Exploration of new superconductors and functional materials and fabrication of superconducting tapes and wires of iron pnictides

TL;DR

This review summarizes a 4-year Japanese research project that discovered numerous new superconductors and functional materials, and developed fabrication techniques for iron-based superconductor tapes and wires.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of newly discovered superconductors, functional materials, and fabrication methods, including extensive data on unsuccessful candidates.

Findings

Discovered several tens of new superconductors from ~1000 materials

Developed fabrication techniques for iron-based superconductor tapes and wires

Compiled a list of ~700 materials tested without superconductivity

Abstract

This paper reviews the highlights of a 4-years-long research project supported by the Japanese Government to explore new superconducting materials and relevant functional materials. The project found several tens of new superconductors by examining ~1000 materials, each of which was chosen by Japanese team member experts with a background in solid state chemistry. This review summarizes the major achievements of the project in newly found superconducting materials, and the wire and tape fabrication of iron-based superconductors. It is a unique feature of this review to incorporate a list of ~700 unsuccessful materials examined for superconductivity in the project. In addition, described are new functional materials and functionalities discovered during the project.