A simple electromagnetic method of cyclic loss measurement for superconducting wires in a combined alternating transverse magnetic field and transport current

We measured cyclic losses in a superconducting wire, carrying alternating transport current, simultaneously exposed to an alternating transverse magnetic field. Samples of Bi-2223 Ag-sheathed tapes have configuration of a double-layer non-inductive coil, which itself is a pickup coil to measure the AC losses. Potential taps were attached to both terminals of the sample coil. The external field was applied along the axis of the sample coil. In this procedure, we can estimate an averaged Poynting's vector on a cylindrical surface between the two layers by means of signals from a pair of the potential taps and from pickup coils for the external magnetic field and the transport current. We can also measure a magnetization and an extended transport-current components of AC losses in addition to a total cyclic loss for a combined alternating external field and transport current. Obtained results are compared with numerical predictions of the critical state model taking into account the magnetic field dependence of critical current density.     

Numerical and theoretical evaluations of AC losses for single and infinite numbers of superconductor strips with direct and alternating transport currents in external AC magnetic field

AC losses in a superconductor strip are numerically evaluated by means of a finite element method formulated with a current vector potential. The expressions of AC losses in an infinite slab that corresponds to a simple model of infinitely stacked strips are also derived theoretically. It is assumed that the voltage-current characteristics of the superconductors are represented by Bean’s critical state model. The typical operation pattern of a Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) coil with direct and alternating transport currents in an external AC magnetic field is taken into account as the electromagnetic environment for both the single strip and the infinite slab. By using the obtained results of AC losses, the influences of the transport currents on the total losses are discussed quantitatively.     

Energy losses in a thin-wall tube multifilament composite superconductor carrying a transport current in a time-varying transverse magnetic field

An approach and formulae are given to calculate the hysteresis, coupling, eddy-current and Ohmic losses in a thin-wall tube multifilament composite superconductor carrying a transport current under low excitation by a homogeneous transverse time-varying magnetic field, taking into account possible filament saturation and current sharing effects. The technique can be applied to a single layer superconducting cable twisted around a thin-wall normal conducting tube.     

Thermal effects and diamagnetic response of a current-carrying YBCO film

The temperature dependence of the dissipative part of the response to an ac magnetic field has been studied for an YBCO high-temperature superconductor film carrying a transport current. The response is found to exhibit a thermal hysteresis, whose magnitude depends on the transport current. The hysteresis is assigned to the current-carrying superconductor having two stable equilibrium states within a certain thermostat temperature interval. The existence of these states governed by specific features of the release and removal of heat.     

Finite element analysis of AC loss in non-twisted Bi-2223 tape carrying AC transport current and/or exposed to DC or AC external magnetic field

AC losses in Bi-2223 superconducting tapes carrying AC transport current and/or exposed to DC or AC magnetic field are calculated with a numerical model based on the finite element method. Superconducting property is given by the E–J characteristic represented by a power law using equivalent conductivity. First, transport loss and magnetization loss are calculated numerically and compared with measured values. The calculated losses almost agree with the measured losses. Frequency dependencies of calculated and measured transport losses are compared with each other. Next, the influence of DC external magnetic field on the transport loss is studied. DC external magnetic field reduces n that is an exponent in the power law connecting resistivity and current density. The numerically calculated transport loss increases with increasing DC magnetic field. Finally, the total loss of superconducting tape carrying AC transport current in AC magnetic field is calculated. In the perpendicular magnetic field, the calculated total loss is lager than the sum of the transport loss and the magnetization loss, while they almost agree with each other in the parallel magnetic field.     

MgB2超导圆线基底交流损耗的计算分析

二硼化镁(MgB2)超导体在非铜氧化物陶瓷超导体中具有最高临界转变温度,给超导应用带来了新的契机.铁与镁不反应,且价格低廉,在需要热处理的超导成材工艺中,常常采用铁作MgB2的基底;然而,这种高磁导率的材料有可能增大基底的损耗.本文采用有限元分析软件ANSYS计算了工频下不同材料基底超导圆线传输交流的基底损耗,分析了基底损耗与电流大小、基底厚度之间的关系,对双层基底的损耗也进行了研究.本文的结果对于适当选取截面尺寸、基底材料和工作电流以期减小交流损耗,具有一定参考意义.     

Limiting stable states of high-Tc superconductors in the alternating current modes

The limiting current-carrying capacity of high-T _c superconductor and superconducting tape has been studied in the alternating current states. The features that are responsible for their stable formation have been investigated under the conduction-cooled conditions when the operating peak values of the electric field and the current may essentially exceed the corresponding critical values of superconductor. Besides, it has been proved that these peak values are higher than the values of the electric field and the current, which lead to the thermal runaway phenomenon when the current instability onset occurs in the operating modes with direct current. As a result, the stable extremely high heat generation exists in these operating states, which can be called as overloaded states. The limiting stable peak values of charged currents and stability conditions have been determined taking into account the flux creep states of superconductors. The analysis performed has revealed that there exist characteristic times defining the corresponding time windows in the stable development of overloaded states of the alternating current. In order to explain their existence, the basic thermo-electrodynamics mechanisms have been formulated, which have allowed to explain the high stable values of the temperature and the induced electric field before the onset of alternating current instability. In general, it has been shown that the high-T _c superconductors may stably operate in the overloaded alternating current states even under the not intensive cooling conditions at a very high level of heat generation, which is not considered in the existing theory of losses.     

Vortex system dynamics and energy losses in a current-carrying 2D superconducting wafer

The dynamic processes occurring in the vortex system of a 2D superconducting wafer carrying transport current are investigated using the model of the vortex system of high-temperature superconductors. Calculations are performed by the Monte Carlo method. For the first time, the dynamics of magnetic field penetration in a current-carrying HTSC wafer is demonstrated and the energy losses associated with a change in transport current are calculated. It is shown that changes in the transport current amplitude and in the number of defects lead to a change in the energy liberation mechanism: hysteresis energy losses are replaced by the losses in the saturated layer.     

Radiation-Induced Oscillating Gap States of Nonequilibrium Two-Dimensional Superconductors

We study the effects of infrared radiation on a two-dimensional Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superconductor coupled with a normal metal substrate through a tunneling barrier.The phase transition is analyzed by inspecting the stability of the system against perturbations of pairing potentials.We find an oscillating gap phase with a frequency not directly related to the radiation frequency,but instead resulting from the asymmetry of electron density of states of the system as well as the tunneling amplitude.When such a superconductor is in contact with another superconductor,gives rise to an unusual alternating Josephson current.     

Electric field arising from a steady current passing through a superconductor

A possible interpretation of a recent experiment showing that a superconductor carrying a steady current can produce an electric field is described.     

Features of magnetization reversal in LCMO/YBCO heterostructures

The change in the magnetic domain structure due to the proximity of a superconductor has been experimentally investigated for the first time. The complex character of magnetization reversal at temperatures below critical, caused by the mutual long-range effect of a superconductor and a magnet, has been shown. In particular, it is found that even magnetization reversal of the heterostructure by an in-plane field leads to the formation of Abrikosov vortices in the superconductor, carrying a flux perpendicularly to the film plane. It is shown that this is a consequence of the transformation of narrow domain walls into wide stripes due to the interaction with scattering fields from the superconductor. In turn, after penetration of the magnetic flux into the superconductor at some depth, the scattering fields cause backward magnetization reversal of the external film edge, as a result of which vortices with oppositely directed fluxes enter the crystal and propagate in the superconductor bulk in the form of chains along twins, as in the case of magnetization by a perpendicular magnetic field. Thus, at longitudinal magnetization, the flux enters the superconducting film in the form of wide stripes with alternating perpendicular induction, which is explained by the long-range interaction of the scattering fields of the superconductor with the manganite magnetization.     

Investigation of losses to magnetization in a superconducting helicoid

Energy losses to magnetization (hysteretetic losses) in a superconducting helicoid consisting of a flat-turn winding have been investigated. Each flat turn of the helicoid contained 15 parallel composite superconductors. The current-voltage characteristic of the helicoid was obtained by measuring the losses in the steady-state regime with a fixed transport current. The measurements of the losses in a dynamic regime made it possible to obtain a realistic estimate of the heat-transfer coefficient in liquid helium—an important thermophysical characteristic of the theory of the dynamic stability of superconductors. Comparing the losses in the helicoid with the losses in an individual constituent superconductor made it possible to determine the “size scale” of the helicoid as a superconducting composite structure. An expression for the losses to magnetization that describes the experimental results well is obtained in a geometric approximation of the helicoid by an infinite, isotropic, hollow cylinder with an azimuthal transport current. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 110–114 (February 1997)     

外场下机械振动对高温超导带材交流损耗的影响

高温超导带材在磁场中传输交变电流时,将受到电磁力的作用而产生机械振动,振动对带材的交流损耗将产生影响.本文讨论了振动情况下交流损耗的测量方法,在平行于带面的直流磁场下,测量了Bi-2223/Ag高温超导带材在不同振动情况下的交流损耗.结果显示:当传输电流频率偏离样品的共振频率时,振动对带材的交流损耗影响不大;只有当电流频率在共振频率附近时,样品产生剧烈振动,交流损耗才有明显的增加;另外,带材振动时的交流损耗随频率变化曲线的斜率比不振动时略有增加.     

Nonlinear properties of multiphase high-temperature superconductors of the Bi–Sr–Ca–Cu–O system in the temperature range of the superconducting transition

The nonlinear characteristics of high-temperature superconductors of the Bi–Sr–Ca–Cu–O system have been experimentally investigated in the temperature range of the superconducting transition under the influence of a harmonic alternating magnetic field. The effect of the generation of odd harmonics in the signal of response to a harmonic alternating magnetic field for multiphase high-temperature superconductors containing regions with different values of the critical temperature in their bulk has been observed for the first time. The mechanism of harmonic generation in a superconductor in the resistive state, which is associated with the switch effect, i.e., with the redistribution of eddy current density between the local regions of the superconductor, has been considered.     

Analysis of current ramp for a high-temperature superconducting magnet

In this paper, an equivalent electrical circuit for response of a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) system for arbitrary time varying transport current is considered and as well as an analysis of the generated resistance losses is given. Also, for the pancake coil made with superconducting Bi-2223/AgMg tape, hysteresis behavior on the voltage-current curve is examined as a function of the current rate during ramp up and down at liquid nitrogen temperature. Behavior of voltage versus current is in good agreement with considered theory.     

基于改进电测法的Bi-2223/Ag高温超导带的交流损耗研究

研究了B i-2223/Ag高温超导带材的交流传输损耗与频率及运行电流的关系。采用锁相放大器激励,内参考方式,首先对纯阻性相位进行定标的改良电测法,对带材的交流传输损耗进行测量。实验在温度77K,频率45-200Hz的范围内进行。实验结果显示:当运行电流幅值小于临界电流时,传输损耗与电流的关系式(P-In)中,指数n介于2-3之间,说明这时的损耗除来源于磁滞损耗外,涡流损耗的作用也不可忽略。鉴于电测法测得的交流损耗与Norris模型的理论计算值差别较大,分析了这种差别产生的原因,并与另一种B i系高温超导带的交流损耗情况进行了对比;此外还对实验误差的大小进行了理论估测。     

AC loss of low temperature superconducting AC wire caused by longitudinal and azimuthal AC magnetic field components

We investigated the AC loss characteristics of a low temperature NbTi AC wire by measuring the AC transport current losses in the external AC magnetic field whose components are the longitudinal and transverse ones. The measurement results showed that the AC losses were significantly dependent on the directions and magnitudes of the external longitudinal field component. The AC losses caused by the longitudinal and azimuthal field components were estimated by our previously derived model. The theoretical results well explained the dependence of the AC losses on the longitudinal field components. It was also shown that the AC losses can be substantially reduced by the proper choice of the twisting way.     

Response of spin-accumulated ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet double tunnel junction to applied magnetic field

Tunneling current in a ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet double tunnel junction induces a nonequilibrium spin accumulation in the superconductor. We study theoretically the response of such a system to applied magnetic field. We show that the interplay between the magnetic field and the spin accumulation could lead to novel bias voltage dependence and magnetic field dependence of the superconducting gap function, and bring in anomalous asymmetry in the spin-dependent transport. Our study also indicates a possible application of the spin injection.     

Proximity-driven source of highly spin-polarized ac current on the basis of superconductor/weak ferromagnet/superconductor voltage-biased Josephson junction

We theoretically investigate an opportunity to implement a source of highly spin-polarized ac current on the basis of superconductor/weak ferromagnet/superconductor (SFS) voltage-biased junction in the regime of essential proximity effect and calculate the current flowing through the probe electrode tunnel coupled to the ferromagnetic interlayer region. It is shown that while the polarization of the dc current component is generally small in case of weak exchange field of the ferromagnet, there is an ac component of the current in the system. This ac current is highly spin-polarized and entirely originated from the non-equilibrium proximity effect in the interlayer. The frequency of the current is controlled by the voltage applied to SFS junction. We discuss a possibility to obtain a source of coherent ac currents with a certain phase shift between them by tunnel coupling two probe electrodes at different locations of the interlayer region. The article is published in the original.     

Stress state of a matrix and an inclusion consisting of a twisted multifilament superconductor with a normally-conducting core in the presence of an interaction of the longitudinal current with a transverse magnetic field

A study is made of the stress state arising in an infinite matrix into which is “potted” a long cylindrical inclusion consisting of a twisted multifilament composite superconductor with a core of normal metal as a result of the interaction of the longitudinal component of the transport current with a uniform external magnetic field. It is shown that the approximation of a homogeneous conductor with average elastic properties can be used to calculate the macroscopic stresses in a NbTi-Cu wire embedded in an epoxy matrix. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 39–42 (October 1998)