Properties and flux pinning of Cu-Nb superconductors with nanometric-scale pinning centers

• Published in: IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity Vol. 15; no. 2; pp. 3389 - 3392
• Main Authors: Rodrigues, D., Rodrigues, C.A., Silveira, E.B., Romao, E.G.M.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.06.2005; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Artificial pinning centers; COMPOSITES; Copper; Critical current density; Cu-Nb; CURRENT DENSITY; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Fabrication; FLUX PINNING; FLUXES; Force control; Materials; Niobium; PHASES; PINNING; Proximity effect; Proximity effect (electricity); Superconducting filaments and wires; SUPERCONDUCTIVITY; SUPERCONDUCTORS; Temperature; Tin; transport properties; Wire drawing; Electric resistance measurement; Critical current density; Temperature dependence; Scanning electron microscopy; Flux line; Nb3Sn; Electrical conductivity; Deformation; Transport properties; Optimization method; Proximity effect; Cu-Nb; Meissner effect; Composite material; Optimization; Artificial pinning centers; Coherence length; Electrical measurement; Flux pinning; Critical temperature; Composite superconductor; Comparative study
• ISSN: 1051-8223; 1558-2515
• DOI: 10.1109/TASC.2005.848915

The introduction of normal phases into the superconducting phases is one of the most efficient forms to improve the pinning center densities and the critical current densities J/sub c/ of superconductors. Controlled generation of pinning centers with a projected distribution can contribute to estimate the pinning forces and mechanisms acting on the flux lines and to determine procedures to improve J/sub c/. The introduction of nanometric-scale Cu regions into the Nb filaments region during the fabrication of Cu-Nb (or Cu-Nb/sub 3/Sn) composite superconductors changes the properties of the superconducting phase, mainly due to the proximity effect. The present work shows the development and characterization of Cu-Nb composites prepared by successive bundlings followed by swaging and wire drawing, leading to dimensions of the Cu regions as small as 43 nm. The samples were characterized by SEM and by the measurements of electrical resistivity as a function of temperature, critical temperatures T/sub c/, J/sub c/ vs. H, and F/sub p/ vs. H, in different steps of deformation and different dimensions of Cu and Nb, in comparison to the superconducting coherence length /spl xi/. The results helped to determine the influences of the Cu presence and of the proximity effect on the superconducting properties, leading to important conclusions useful to the optimization of J/sub c/ in superconductors.