Fabrication of reinforced superconducting wires

A method of forming a mechanically stabilized superconducting wire, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of monofilaments each comprising a monofilament core comprising Nb and, surrounding the monofilament core, a monofilament cladding comprising Cu;
• providing a stabilizing element comprising a stabilizing core comprising an alloy of Ta with at least one of W, C, or N and, surrounding the stabilizing core, a stabilizing cladding comprising Cu;
• fabricating a plurality of composite filaments by, for each composite filament, (i) assembling a plurality of the monofilaments into a monofilament stack, (ii) surrounding the monofilament stack with a composite-filament cladding comprising Cu, (iii) reducing a diameter of the clad monofilament stack, and (iv) altering a cross-sectional shape of the clad monofilament stack;
• assembling a plurality of the composite filaments and the stabilizing element into a composite stack, wherein the stabilizing element extends through a radial dimension of the composite stack;
• surrounding the composite stack with a wire cladding comprising Cu;
• and
• reducing a diameter of the clad composite stack to form a wire, thereby forming a superconducting wire comprising:
• a wire matrix comprising Cu;
• embedded within the wire matrix, a stabilizing element comprising only a single stabilizing core comprising an alloy of Ta with at least one of W, C, or N and, surrounding the single stabilizing core, a stabilizing cladding comprising Cu;
• and
• a plurality of composite filaments embedded within the wire matrix and surrounding the stabilizing element,
• wherein:
• each composite filament comprises (i) a plurality of monofilaments and (ii) a composite-filament cladding comprising Cu surrounding the plurality of monofilaments,
• each monofilament comprises a superconducting monofilament core comprising Nb and, surrounding the superconducting monofilament core, a monofilament cladding comprising Cu,
• the stabilizing element extends through an axial dimension of the wire,
• the stabilizing element is the only stabilizing element within the wire,
• the stabilizing element occupies at least 2% of a cross-section of the wire, and
• the stabilizing element is disposed in direct mechanical contact with at least some of the composite filaments.