Superconductor fabrication
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsDavid Anthony Cardwell, Nadendla Hari Babu, Yun-Hua Shi
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Abstract
A seed crystal for the fabrication of a superconductor is grown from a rare-earth oxide having the basic formula XwZtBaxCuyOz, X comprising at least one rare-earth element and Z being a dopant which raises the peritectic decomposition temperature (Tp) of the oxide. In a preferred embodiment, the dopant is Mg. Use of this rare-earth oxide material for seed crystals increases the temperature at which cold-seeding can be performed and thus enables the growth of a wider range of bulk superconductor materials by this process.
Claims15
A method of fabricating a superconductor of predetermined grain orientation comprising the steps of;
- selecting a superconductor material;
- selecting a seed crystal grown from a rare-earth oxide having the basic formula (RE)wZtBaxCuyOz;
- where (RE) comprises at least one rare earth element;
- where w is in the range 1 to 4, x is in the range 1 to 6, y is in the range 1 to 6 and z is in the range 3 to 20;
- and
- Z is a dopant which raises the peritectic decomposition temperature (Tp) of the oxide, in which Z comprises Mg and in which the rare-earth oxide contains less than 40% w/w of Mg;
- and,
- arranging the seed crystal in contact with the superconductor material in a desired crystallographic orientation such that, during processing, grain growth in the superconductor material is initiated in a predetermined orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.