ENHANCED SUPERCONDUCTORS

ONE OF THE MAJOR CHALLENGES FACING HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS ISTHE MAKING OF NON-BRITTLE MATERIALS. BASED ON THE SUCCESSFUL DISCOVERY OF HIGH TEMPERATURE PEROVSKITE SUPERCONDUCTORS, A NEW CLASS OF SUPERCONDUCTING MATERIALS IS BEING INVESTIGATED THAT IS ANTICIPATED TOBE MECHANICALLY TOUGH, HAVE HIGH CRITICAL TEMPERATURES, BE INEXPENSIVETO MANUFACTURE, AND BE EASILY FORMED INTO WIRES AND BANDS. IN THIS INVESTIGATION, THE MEISSNER EFFECT IS BEING USED TO DETECT A SUPERCONDUCTING TRANSITION IN A SPECIFIC MATERIAL WITHIN THIS PROPOSED NEW CLASS. THE SPECIFIC MATERIAL IS BEING SYNTHESIZED AND CHEMICALLY MODIFIED AND THE MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY OF SPECIMEN MEASURED. A LATER EFFORT WOULD FOLLOW THIS DETECTION MEASUREMENT WITH OTHER MEASUREMENTS TO FIRMLY ESTABLISH THIS MATERIAL AS A HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR. AFTER THE SUPERCONDUCTING PROPERTIES ARE FIRMLY ESTABLISHED, A SPECIMEN WHICH IS SEVERAL METERS LONG WOULD BE PRODUCED. POWER APPLICATIONS INCLUDE TRANSMISSION, CONDITIONING, STORAGE, AND MOTORS. OTHER APPLICATIONS INCLUDE MAGNETIC SHIELDING, SUPERCONDUCTING CAVITIES, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES.