Effect of Nano-SiC and Nano-Si Doping on Critical Current Density of MgB_2

The discovery of superconductivity in magnesium diboride (MgB2) has opened up a new field in materials science research. It offers a possibility of a new class of high performance superconducting materials for practical applications because of the relatively low cost of fabrication, high critical current densities (Jc) and fields, large coherence length, absence of weak links, higher Tc(TC = 39K) compared with Nb3Sn and Nb-Ti alloys (two or four times that of Nb,,Sn and Nb-Ti alloys). However, the weak flux pinning in the magnetic field remains a major challenge. This paper reports the most interesting results on nanomaterial (SiC and Si) doping in magnesium diboride. The high density of nano-scale defects introduced by doping is responsible for the enhanced pinning. The fabrication method, critical current density, microstructures, flux pinning and cost for magnesium diboride bulks, wires and tapes are also discussed. It is believed that high performance SiC doped MgB2 will have a great potential for m     

High critical current density in powder-in-tube processed MgB2/Ta/Cu wire

The magnetization of dense MgB2/Ta/Cu wires prepared by the powder-in-tube method is measured by a SQUID magnetometer. The results indicate that the critical temperature of MgB2/Ta/Cu is around 38.4 K with a sharp transition width of 0.6 K. The MgB2/Ta/Cu wire shows a strong flux pinning and the critical current density is higher than 105 A/cm2 (5 K, self-field) and 104 A/cm2 (20 K, 1 T). Also, the irreversibility field of the sample reaches 6.6 T at 5 K.     

Effect of Nano－SiC and Nano－Si Doping on Critical Current Density of MgB2

The discovery of superconductivity in magnesium diboride (MgB2) has opened up a new field in materials science research. It offers a possibility of a new class of high performance superconducting materials for practical applications because of the relatively low cost of fabrication, high critical current densities (Jc)and fields, large coherence length, absence of Weak links, higher Tc (Tc = 39 K) compared with Nb3Sn and Nb-Ti alloys (two or four times that of Nb3Sn and Nb-Ti alloys). However, the weak flux pinning in the magnetic field remains a major challenge. This paper reports the most interesting results on nenomaterial (SiC and Si) doping in magnesium diboride. The high density of nano-scele defects introduced by doping is responsible for the enhanced pinning. The fabrication method, critical current density, microstructures, flux pinning and cost for magnesium diboride bulks, wires and tapes are also discussed. It is believed that high performance SiC doped MgB2 will have a great potential for many practical applications at 5K to 25K up to 5T.     

Doping effects of ZrC and ZrB2 in the powder-in-tube processed MgB2 tapes

We have investigated the effects of ZrC and ZrB2 doping on the superconducting properties of the powder-in-tube processed MgB2/Fe tapes. Sam- ples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDX), transport and magnetic measurements. We confirmed the fol- lowing quite different roles of ZrC and ZrB2 in MgB2. ZrC doping was found to decrease the transport critical current density (Jc) at 4.2 K, while the critical temperature (Tc) kept constant. In contrast, the Jc values in magnetic fields were enhanced greatly by the ZrB2 addition, which resulted in a decrease in Tc by only 0.5 K. The reason for different effects of two dopants is also discussed.     

High critical currents in iron-clad superconducting MgB2 wires

Technically useful bulk superconductors must have high transport critical current densities, Jc, at operating temperatures. They also require a normal metal cladding to provide parallel electrical conduction, thermal stabilization, and mechanical protection of the generally brittle superconductor cores. The recent discovery of superconductivity at 39 K in magnesium diboride (MgB2) presents a new possibility for significant bulk applications, but many critical issues relevant for practical wires remain unresolved. In particular, MgB2 is mechanically hard and brittle and therefore not amenable to drawing into the desired fine-wire geometry. Even the synthesis of moderately dense, bulk MgB2 attaining 39 K superconductivity is a challenge because of the volatility and reactivity of magnesium. Here we report the successful fabrication of dense, metal-clad superconducting MgB2 wires, and demonstrate a transport Jc in excess of 85,000 A cm-2 at 4.2 K. Our iron-clad fabrication technique takes place at ambient pressure, yet produces dense MgB2 with little loss of stoichiometry. While searching for a suitable cladding material, we found that other materials dramatically reduced the critical current, showing that although MgB2 itself does not show the 'weak-link' effect characteristic of the high-Tc superconductors, contamination does result in weak-link-like behaviour.     

Fabrication of MgB_2 superconducting films by different methods

MgB2 superconducting films have been successfully fabricated on single crystal MgO(111) and c-AL2O3 substrates by different methods. The film deposited by pulsed laser deposition is c-axis oriented with zero resistance transition temperature of 38.4 K, while the other two films fabricated by chemical vapor deposition and electrophoresis are c-axis textured with the zero resistance transition temperature of 38 K and 39 K, respectively. Magnetization hysteresis measurements yield critical current density Jc of 107 A/cm2 at 15 K in zero field for the thin film and of 105 A/cm2 for the thick film. For the thin film deposited by chemical vapor deposition, the microwave surface resistance at 10 K is found to be as low as 100μΩ, which is comparable with that of a high-quality high-temperature superconducting thin film of YBCO.     

Enhancement of the high-magnetic-field critical current density of superconducting MgB2 by proton irradiation

Magnesium diboride, MgB2, has a relatively high superconducting transition temperature, placing it between the families of low- and high-temperature (copper oxide based) superconductors. Supercurrent flow in MgB2 is unhindered by grain boundaries, making it potentially attractive for technological applications in the temperature range 20-30 K. But in the bulk material, the critical current density (Jc) drops rapidly with increasing magnetic field strength. The magnitude and field dependence of the critical current are related to the presence of structural defects that can 'pin' the quantized magnetic vortices that permeate the material, and a lack of natural defects in MgB2 may be responsible for the rapid decline of Jc with increasing field strength. Here we show that modest levels of atomic disorder induced by proton irradiation enhance the pinning of vortices, thereby significantly increasing Jc at high field strengths. We anticipate that either chemical doping or mechanical processing should generate similar levels of disorder, and so achieve performance that is technologically attractive in an economically viable way.     

Improved Pinning Center Morphology in HTS with Order-of-Magnitude Increase in J_c and B_pin Compared to Columnar Pinning

The motivation for continuous columnar pinning centers has been to provide maximum Upin. It has been assumed that this provides the best Jc and Bpin. Limitations on Jc and Spin observed for columnar pinning have been attributed to degradation of the order parameter and Tc. We examine columnar pinning by ionic damage and conclude instead that geometrical effects of columnar pinning on percolation path and on the number of pinning centers are the dominant limitations of columnar pinning, leading to a limit of Bpin- 4 T. Evidence suggests that multiple-in-line-defects (MILD) are far better suited to increase Jc and Bpin. The morphology of MILD pinning is reviewed. Ion energy loss per unit distance, Se, is found to be most promising in a regime almost diametrically opposite to that sought to maximize Upin. We expect Jc - 106 A/cm2 and Bpin > 40T from MILD pinning, despite sharply decreased Upin. Experimental confirmation is proposed.     

Improved Pinning Center Morphology in HTS with Order－of－Magnitude Increase in Jc and Bpin Compared to Columnar Pinning

The motivation for continuous columnar pinning centers has been to provide maximum Upin It has been assumed that this provides the best Jc and Bpin. Limitations on Jc and Bpin, observed for columnar pinning have been attributed to degradation of the order parameter and Tc. We examine columnar pinning by ionic damage and cooclude instead that geometrical effects of columnar pinning on percolation path and on the number of pinning centers are the dominant limitations of columnar pinning, leading to a limit of Bpin—4T.Evidence suggests that multiple-in-line-defects (MILD) are far better suited to increase Jc and Bpin,. The morphology of MILD pinning is reviewed. Ion energy loss per unit distance, Se, is found to be most promising in a regime almost diametrically opposite to that sought to maximize Upin. We expect Jc—10^6 A/cm^2 and Bpin＞,40 T from MILD pinning, despite sharply decreased Upin. Experimental confirmation is proposed.     

Vortex dynamics in superconducting MgB2 and prospects for applications

The recently discovered superconductor magnesium diboride, MgB2, has a transition temperature, Tc, approaching 40 K, placing it intermediate between the families of low- and high-temperature superconductors. In practical applications, superconductors are permeated by quantized vortices of magnetic flux. When a supercurrent flows, there is dissipation of energy unless these vortices are 'pinned' in some way, and so inhibited from moving under the influence of the Lorentz force. Such vortex motion ultimately determines the critical current density, Jc, which the superconductor can support. Vortex behaviour has proved to be more complicated in high-temperature superconductors than in low-temperature superconductors and, although this has stimulated extensive theoretical and experimental research, it has also impeded applications. Here we describe the vortex behaviour in MgB2, as reflected in Jc and in the vortex creep rate, S, the latter being a measure of how fast the 'persistent' supercurrents decay. Our results show that naturally occurring grain boundaries are highly transparent to supercurrents, a desirable property which contrasts with the behaviour of the high-temperature superconductors. On the other hand, we observe a steep, practically deleterious decline in Jc with increasing magnetic field, which is likely to reflect the high degree of crystalline perfection in our samples, and hence a low vortex pinning energy.     

多晶MgB2相形成中纳米尺寸硼粉的作用

原料硼粉在MgB2相形成中的作用已经利用原位高温电阻率(HT-ρT)的测量技术进行了研究.MgB2相形成中的起始转变温度Tonset和相转变完成温度TPF在完成了的热处理过程中已直接确定了.用纳米硼粉和镁粉制备MgB2样品(简称为NanoB-MgB2)时的Tonset和TPF这2个温度值分别是440和 490 ℃,类似于用微米硼粉和纳米镁粉制备MgB2样品(简称为MicroB-MgB2)的情况.这表明MgB2相形成的温度并不特别依赖于硼粉的尺寸.另外,烧结温度的上极限TN是750 ℃,在此温度下NanoB-MgB2样品的超导电性将丧失.此温度远低于用微米硼粉和毫米尺寸的镁粉制备的MgB2样品(简称为DM-MgB2)的TN= 980 ℃.把直接在650 ℃＜T N,烧结的样品与先在750 ℃下烧结,之后又再次重磨和处理后,并于富镁的环境中在650 ℃下再烧结处理的样品相比较,观察到了MgB2的不可逆的晶体结构转变.     

High critical current density and enhanced irreversibility field in superconducting MgB2 thin films

The discovery of superconductivity at 39 K in magnesium diboride offers the possibility of a new class of low-cost, high-performance superconducting materials for magnets and electronic applications. This compound has twice the transition temperature of Nb3Sn and four times that of Nb-Ti alloy, and the vital prerequisite of strongly linked current flow has already been demonstrated. One possible drawback, however, is that the magnetic field at which superconductivity is destroyed is modest. Furthermore, the field which limits the range of practical applications-the irreversibility field H*(T)-is approximately 7 T at liquid helium temperature (4.2 K), significantly lower than about 10 T for Nb-Ti (ref. 6) and approximately 20 T for Nb3Sn (ref. 7). Here we show that MgB2 thin films that are alloyed with oxygen can exhibit a much steeper temperature dependence of H*(T) than is observed in bulk materials, yielding an H* value at 4.2 K greater than 14 T. In addition, very high critical current densities at 4.2 K are achieved: 1 MA cm-2 at 1 T and 105 A cm-2 at 10 T. These results demonstrate that MgB2 has potential for high-field superconducting applications.     

MgB2制备过程中退火效应和热稳定性的实验研究

报道了关于 MgB₂ 超导体制备过程中的退火效应和热稳定性的实验研究。把硼片在不同的温度 Mg 气氛中退火不同时间得到 MgB₂,制备样品的测量结果显示制备 MgB₂ 的合适温度范围是 700～1000℃,并且较高的制备温度下只需要相对短的退火时间内就能得到较高转变温度的样品。热稳定性实验的结果显示在没有 Mg 的气氛中 MgB₂ 在 700℃ 下是稳定的,从 800℃ 开始分解,直到完全失去超导电性。实验还观测到利用 MgB₂ 混合物薄膜前驱代替硼片制备 MgB₂ 时,在 600℃ 退火时样品就显示超导电性。     

Fabrication of the 19-filament Fe/Cu clad MgB2 wire via in situ powder-in-tube method

Using commercial amorphous B powder (92% in purity) and Mg powder (99% in purity) as starting materials, 19-filament Fe/Cu clad MgB2 wires were fabricated by an in situ powder-in-tube method. Heat treatment was performed at 700℃ for 1 h under an argon gas atmosphere. The influence of Mg/B ratio on the microstructure and superconducting properties of the wires was investigated. It was found that the major phases of MgB2 wires were MgB2 accompanied with relatively small amounts of MgO and Fe2B impurities. With 5% excess Mg addition, the onset TC slightly decreased. However, the transport JC at 4.2 K and 4 T reached 1.07×104 A·cm-2, increasing by a factor of 1.4 compared to the stoichiometric sample. Moreover, the Mg1.05B2 sample showed an improved field dependence of JC, suggesting that less voids and smaller grain size of the Mg1.05B2 core lead to better grain connectivity and stronger flux pinning.     

Implications of micro-compositions of garnet and biotite from high-grade meta-pelites

Based on detailed studies on the compositional zoning of garnet and biotite in pelitic rocks from the Jingshan group of granulite facies in north Jiaodong, P-T pseudosections with isopleths of Fe/(Fe + Mg) in garnet and biotite were calculated in the KF-MASH system for two representative rocks of sillimanite-garnet-cordierite-biotite gneiss ( Vbi/ Vg>1 ) and sillimanite-garnet gneiss (Vbi/ Vg<0.2) using the software THERMOCALC and the internally consistent thermodynamic dataset. With a comparison of the calculated Fe/(Fe+ Mg) values in garnet and biotite in the peak P-T fields constrained by peak mineral assemblages with the measured ones, it is concluded that the coarse garnet crystals with diffusion zoning from high grade meta-pelites can preserve their peak compositions even when they have experienced a cooling event, and that biotite crystals surrounded by fetsic minerals in biotite-rich rocks with Vbi/Vg> 1 can nearly preserve their peak compositions, and biotites in garnet-rich rocks with Vbi/Vg<0. 2 cannot preserve their peak compositions due to the influence of grain-boundary fluid.     

无定形C掺杂对MgB2微结构和超导电性的影响

采用原位法粉末装管工艺制备了MgB2-xCx/Nb/Cu单芯线材.通过X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(EMS)和物性测试仪(PPMS)等手段研究了无定形C掺杂对线材微观结构及超导电性的影响.结果显示,随着C掺杂量的增加,进入MgB2晶格的C含量增加,MgB2层间结构不变.样品性能达到实用化超导磁体要求,在温度30 K外场0.2 T条件下,C掺杂量x=0,0.05,0.10,0.15的样品临界电流密度分别达8.1×104,1.7×105,1.6×105和1.0×105A/cm2.实验表明最佳C掺杂量x在0.05与0.10之间.     

High critical current density in powder-in-tube processed MgB2/Ta/Cu wire

The magnetization of dense MgB₂/Ta/Cu wires prepared by the powder-in-tube method is measured by a SQUID magnetometer. The results indicate that the critical temperature of MgB₂/Ta/Cu is around 38.4 K with a sharp transition width of 0.6 K. The MgB₂/Ta/Cu wire shows a strong flux pinning and the critical current density is higher than 10⁵ A/cm² (5 K, self-field) and 10⁴ A/cm² (20 K, 1 T). Also, the irreversibility field of the sample reaches 6.6 T at 5 K.     

Experimental measurement of the electrical conductivity of single crystal olivine at high temperature and high pressure under different oxygen fugacities

At 1.0?4.0 GPa and 1123?1473 K and under oxygen fugacity-controlled conditions (Ni+NiO, Fe+Fe₃O₄, Fe+FeO and Mo+MoO₂ buffers), a YJ-3000t Model six-anvil solid high-pressure apparatus and a Sarltron-1260 Impedance/Gain-Phase analyzer were employed to conduct an in situ measurement of the electrical conductivity of single crystal olivine. Experimental results showed that: (1) within the range of experimentally selected frequencies (10³?10⁶ Hz), the electrical conductivity of the sample is of great dependence on the frequency; (2) with the rise of temperature (T), the electrical conductivity (σ) will increase, and the Arrenhius linear relationship is established between lgσ and 1/T; (3) under the control of oxygen buffer Fe+Fe₃O₄, with the rise of pressure, the electrical conductivity tends to decrease whereas the activation enthalpy and independent-of-temperature preexponential factor tend to increase, with the activation energy and activation volume of the sample estimated at (1.25±0.08) eV and (0.105±0.025) cm³/mol, respectively; (4) under given pressure and temperature conditions, the electrical conductivity tends to increase whereas the activation energy tends to decrease with increasing oxygen fugacity; and (5) the mechanism of electrical conduction of small polarons can provide insight into the behavior of electrical conduction of olivine under high pressure and high temperature.     

Special variation of infiltration-growth processed bulk YBCO fabricated using new liquid source: Ba3Cu5O8 (1:1.3) and YbBa2Cu3Oy

Utilization of novel materials, particularly high-Tc (critical temperature) superconductors, is essential to pursue the United Nations' Sustainable Goals, as well as to meet the increasing worldwide demand for clean and carbon-free electric power technologies. Superconduct-ing magnets are beneficial in several real-life applications including transportation, energy production, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and drug delivery systems. To achieve high performance, one must develop uniform, large-grain, infiltration-growth (IG) processed bulk YBa2Cu3Oy (Y-123) super-magnets. In this study, we report the magnetic and microstructural properties of a large-grain, top-seeded, IG-pro-cessed Y-123 pellet, which is 20 mm in diameter and 6 mm in height; the pellet is produced utilizing liquid Yb-123+Ba3Cu5O8 as the liquid source. All the samples cut from the top of the bulk exhibit a sharp superconducting transition (approximately 1 K wide) with the onset Tc of approximately 90 K. However, in the samples cut from the bottom surface, the onset Tc values slightly decreased to between 88 and 90 K, al-though still exhibiting a sharp superconducting transition. The top and bottom samples exhibited the highest remnant value of Jc (critical cur-rent density) at 77 K H//c-axis of 50 and 55 kA/cm2, respectively. The remnant Jc and irreversibility field values significantly fluctuated, being fairly low in some bottom samples. Scanning electron microscopy identified nanometer size Y-211 (Y2BaCuO5) secondary-phase particles dis-persed in the Y-123 matrix. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy clarified that the decreased both Tc and Jc for the bottom samples were attributed to liquid phase dispersion within the Y-123 phase.     

A Review of Coated Conductor Development

The developments of coated conductor technology have been reviewed. It is shown that the critical current density of high-Tc wires can be greatly enhanced by using three-fold approaches: grain alignment, grain boundary doping, and optimization of the grain architecture. Major advances have been made in the last 16 years mainly in three aspects: substrates, buffer layers and the YBCO layer. Cost is still the main concern for scale up, especially for the approach through vapor depositions, such as the PLD method. TFA-MOD or other CSD methods may be the trend to overcome cost and speed consideration during the scale up. However, high reliability and reproducibility will be the new focus for these techniques. Ni-alloy tapes seem to have advantages over pure Ni in terms of mechanical strength and oxidation resistance. Depositing a pure Ni layer on top of Ni-based alloys (such as Ni-Cr and Ni-W alloys) solves the problem of low strength of Ni and poor texture of Ni alloys. The RABiTS and IBAD are the two robust approaches for the texture generation. But the buffer materials and architectures being investigated remain unclear, though CeO2/YSZ/CeO2 and MgO arecommonly used buffer layers for RABiTS and IBAD respectively. For the case where a buffer layer is unavoidable, a non-vacuum process would be suitable for low cost and scale up. However, none of the buffer layer fabrication processes through CSD has been demonstrated results good enough for long length coated conductor applications. While, a high Jc superconducting layer can be produced by TFA-MOD, which brings a bright future for coated conductors. Clearly, there are still many scientific and technological barriers to be overcome before any long length of high Jc coated conductor be produced commercially. But theoretical analyses and technological progress show the potential for the practical application of coated conductor wires in the near future.