Applications of Pulse-Magnetised Bulk Superconductors
type: CreativeWork
description: Magnetic fields are used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines, especially those concerned with the macroscopic and microscopic examination of matter. Superconductors have proved to be the most economical form of generating magnetic fields when strong magnetic fields are required. In recent times, the (RE)BaCu3O(7-δ) [(RE)BCO] class of high-temperature superconductors in bulk form have been shown to be capable of sustaining very high magnetic fields while maintaining a small form factor. Therefore, they have the potential to replace permanent magnets in a number of applications where there are significant advantages to increasing the strength of the magnetic field. Despite being able to reach magnetic field strengths an order of magnitude higher than permanent magnets, because their magnetisation typically requires a much larger superconducting magnet, their adoption in commercial technology has been slow. Pulsed-field magnetisation (PFM) is the most compact and economical method of magnetising bulk (RE)BCO. Unlike field cooling, PFM is typically unable to magnetise a sample to its full capability, though fields significantly higher than those of permanent magnets have still been reached. Research has shown that ring-shaped bulk (RE)BCO can be stacked to form solenoids which can then be field-cooled and used for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In this dissertation, the feasibility of using PFM to magnetise such assemblies is evaluated against the primary requirements of an NMR magnet: field strength and homogeneity. While the current distribution, and hence the field, from a conventional wound solenoid can be precisely controlled with the winding geometry, the current distribution in a bulk superconductor is strongly determined by its material properties. However, this dissertation presents a PFM technique which allows the current distribution along the axial direction to be iteratively modified, and thus homogenise the field generated by the st…
abstract: Magnetic fields are used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines, especially those concerned with the macroscopic and microscopic examination of matter. Superconductors have proved to be the most economical form of generating magnetic fields when strong magnetic fields are required. In recent times, the (RE)BaCu3O(7-δ) [(RE)BCO] class of high-temperature superconductors in bulk form have been shown to be capable of sustaining very high magnetic fields while maintaining a small form factor. Therefore, they have the potential to replace permanent magnets in a number of applications where there are significant advantages to increasing the strength of the magnetic field. Despite being able to reach magnetic field strengths an order of magnitude higher than permanent magnets, because their magnetisation typically requires a much larger superconducting magnet, their adoption in commercial technology has been slow. Pulsed-field magnetisation (PFM) is the most compact and economical method of magnetising bulk (RE)BCO. Unlike field cooling, PFM is typically unable to magnetise a sample to its full capability, though fields significantly higher than those of permanent magnets have still been reached. Research has shown that ring-shaped bulk (RE)BCO can be stacked to form solenoids which can then be field-cooled and used for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In this dissertation, the feasibility of using PFM to magnetise such assemblies is evaluated against the primary requirements of an NMR magnet: field strength and homogeneity. While the current distribution, and hence the field, from a conventional wound solenoid can be precisely controlled with the winding geometry, the current distribution in a bulk superconductor is strongly determined by its material properties. However, this dissertation presents a PFM technique which allows the current distribution along the axial direction to be iteratively modified, and thus homogenise the field generated by the st…
author: Weerakonda, Dian
language: eng
keywords: bulk superconductors, high-temperature superconductors, pulsed-field magnetisation, bulk HTS undulator, bulk HTS solenoid
license: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/3c6d8c00-20c9-42d2-8e3c-d7fc8d72092b/download
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
date published: 2025-08-26
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:23:59Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.126601