Enhanced flux pinning in superconductors by embedding carbon nanotubes with BSCCO materials
AssigneesNEC Research Institute, Inc., Florida State University
InventorsKristian Fossheim, Thomas W. Ebbesen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Enhanced flux pinning in superconductors is achieved by embedding carbon nanotubes into a superconducting matrix. The carbon nanotubes simulate the structure, size and shape of heavy ion induced columnar defects in a superconductor such as Bi.sub.2 Sr.sub.2 CaCu.sub.2 O.sub.8+x. The nanotubes survive at treatment temperatures of up to approximately 800.degree. C. both in oxygen containing and in inert atmospheres. The superconducting matrix with nanotubes is heat treated at a lower temperature than the temperature used to treat the best case pure superconductor material.
Claims37
A superconductor comprising:
- high-Tc BSCCO family superconducting material, and carbon nanotubes embedded in the high-Tc superconducting material.
A method of preparing a superconductor sample comprising the steps of:
- providing a high-Tc BSCCO family superconducting powder,
- providing a carbon nanotube powder,
- mixing said superconducting powder and said carbon nanotube powder and a solvent to form a wet mixture and evaporating said solvent to form a mixed powder;
- and
- treating said mixed powder to form a bulk sample with restored optimal superconducting properties.
A method of preparing a superconductor sample comprising the steps of:
- providing a high-Tc BSCCO family superconducting powder,
- providing a carbon nanotube powder;
- mixing said superconducting powder and said carbon nanotube powder to form a mixed powder;
- and treating Said mixed powder to form a bulk sample with restored optimal superconducting properties.
A method of preparing a superconductor sample comprising the steps of:
- dispersing Bi.sub.2 Sr.sub.2 CaCu.sub.2 O.sub.8+x powder and carbon nanotubes in ethanol to form a dispersion,
- sonicating the dispersion,
- evaporating said ethanol,
- compressing the powder by applying uniaxial pressure of approximately 1 kbar to form a sample,
- preheating the sample in argon to a temperature of less than approximately 806.degree. C.;
- and
- heating the sample in an atmosphere containing oxygen at a temperature of approximately 806.degree. C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.