Doped MgB2 Doubles Critical Field Tolerance *

sanman

19th May 2004 - 07:52 PM

I just read this:

http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2004/split/683-2.html

So with some carbon doping, MgB2 is able to tolerate stronger magnetic
fields before losing superconductivity.

Could this used to make a more powerful tokamak, like for ITER? What
material is ITER using for its superconductive coils?

Joseph D. Warner

19th May 2004 - 07:53 PM

I don't know the material ITER uses for is superconductive coils, I
would suspect NbSn3.

I would think that in the future MgB2 will have to compete with the CuO
based superconductors for superconducting magnets.

Gordon D. Pusch

19th May 2004 - 07:54 PM

There will be little competition between the two unless the T_c of MgB2 can
be brought up past LN2 temperatures. A T_c of 40 K is still too cold to make
operating a superconducting device "cheap," since the only cryogens that have
boiling points colder than 40 K @ 1 atm are Helium, Hydrogen, and Neon, all
three of which are expensive and/or difficult to handle...

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