spring stringlike pulse from the stringlike pulse so labeled by physicians in clinics. Design By using a Bi-Sensing Pulse Diagnosis Instrument (BSPDI), this study proposed a novel Plain Pulse Wave (PPW) to classify a stringlike pulse based on an array of pulse signals, mimicking a Traditional Chinese Medicine physician's finger-reading skill. Results In comparison to PPWs at different pulse taking positions, phase delay Δθand correlation coefficient r can be elucidated as the quantification parameters of stringlike pulse. As a result, the recognition rates of a hypertensive stringlike pulse, spring stringlike pulse, and non–stringlike pulse are 100%, 100%, 77% for PPW and 70%, 0%, 59% for dPW, respectively. Conclusions Integrating dPW and PPW can unify the classification of stringlike pulse including hypertensive stringlike pulse and spring stringlike pulse. Hence, the proposed novel method, PPW, enhances quantification of stringlike pulse. PMID:23057481

NASA superconducting magnetic mirror facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reinmann, J. J.; Swanson, M. C.; Nichols, C. R.; Obloy, S. J.; Nagy, L. A.; Brady, F. J.

1973-01-01

This report summarizes the design details and initial test results of a superconducting magnetic mirror facility that has been constructed at NASA Lewis Research Center for use in thermonuclear research. The magnet system consists of four solenoidal coils which are individually rated at 5.0 T. Each coil is composed of an inner, middle, and outer winding. The inner winding is wound of stabilized Nb3SN superconducting ribbon, and the middle and outer windings are wound of stabilized Nb-Ti superconducting wire. When arranged in the mirror geometry, the four coils will produce 8.7 T at the mirrors and a 1.8 mirror ratio. The magnet has a 41-cm diameter clear bore which is open to atmosphere. Distance between the mirrors is 111 cm. Presently there are only three magnets in the facility; the fourth magnet is being rebuilt.

Sensing with Superconducting Point Contacts

PubMed Central

Nurbawono, Argo; Zhang, Chun

2012-01-01

Superconducting point contacts have been used for measuring magnetic polarizations, identifying magnetic impurities, electronic structures, and even the vibrational modes of small molecules. Due to intrinsically small energy scale in the subgap structures of the supercurrent determined by the size of the superconducting energy gap, superconductors provide ultrahigh sensitivities for high resolution spectroscopies. The so-called Andreev reflection process between normal metal and superconductor carries complex and rich information which can be utilized as powerful sensor when fully exploited. In this review, we would discuss recent experimental and theoretical developments in the supercurrent transport through superconducting point contacts and their relevance to sensing applications, and we would highlight their current issues and potentials. A true utilization of the method based on Andreev reflection analysis opens up possibilities for a new class of ultrasensitive sensors. PMID:22778630

Lighting up superconducting stripes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ergeçen, Emre; Gedik, Nuh

2018-02-01

Cuprate superconductors display a plethora of complex phases as a function of temperature and carrier concentration, the understanding of which could provide clues into the mechanism of superconductivity. For example, when about one-eighth of the conduction electrons are removed from the copper oxygen planes in cuprates such as La2‑xBaxCuO4 (LBCO), the doped holes (missing electrons) organize into one-dimensional stripes (1). The bulk superconducting transition temperature (Tc) is greatly reduced, and just above Tc, electrical transport perpendicular to the planes (along the c axis) becomes resistive, but parallel to the copper oxygen planes, resistivity remains zero for a range of temperatures (2). It was proposed a decade ago (3) that this anisotropic behavior is caused by pair density waves (PDWs); superconducting Cooper pairs exist along the stripes within the planes but cannot tunnel to the adjacent layers. On page 575 of this issue, Rajasekaran et al. (4) now report detection of this state in LBCO using nonlinear reflection of high-intensity terahertz (THz) light.

Magnetically leviated superconducting bearing

DOEpatents

Weinberger, Bernard R.; Lynds, Jr., Lahmer

1993-01-01

A magnetically levitated superconducting bearing includes a magnet (2) mounted on a shaft (12) that is rotatable around an axis of rotation and a Type II superconductor (6) supported on a stator (14) in proximity to the magnet (2). The superconductor (6) is positioned so that when it is cooled to its superconducting state in the presence of a magnetic field, it interacts with the magnet (2) to produce an attractive force that levitates the magnet (2) and supports a load on the shaft (12). The interaction between the superconductor (6) and magnet(2) also produces surface screening currents (8) that generate a repulsive force perpendicular to the load. The bearing also has means for maintaining the superconductor at a temperature below its critical temperature (16, 18). The bearing could also be constructed so the magnet (2) is supported on the stator (14) and the superconductor (6) is mounted on the shaft (12). The bearing can be operated by cooling the superconductor (6) to its superconducting state in the presence of a magnetic field.

Superconducting generators and motors and methods for employing same

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tomsic, Michael J.; Long, Larry

A superconducting electrical generator or motor having a plurality of cryostats is described. The cryostats contain coolant and a first cryostat encloses at least one of a plurality of superconducting coils. A first coil is in superconducting electrical communication with a second coil contained in a second cryostat through a superconducting conduction cooling cable enclosing a conductor. The first cryostat and the second cryostat may be in fluid communication through at least one cryogen channel within the at least one superconducting conduction cooling cable. In other embodiments, none of the plurality of cryostats may be in fluid communication and themore » cable may be cooled by conduction along the conductor from the first or second cryostat, or from both. The conductor may have different segments at temperatures equal to or above the temperature of the coolant and the superconducting conduction cooling cables may be connected through quick connect fittings.« less

μ SR Investigation of Superconducting PbTaSe2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Murray; Hallas, Alannah; Cai, Yipeng; Guo, Shengli; Gong, Zizhou; Ali, Mazhar; Cava, Robert; Uemura, Yasutomo; Luke, Graeme

Noncentrosymmetric superconductors are a topic of considerable interest in the condensed matter physics community. These materials have the potential to exhibit exotic superconducting states, particularly in the presence of strong spin orbit coupling. PbTaSe2 is a noncentrosymmetric material which has very strong spin orbit coupling, and is superconducting with a TC of 3.6 K. Previous studies of this material have identified exotic properties such as Dirac cones gapped by spin-orbit coupling, a topological semi-metal state, and possible multi-band superconductivity. To further explore this material, it is of considerable interest to investigate the pairing symmetry of the superconducting state, and determine whether odd-parity superconductivity may exist. In this talk we will present a μSR investigation of the penetration depth temperature dependece to infer the pairing symmetry. We will also present zero field μSR measurements which suggest that this material has an even-parity superconducting state.

Decompression-Driven Superconductivity Enhancement in In2 Se3.

PubMed

Ke, Feng; Dong, Haini; Chen, Yabin; Zhang, Jianbo; Liu, Cailong; Zhang, Junkai; Gan, Yuan; Han, Yonghao; Chen, Zhiqiang; Gao, Chunxiao; Wen, Jinsheng; Yang, Wenge; Chen, Xiao-Jia; Struzhkin, Viktor V; Mao, Ho-Kwang; Chen, Bin

2017-09-01

An unexpected superconductivity enhancement is reported in decompressed In 2 Se 3 . The onset of superconductivity in In 2 Se 3 occurs at 41.3 GPa with a critical temperature (T c ) of 3.7 K, peaking at 47.1 GPa. The striking observation shows that this layered chalcogenide remains superconducting in decompression down to 10.7 GPa. More surprisingly, the highest T c that occurs at lower decompression pressures is 8.2 K, a twofold increase in the same crystal structure as in compression. It is found that the evolution of T c is driven by the pressure-induced R-3m to I-43d structural transition and significant softening of phonons and gentle variation of carrier concentration combined in the pressure quench. The novel decompression-induced superconductivity enhancement implies that it is possible to maintain pressure-induced superconductivity at lower or even ambient pressures with better superconducting performance. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Technical issues of a high-Tc superconducting bulk magnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujimoto, Hiroyuki

2000-06-01

Superconducting magnets made of high-Tc superconductors are promising for industrial applications. It is well known that REBa2Cu3O7-x superconductors prepared by melt processes have a high critical current density, Jc, at 77 K and high magnetic fields. The materials are very promising for high magnetic field applications as a superconducting permanent/bulk magnet with liquid-nitrogen refrigeration. Light rare-earth (LRE) BaCuO bulks, compared with REBaCuO bulks, exhibit a larger Jc in high magnetic fields and a much improved irreversibility field, Hirr, at 77 K. In this study, we discuss technical issues of a high-Tc superconducting bulk magnet, namely the aspects of the melt processing for bulk superconductors, their characteristic superconducting properties and mechanical properties, and trapped field properties of a superconducting bulk magnet. One of the possible applications is a superconducting bulk magnet for the magnetically levitated (Maglev) train in the future.

In situ Pulsed Laser Deposition of C-Axis Oriented MgB2 Films and Their Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shinde, Sanjay; Lakew, Brook; Ogale, S. B.; Kulkarni, V. N.; Kale, S. N.; Venkatesan, T.

2004-01-01

The recent discovery of an intermetallic superconductor MgB2 has renewed interest in the area of superconductivity not only because of fundamental understanding of superconductivity but also due to its potential applicability in devices such as thermal detectors. Considerable amount of research has been devoted to obtain MgB2 films by an all in situ growth technique. We have grown MgB2 thin films by an all in situ pulsed laser deposition process from pure B and Mg targets. Ultrathin layers of B and Mg were deposited in a multilayer configuration. Hundreds of such Mg-B bilayers with a capping Mg layer on the top were deposited on sapphire substrate. These depositions were done in high vacuum (approx. 10(exp -7) Torr) and at room temperature. After deposition, such a configuration was annealed at high temperature for a short time in a forming gas (4% H2 in Ar). The best films, obtained by this procedure, showed superconducting transition temperature approx. 30 K. These films have been characterized by x-ray diffraction, Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry, AC susceptibility-, resistivity- (with and without magnetic field) and 1/f noise-measurements. The physical properties of these films will be presented and discussed.

Pulsed source of ultra low-energy muons at RIKEN-RAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakule, Pavel; Matsuda, Yasuyuki; Iwasaki, Masahiko; Miyake, Yasuhiro; Nagamine, Kanetada; Ikedo, Yutaka; Shimomura, Koichiro; Strasser, Patrick

2006-03-01

At RIKEN-RAL muon facility of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (UK) we have produced a pulsed LE-μ + beam with pulse duration of only 10 ns and performed μSR experiments to demonstrate the capability to measure high spin precession frequency signals. The yield of pulsed LE-μ + has been steadily improving over the past 3 years and currently rates of up to 20 μ + per second are observed at the sample position. The overall cooling efficiency from the surface muon beam is now comparable to moderating the muon beam to epithermal energies in simple van der Waals bound solids.

Plasma in a Pulsed Discharge Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Remy, J.; Bienier, L.; Salama, F.

2005-01-01

The plasma generated in a pulsed slit discharge nozzle is used to form molecular ions in an astrophysically relevant environment. The plasma has been characterized as a glow discharge in the abnormal regime. Laboratory studies help understand the formation processes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) ions that are thought to be the source of the ubiquitous unidentified infrared bands.

Hermetically sealed superconducting magnet motor

DOEpatents

DeVault, Robert C.; McConnell, Benjamin W.; Phillips, Benjamin A.

1996-01-01

A hermetically sealed superconducting magnet motor includes a rotor separated from a stator by either a radial gap, an axial gap, or a combined axial and radial gap. Dual conically shaped stators are used in one embodiment to levitate a disc-shaped rotor made of superconducting material within a conduit for moving cryogenic fluid. As the rotor is caused to rotate when the field stator is energized, the fluid is pumped through the conduit.

Superconductivity at Dawn of the Iron Age

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tesanovic, Zlatko

2010-03-03

Superconductivity is a stunning quantum phenomenon and among the deepest paradigms in all of physics. From fundamental theories of the universe to strange goings-on in exotic materials to medical imaging and cell phones, its conceptual and practical dimensions span a reach as wide as anything in science. Twenty-odd years ago, the discovery of copper oxides ushered in a new era of high-temperature superconductivity, and the joyous exuberance that followed - with physicists throwing everything from fancy gauge theories to synchrotron radiation into its kitchen sink - only recently began to show any signs of waning. In the spring of 2008,more » as if on cue, a new family of iron pnictide high-temperature superconductors burst on the scene, hinting at an alternative route to room-temperature superconductivity and all of its momentous consequences. Fueled by genuine excitement - and a bit of hype - the iron-based superconductivity turned into a science blockbuster of 2009. I will present a pedagogical review of this new field, contrast the physics of iron- and copper-based systems, and speculate on the microscopic origins of the two types of high-temperature superconductivity.« less

Domain-wall superconductivity in superconductor-ferromagnet hybrids.

PubMed

Yang, Zhaorong; Lange, Martin; Volodin, Alexander; Szymczak, Ritta; Moshchalkov, Victor V

2004-11-01

Superconductivity and magnetism are two antagonistic cooperative phenomena, and the intriguing problem of their coexistence has been studied for several decades. Recently, artificial hybrid superconductor-ferromagnet systems have been commonly used as model systems to reveal the interplay between competing superconducting and magnetic order parameters, and to verify the existence of new physical phenomena, including the predicted domain-wall superconductivity (DWS). Here we report the experimental observation of DWS in superconductor-ferromagnet hybrids using a niobium film on a BaFe(12)O(19) single crystal. We found that the critical temperature T(c) of the superconductivity nucleation in niobium increases with increasing field until it reaches the saturation field of BaFe(12)O(19). In accordance with the field-shift of the maximum value of T(c), pronounced hysteresis effects have been found in resistive transitions. We argue that the compensation of the applied field by the stray fields of the magnetic domains as well as the change in the domain structure is responsible for the appearance of the DWS and the coexistence of superconductivity and magnetism in the superconductor-ferromagnet hybrids.

Superconductivity at Dawn of the Iron Age

ScienceCinema

Tesanovic, Zlatko

2018-01-12

Superconductivity is a stunning quantum phenomenon and among the deepest paradigms in all of physics. From fundamental theories of the universe to strange goings-on in exotic materials to medical imaging and cell phones, its conceptual and practical dimensions span a reach as wide as anything in science. Twenty-odd years ago, the discovery of copper oxides ushered in a new era of high-temperature superconductivity, and the joyous exuberance that followed - with physicists throwing everything from fancy gauge theories to synchrotron radiation into its kitchen sink - only recently began to show any signs of waning. In the spring of 2008, as if on cue, a new family of iron pnictide high-temperature superconductors burst on the scene, hinting at an alternative route to room-temperature superconductivity and all of its momentous consequences. Fueled by genuine excitement - and a bit of hype - the iron-based superconductivity turned into a science blockbuster of 2009. I will present a pedagogical review of this new field, contrast the physics of iron- and copper-based systems, and speculate on the microscopic origins of the two types of high-temperature superconductivity.

Nb3Sn superconducting radiofrequency cavities: fabrication, results, properties, and prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Posen, S.; Hall, D. L.

2017-03-01

A microns-thick film of Nb3Sn on the inner surface of a superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavity has been demonstrated to substantially improve cryogenic efficiency compared to the standard niobium material, and its predicted superheating field is approximately twice as high. We review in detail the advantages of Nb3Sn coatings for SRF cavities. We describe the vapor diffusion process used to fabricate this material in the most successful experiments, and we compare the differences in the process used at different labs. We overview results of Nb3Sn SRF coatings, including CW and pulsed measurements of cavities as well as microscopic measurements. We discuss special considerations that must be practised when using Nb3Sn cavities in applications. Finally, we conclude by summarizing the state-of-the-art and describing the outlook for this alternative SRF material.

Development of a superconducting claw-pole linear test-rig

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radyjowski, Patryk; Keysan, Ozan; Burchell, Joseph; Mueller, Markus

2016-04-01

Superconducting generators can help to reduce the cost of energy for large offshore wind turbines, where the size and mass of the generator have a direct effect on the installation cost. However, existing superconducting generators are not as reliable as the alternative technologies. In this paper, a linear test prototype for a novel superconducting claw-pole topology, which has a stationary superconducting coil that eliminates the cryocooler coupler will be presented. The issues related to mechanical, electromagnetic and thermal aspects of the prototype will be presented.

Superconducting molybdenum-rhenium electrodes for single-molecule transport studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gaudenzi, R.; Island, J. O.; Bruijckere, J. de

2015-06-01

We demonstrate that electronic transport through single molecules or molecular ensembles, commonly based on gold (Au) electrodes, can be extended to superconducting electrodes by combining gold with molybdenum-rhenium (MoRe). This combination induces proximity-effect superconductivity in the gold to temperatures of at least 4.6 K and magnetic fields of 6 T, improving on previously reported aluminum based superconducting nanojunctions. As a proof of concept, we show three-terminal superconductive transport measurements through an individual Fe{sub 4} single-molecule magnet.

Superconductivity in Potassium-Doped Metallic Polymorphs of MoS2.

PubMed

Zhang, Renyan; Tsai, I-Ling; Chapman, James; Khestanova, Ekaterina; Waters, John; Grigorieva, Irina V

2016-01-13

Superconducting layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) stand out among other superconductors due to the tunable nature of the superconducting transition, coexistence with other collective electronic excitations (charge density waves), and strong intrinsic spin-orbit coupling. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is the most studied representative of this family of materials, especially since the recent demonstration of the possibility to tune its critical temperature, Tc, by electric-field doping. However, just one of its polymorphs, band-insulator 2H-MoS2, has so far been explored for its potential to host superconductivity. We have investigated the possibility to induce superconductivity in metallic polytypes, 1T- and 1T'-MoS2, by potassium (K) intercalation. We demonstrate that at doping levels significantly higher than that required to induce superconductivity in 2H-MoS2, both 1T and 1T' phases become superconducting with Tc = 2.8 and 4.6 K, respectively. Unusually, K intercalation in this case is responsible both for the structural and superconducting phase transitions. By adding new members to the family of superconducting TMDs, our findings open the way to further manipulate and enhance the electronic properties of these technologically important materials.

Discrete-time quantum walk with nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond coupled to a superconducting flux qubit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardal, Ali Ü. C.; Xue, Peng; Shikano, Yutaka; Müstecaplıoğlu, Özgür E.; Sanders, Barry C.

2013-08-01

We propose a quantum-electrodynamics scheme for implementing the discrete-time, coined quantum walk with the walker corresponding to the phase degree of freedom for a quasimagnon field realized in an ensemble of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. The coin is realized as a superconducting flux qubit. Our scheme improves on an existing proposal for implementing quantum walks in cavity quantum electrodynamics by removing the cumbersome requirement of varying drive-pulse durations according to mean quasiparticle number. Our improvement is relevant to all indirect-coin-flip cavity quantum-electrodynamics realizations of quantum walks. Our numerical analysis shows that this scheme can realize a discrete quantum walk under realistic conditions.

Electronic structure and superconductivity of FeSe-related superconductors.

PubMed

Liu, Xu; Zhao, Lin; He, Shaolong; He, Junfeng; Liu, Defa; Mou, Daixiang; Shen, Bing; Hu, Yong; Huang, Jianwei; Zhou, X J

2015-05-13

FeSe superconductors and their related systems have attracted much attention in the study of iron-based superconductors owing to their simple crystal structure and peculiar electronic and physical properties. The bulk FeSe superconductor has a superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of ~8 K and it can be dramatically enhanced to 37 K at high pressure. On the other hand, its cousin system, FeTe, possesses a unique antiferromagnetic ground state but is non-superconducting. Substitution of Se with Te in the FeSe superconductor results in an enhancement of Tc up to 14.5 K and superconductivity can persist over a large composition range in the Fe(Se,Te) system. Intercalation of the FeSe superconductor leads to the discovery of the AxFe2-ySe2 (A = K, Cs and Tl) system that exhibits a Tc higher than 30 K and a unique electronic structure of the superconducting phase. A recent report of possible high temperature superconductivity in single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3 films with a Tc above 65 K has generated much excitement in the community. This pioneering work opens a door for interface superconductivity to explore for high Tc superconductors. The distinct electronic structure and superconducting gap, layer-dependent behavior and insulator-superconductor transition of the FeSe/SrTiO3 films provide critical information in understanding the superconductivity mechanism of iron-based superconductors. In this paper, we present a brief review of the investigation of the electronic structure and superconductivity of the FeSe superconductor and related systems, with a particular focus on the FeSe films.

Helium refrigeration systems for super-conducting accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ganni, V.

Many of the present day accelerators are based on superconducting technology which requires 4.5-K or 2-K helium refrigeration systems. These systems utilize superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities and/or superconducting magnets which are packaged into vacuum vessels known as cryo-modules (CM’s). Many of the present day accelerators are optimized to operate primarily at around 2-K, requiring specialized helium refrigeration systems which are cost intensive to produce and to operate. Some of the cryogenic refrigeration system design considerations for these challenging applications are discussed.

Superconducting shielded core reactor with reduced AC losses

DOEpatents

Cha, Yung S.; Hull, John R.

2006-04-04

A superconducting shielded core reactor (SSCR) operates as a passive device for limiting excessive AC current in a circuit operating at a high power level under a fault condition such as shorting. The SSCR includes a ferromagnetic core which may be either closed or open (with an air gap) and extends into and through a superconducting tube or superconducting rings arranged in a stacked array. First and second series connected copper coils each disposed about a portion of the iron core are connected to the circuit to be protected and are respectively wound inside and outside of the superconducting tube or rings. A large impedance is inserted into the circuit by the core when the shielding capability of the superconducting arrangement is exceeded by the applied magnetic field generated by the two coils under a fault condition to limit the AC current in the circuit. The proposed SSCR also affords reduced AC loss compared to conventional SSCRs under continuous normal operation.

Development status of a 125 horsepower superconducting motor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schiferl, R.F.; Zhang, B.X.; Driscoll, D.I.

1997-06-01

The current development status of an air core synchronous motor with high-temperature superconducting field coils is presented. The work described is part of a U.S. DoE Superconductivity Partnership Initiative award. The motor design features a topology with a combination of a modified conventional armature and a rotating four-pole superconducting field winding operating at a nominal temperature of 27 K. For testing purposes, an open-loop cryogenic system is adopted to supply helium gas to the rotor cryostat for maintaining the operating temperature of the superconducting field winding. The exhaust helium gas intercepts heat leak into the rotor cryostat before being vented.more » The motor is expected to deliver 125 horsepower (hp) at 1,800 rpm. Successful demonstration of the 125 hp motor will represent a major milestone in the process of developing commercial superconducting motors with integrated closed-loop cryogenic systems. Design objectives and results as well as current project status are discussed.« less

Particle-hole symmetry reveals failed superconductivity in the metallic phase of two-dimensional superconducting films

PubMed Central

Breznay, Nicholas P.; Kapitulnik, Aharon

2017-01-01

Electrons confined to two dimensions display an unexpected diversity of behaviors as they are cooled to absolute zero. Noninteracting electrons are predicted to eventually “localize” into an insulating ground state, and it has long been supposed that electron correlations stabilize only one other phase: superconductivity. However, many two-dimensional (2D) superconducting materials have shown surprising evidence for metallic behavior, where the electrical resistivity saturates in the zero-temperature limit; the nature of this unexpected metallic state remains under intense scrutiny. We report electrical transport properties for two disordered 2D superconductors, indium oxide and tantalum nitride, and observe a magnetic field–tuned transition from a true superconductor to a metallic phase with saturated resistivity. This metallic phase is characterized by a vanishing Hall resistivity, suggesting that it retains particle-hole symmetry from the disrupted superconducting state. PMID:28929135

Particle-hole symmetry reveals failed superconductivity in the metallic phase of two-dimensional superconducting films.

PubMed

Breznay, Nicholas P; Kapitulnik, Aharon

2017-09-01

Electrons confined to two dimensions display an unexpected diversity of behaviors as they are cooled to absolute zero. Noninteracting electrons are predicted to eventually "localize" into an insulating ground state, and it has long been supposed that electron correlations stabilize only one other phase: superconductivity. However, many two-dimensional (2D) superconducting materials have shown surprising evidence for metallic behavior, where the electrical resistivity saturates in the zero-temperature limit; the nature of this unexpected metallic state remains under intense scrutiny. We report electrical transport properties for two disordered 2D superconductors, indium oxide and tantalum nitride, and observe a magnetic field-tuned transition from a true superconductor to a metallic phase with saturated resistivity. This metallic phase is characterized by a vanishing Hall resistivity, suggesting that it retains particle-hole symmetry from the disrupted superconducting state.

Composite Ceramic Superconducting Wires for Electric Motor Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-07-07

generators that have been built using NbTi superconducting wire at liquid 3 helium temperature (4.2*K). Most of these magnets , motors, and generators have...temperature superconductors. A magnetic diffusivity value cannot be rigorously determined for the superconductor in the superconducting state when flux jump...cv, FIRST ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE PROJECT "COMPOSITE CERAMIC SUPERCONDUCTING WIRES FOR ELECTRIC MOTOR APPLICATIONS" 2 PRIME CONTRACTOR CERAMICS PROCESS

Substrates suitable for deposition of superconducting thin films

DOEpatents

Feenstra, Roeland; Boatner, Lynn A.