Controlling the critical parameters and Flux motion in nanostructured superconductors

Objective

The major industrialized countries are intensifying their research in communications and material sciences with a focus on applications of nanotechnology for life/biotechnology. In case of superconductors (SC), nanotechnology is used to fabricate materials, which exhibit new quantum phenomena leading to new functionalities.

For practical applications of SC materials, the main fundamental issues are:
- Improvement of their critical parameters: magnetic field Hc, temperature Tc, current Jc.
- Effectively controlling the magnetic flux motion. The proposed research is aimed at developing new materials and devices through nano-structuring and operating in a wide range of magnetic fields, currents and temperatures.

The proposed research includes the following topics. The enhancement of the critical parameters in nano-structured SC: We will study size-dependent SC properties and pairing correlations at the nanoscale in individual SC nano-grains and cluster-assembled films: - Thermodynamic properties: magnetization and susceptibility of ensembles of particles as a function of temperature and magnetic field. - Observable manifestations of pairing correlations in thermodynamic properties of ultra-small SC grains. The magnetic susceptibility and specific heat o f clusters and cluster-assembled films will be calculated. - We will analyse possible extensions of Richardson model for interacting nano-clusters.

Controlled flux motion in nano-structured SC: Vortex dynamics, pinning, and Jc will be studied in thin SC films with arrays of pinning sites (APS): - Nano-composite SC. - Disordered SC films with nanoscale holes. - Enhancement of Jc in SC with periodic, quasiperiodic, and correlated random APS.

The importance and relevance of our proposal is determined by its objectives, which are improving the critical parameters of superconducting materials, and modelling and creating new principles and devices for effective controlling the flux motion.

Fields of science

• natural sciences › physical sciences › electromagnetism and electronics › superconductivity
• natural sciences › physical sciences › electromagnetism and electronics › electromagnetism
• engineering and technology › nanotechnology

Programme(s)

• FP6-MOBILITY - Human resources and Mobility in the specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration "Structuring the European Research Area" under the Sixth Framework Programme 2002-2006

Topic(s)

• MOBILITY-2.3 - Marie Curie Incoming International Fellowships (IIF)

Call for proposal

FP6-2005-MOBILITY-7
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

IIF - Marie Curie actions-Incoming International Fellowships

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP

Address

Prinsstraat 13
Antwerp
Belgium