Engineering topics

Wan, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Wan, F..

5 records

DOE OSTI2024

Low-loss millimeter-wave resonators with an improved coupling structure

Millimeter-wave superconducting resonators are a useful tool for studying quantum device coherence in a new frequency domain. However, improving resonators is difficult without a robust and reliable method for coupling millimeter-wave signals to 2D structures. We develop and characterize a tapered transition structure coupling a rectangular waveguide to a planar slotline waveguide with better than 0.5 dB efficiency over 14 GHz, and use it to measure ground-shielded resonators in the W band (75–110 GHz). Having decoupled the resonators from radiative losses, we consistently achieve single-photon quality factors above 10 5 , with a two-level-system loss limit above 10 6 , and verify the effectiveness of oxide removal treatments to reduce loss. These values are 4–5 times higher than those previously reported in the W band, and much closer to typical planar microwave resonators. The improved losses demonstrated by these on-chip millimeter-wave devices shed new light on quantum decoherence in a different frequency regime, offer increased selectivity for high-frequency detectors, and enables new possibilities for hybrid quantum experiments integrating millimeter-wave frequencies.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2023

Significant reduction in the low-field magnetization of Nb 3 Sn superconducting strands using the internal oxidation APC approach

Nb 3 Sn superconductors are promising for building accelerator magnets for future energy-frontier circular colliders. A critical factor for this application is the low-field persistent-current magnetization because it leads to several critical issues: e.g. low-field instability (including flux jumps), hysteresis loss, and field errors in magnet bores. Suppression of low-field magnetization requires reduction of low-field critical current density (J c ) or effective subelement size (d eff ). However, reduction of deff of state-of-the-art Nb 3 Sn conductors—the restacked-rod-process (RRP ® ) type—below 40–50 μm without a pronounced decrease in high-field J c is difficult. On the other hand, the internal oxidation method which forms artificial pinning centers (APC) in Nb 3 Sn offers an alternative approach to reducing the low-field magnetization. Compared with a conventional Nb 3 Sn conductor whose flux pinning force versus field (F p –B) curve peaks at ~20% of its irreversibility field (B irr ), the F p –B curve peaks of APC conductors shift to higher fields due to the point pinning effect, leading to flattening of the J c –B curves. The goal of this paper is to quantitatively study how much the APC approach can reduce the low-field magnetization. Here we measured the J c –B curves of an RRP ® conductor and two APC conductors (reacted at 700 °C) from zero field to B irr using a high-field vibrating sample magnetometer. Here the results showed that the APC conductors have higher non-Cu J c at high fields (e.g. 32%–41% higher at 16 T) and simultaneously lower non-Cu Jc at low fields (e.g. 28%–34% lower at 1 T) compared with the RRP ® . This effect is due to a competition between their Nb3Sn layer fraction ratios and layer F p ratios. Suppose they reach the same 16 T non-Cu J c , then the 1 T non-Cu J c and magnetization of the APC conductors are only half or even less compared with the RRP ® conductor.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Critical Current Densities and n-Values of MgB 2 Conductors for SMES, MRI, and Low AC Loss Applications

Multifilamentary MgB 2 strands (filament numbers 36 to 114) prepared by the in-situ power-in-tube (PIT) route with carbon doping contents of 0, 2, and 3.2% were wound on barrels for transport J c and n -value measurement at 4.2 K in fields of up to 12 T. The strand and gauge lengths were 1 m and 0.5 m. Heat treatments at 675 °C and 650 °C centered around the melting point of Mg (650 °C) and both utilized the liquid-solid reaction. A pair of strands, with and without 2% C doping exhibited the J c (B) crossover effect. Here studied were the dependencies of J c on field strength, dopant concentration, and cabling and the dependence of n -value on field strength.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2023

APC Nb 3 Sn superconductors based on internal oxidation of Nb–Ta–Hf alloys

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 Nb3Sn 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. Here in this work we follow up on 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 (J c ) and irreversibility field 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 residual resistivity ratio and stability in the conductors, while still keeping non-Cu J c at or above the conductor J c specification required by the proposed Future Circular Collider. 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.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Mechanism of enhanced critical fields and critical current densities of MgB2 wires with C/Dy$^{2}$O3 co-additions

A series of monofilamentary powder-in-tube MgB2 wires were fabricated with 2 mol. % C doping and co-additions of 0–3 wt. % Dy2O3. Irreversibility fields (μ0Hirr), upper critical fields (μ0Hc2), and transport critical currents were measured, and from these quantities, anisotropies (γ) and electronic diffusivities (Dπ,σ) were estimated. The addition of 1 wt. % Dy2O3 to already optimally C-doped MgB2 wires produced higher Hc2//ab, Hc2//c, and Hirr values at 4.2 K. In addition, the critical current density, Jc, increased with Dy2O3 concentration up to 1 wt. % where non-barrier Jc reached 4.35 × 104 A/cm2 at 4.2 K, 10 T. At higher temperatures, for example, 20 K and 5 T, co-additions of 2 mol. % C and 2 wt. % Dy2O3 improved non-barrier Jc by 40% and 93% compared to 2 and 3 mol. % C doping, respectively. On the other hand, measurements of Tc showed that C/Dy2O3 co-additions increase interband scattering rates at a lower rate than C doping does (assuming C doping levels giving similar levels of low-T μ0Hc2 increase as co-addition). Comparisons to a two-band model for μ0Hc2 in MgB2 allowed us to conclude that the increases in Hc2//ab, Hc2//c, and Hirr (as well as concomitant increases in high-field Jc) with Dy2O3 addition are consistent with increases primarily in intraband scattering. This suggests C/Dy2O3 co-addition to be a more promising candidate for improving non-barrier Jc of MgB2 at temperatures above 20 K.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗