A Polish team of researchers led by Dr. Paweł Pęczkowski from the Institute of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University used the PIRX beam to study the properties of the electronic structure of superconducting foams obtained on the basis of polyurethane foams. The research results were published in the Journal of the European Ceramic Society published by Elsevier.
High-temperature superconductors (HTS) are most often produced in one of three varieties – thin film, wire (tape) and loose. This division results from the properties of these superconductors, which originate from their microstructure. High-temperature superconductors can be produced in a fourth variant with a foam structure. Superconductors with a foam structure have a much shorter cooling time, so the transition or return to the superconducting state from the normal state is much faster than in the case of solid samples manufactured using the top-seeded infiltration-growth (TSIG) method. Additionally, they are lightweight and exhibit fewer micro-cracks, which are the main factor limiting the critical current density in solid superconducting samples. These unique features make superconducting foams an excellent material for space applications, where it is necessary to use strong and light sources of magnetic fields to build, for example, docking mechanisms for space vehicles and ion engines. However, before superconducting foams are used, several basic questions need to be answered: what is the impact of changes in the foam structure (e.g. size and shape of pores) on superconducting properties, how does current flow in the three-dimensional structure of the foam and what is its impact on the properties related to ability to anchor vortexes (pinning centers).
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Image: (a) Y-211 foam before and (b) after Y-035 infiltration process; (c) Y-123 – final foam levitation in a magnetic field