Homogeneity of supercurrent flow in coated conductors

✍ Scribed by F. Hengstberger; R. Fuger; M. Eisterer; H.W. Weber; D. Isfort

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 426 KB
• Volume: 460-462
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0921-4534
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physc.2007.04.184

✦ Synopsis

The development of coated conductors is now entering a stage where they become available in lengths of several meters. A technique capable of analysing the local superconducting properties of long samples within a relatively short time is therefore highly desirable.

In this paper, the application of a scanning technique, initially developed for the characterisation of bulk materials [M. Eisterer, S. Haindl, T. Wojcik, H.W. Weber, Supercond. Sci. Technol. 16 (2003) 1282] to coated conductors is presented. The principle consists of spatially mapping the magnetic field (B z ) perpendicular to the top sample surface, generated by local shielding currents. The supercurrents are induced by a permanent magnet placed above the scanning Hall probe. This technique was successfully applied to a sample with a length of 10 cm, providing information on the tape homogeneity. Local disturbances of the supercurrent flow and spatial variations of the critical current density are detected in this way on the scale of 61 mm.