Materials research

The working horse for superconducting magnets are multifilament NbTi wires, which are nowadays also used for superconducting insertion devices. We investigate the possible application of conductors with enhanced critical current density.

Another alternative to NbTi under study are high temperature superconducting tapes (HTS). The engineering current density of commercial HTS materials is rapidly increasing in performance making them more and more attractive.

In addition, HTS tapes can be operated at higher temperatures than NbTi allowing to sustain higher beam heat loads, and therefore simplifying the cryostat design for the final device.

NbTi artificial pinning center wire
Optical image at microscope, wire developed by SupraMagnetics, Inc., photo courtesy: Th. Schneider and M. Kläser (KIT ITEP).

HTS solenoids and undulator mockup
Mockup for tests at CASPER I (undulator from Bilfinger Noell GmbH).