The quest for high critical current in applied high-temperature superconductors

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new paradigm for designing high-temperature superconductors with enhanced critical current capacity by using large-scale simulations of vortex pinning, validated through experiments, to guide defect engineering.

Contribution

It presents a novel critical-current-by-design approach combining simulations and experiments to optimize vortex pinning in high-temperature superconductors.

Findings

Simulations accurately predict vortex dynamics under realistic conditions.

Vortex pinning defects can be engineered to significantly increase critical current.

Validated models guide the design of high-performance superconductors.

Abstract

We present a perspective on a new critical-current-by-design paradigm to tailor and enhance the current-carrying capacity of applied superconductors. Critical current by design is based on large-scale simulations of vortex matter pinning in high-temperature superconductors and has qualitative and quantitative predictive powers to elucidate vortex dynamics under realistic conditions and to propose vortex pinning defects that could enhance the critical current, particularly at high magnetic fields. The simulations are validated with controlled experiments and demonstrate a powerful tool for designing high-performance superconductors for targeted applications.