Experimental investigation and Ginzburg-Landau modeling of the microstructure dependence of superconductivity in Cu-Ag-Nb wires
- RWTH, Aachen (Germany). Inst. fuer Metallkunde und Metallphysik
The type-II superconducting properties of heavily deformed Cu-Ag-Nb wires, containing only 4 wt% (4.18 vol.%) of elongated Nb filaments as a separate superconducting phase, were investigated as a function of microstructure, temperature, total wire strain, and external magnetic fields. The microstructure of the wires was examined using optical and electron microscopy. The experimental observation of the proximity effect, i.e., of the penetration of the superconducting state into the normal resistive Cu-Ag matrix leading to bulk-superconductivity, is explained in terms of the experimentally determined topology of the microstructure in conjunction with Ginzburg-Landau theory. The pronounced drop of the critical temperature and of the critical magnetic field with increasing wire strain is explained in terms of the reduced thickness of the ductile Nb filaments which is at large strains of the order of the Ginzburg-Landau correlation length in Nb.
- OSTI ID:
- 329078
- Journal Information:
- Acta Materialia, Journal Name: Acta Materialia Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 47; ISSN 1359-6454; ISSN ACMAFD
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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