APC Nb$_3$Sn superconductors based on internal oxidation of Nb-Ta-Hf alloys

TL;DR

This paper reports on the development of Nb3Sn superconductors with artificial pinning centers created through internal oxidation of Nb-Ta-Hf alloys, showing improved performance and stability for potential magnet applications.

Contribution

It introduces a new internal oxidation process for Nb-Ta-Hf alloys to enhance Nb3Sn superconductor performance, with improved wire stability and critical current density.

Findings

Significant increase in critical current density (Jc) and irreversibility field (Birr).

Enhanced wire stability and RRR with new filament design.

Ongoing optimization for magnet application readiness.

Abstract

In the last few years, a new type of Nb$_3$Sn superconducting composite, containing a high density of artificial pinning centers (APC) generated via an internal oxidation approach, has demonstrated a significantly superior performance relative to present, state-of-the-art commercial Nb$_3$Sn conductors. This was achieved via the internal oxidation of Nb-4at.%Ta-1at.%Zr alloy. On the other hand, our recent studies have shown that internal oxidation of Nb-Ta-Hf alloys can also lead to dramatic improvements in Nb$_3$Sn performance. In this work we follow up this latter approach, fabricating a 61-stack APC wire based on the internal oxidation of Nb-4at.%Ta-1at.%Hf alloy, and compare its critical current density (Jc) and irreversibility field (Birr) with APC wires made using Nb-4at.%Ta-1at.%Zr. A second goal of this work was to improve the filamentary design of APC wires in order to improve their wire quality and electromagnetic stability. Our new modifications have led to significantly improved RRR and stability in the conductors, while still keeping non-Cu Jc at or above the FCC Jc specification. Further improvement via optimization of the wire recipe and design is ongoing. Finally, additional work needed to make APC conductors ready for applications in magnets is discussed.