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A high temperature superconducting wire (HTS wire) is promising for various superconducting magnet applications because it operates at a higher temperature than a low temperature superconducting wire (LTS wire) is. Particularly, a MRI magnet using the HTS wires (HTS-MRI magnet) is expected to obtain light-weight, compact and low operating cost compared to a LTS-MRI magnet. The MRI magnets are generally operated by a persistent current mode. A magnet of the persistent current mode consists of multiple superconducting magnets and persistent current switch (PCS) that connects with superconducting joints. However, the superconducting joint of the HTS wires has not been realized stably at this time. We have developed a superconducting joint by using a commercial REBCO wire. The HTS-MRI magnet requires that resistivity of less than 10−12 ohm and current capacity of more than 100 A is achieved by a direct-joint between superconducting layers of the two REBCO wires. Moreover, measurement equipment for low joint resistivity was prepared as measuring the decay of the magnetic field in the one-turn loop. In our R&D, the joint resistance and the critical current were achieved with 155 A and 5.3×10−13Ω.

The hybrid magnet (HM) at the Tsukuba Magnet Laboratory (TML) generates 35 T in a 52-mm warm bore with a field uniformity of about 6500 ppm in a 10 mm diameter sphere volume (DSV). A new resistive insert magnet with the same bore was designed to provide the higher field uniformity in the HM operation and the construction was started. This emagnet is composed of three concentric Bitter coils. The height of the outer coil is almost equal to that of present insert, . Tand the middle coil is made of a split-paired winding; . Tthe split gap is 53 mm. The A uniformity better than 10 ppm in a 10 mm DSV will be achieved at a themagnetic field of 34.0 T in a backup field of 14 T. This eimprovement in uniformity, in conjuncllaboration with theimprovements of the DC power supply already in progress at the TML, will make it possible to expand the application fields of the HM of the TML.

The Tsukuba Magnet Laboratory (TML) has been a user facility for external users since April 1998 and contracted 91 collaborative studies with external research groups in the 2005 fiscal year. Internal and external researchers use high magnetic fields for magnetic processing as well as extreme-environment measurements. In 2006, two major changes were made to expand the experimental possibilities. One was the replacement of the helium liquefaction system, and the other was the remodelling of the 15 MW DC power supply. TML has also built an NMR complex including a 930 MHz and a 920 MHz NMR spectrometer. We have also started a collaborative study on high-field magnet development with the High Field Laboratory for Superconducting Materials. The projects include the development of a 30 T class superconducting magnet and a 50 T class hybrid magnet.

An instantaneous blue shift of exciton absorption due to the optical Stark effect was observed in isolated semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by using a femtosecond (fs) pump-probe spectroscopy. From the analysis of time profiles of transient absorption changes, the photoinduced shift and the dipole moment of the exciton transition were evaluated as ~1.1 meV for the pump fluence of 34 µJ/cm2 and ~6 eA, respectively. Such a large dipole moment as well as ultrafast recovery of real carrier excitations suggests high potential of SWNTs for an ultrafast optical-switching material.

This paper describes a field shimming technology to obtain a spatially homogeneous magnetic field required for a high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) magnet under the influence of a screening current in a (RE)Ba2Cu3O7–x (REBCO) coil. Use of REBCO inner coils is one solution to realize a super-high field (>23.5 T, 1 GHz) NMR magnet. However, a REBCO coil generates a large amount of field error harmonics due to the inhomogeneous coil winding introduced by a thin tape conductor. In addition, the performance of a field correction coil and outer superconducting (SC) shim coils are significantly reduced due to the shielding effect of the screening current in the REBCO coil. Therefore, conventional shimming technology using SC shim coils and room temperature shim coils cannot adequately compensate those field error harmonics and high-resolution NMR measurements are not possible. In the present paper, an advanced field shimming technology including an inner SC shim coil and a novel type of ferromagnetic shim were installed in a 400 MHz low-temperature SC/REBCO NMR magnet. The inner SC shim coil and the ferromagnetic shim compensated for the reduction in the performances of the field correction coil and the SC shim coils, respectively. The field error harmonics were greatly compensated with the technology and a high NMR resolution

An advanced Bi-2223 conductor with Ni–Cr reinforcement is a likely candidate to achieve a compact super-high field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) magnet capable of operation beyond 1 GHz (23.5 T). However, the conductors must show both high hoop stress tolerance, typically >300 MPa, and a small screening current-induced magnetic field, both of which are essential for a compact magnet generating a highly accurate field. These two conditions have not yet been demonstrated in a working coil. This is the first paper to systematically investigate both characteristics for a layer-wound coil made with the advanced Bi-2223 conductor operated mainly at 4.2 K in an external field of ≤17 T. The coil tolerated a hoop stress of 370 MPa, even though the conductor had a bending strain corresponding to a diameter of 120 mm. On the other hand, the coil showed a notable screening current-induced field in a low external field, which may be explained by weak-link and direct contacts between highly packed Bi-2223 filaments in the silver matrix. The field sharply decreased with increasing external field between 0–1 T. Thus, the conductor should be useful for inner coils in compact super-high field NMR magnets.

RE-Ba-Cu-O (REBCO) layer-wound coils were operated to investigate their properties under electromagnetic forces in an external magnetic field of up to 17.2 T. While REBCO coils were successfully operated under electromagnetic forces over 200 MPa, some showed degradation after quenching. To develop high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets, the reasons for the degradation of REBCO coils should be investigated. In this study, the degraded REBCO coils were carefully rewound. The critical current (Ic) of the rewound REBCO conductor was measured to check the damaged parts in the degraded REBCO coils, and the possible causes for the degradation were discussed.

A degradation phenomenon in RE–Ba–Cu–O (REBCO) coated conductors caused by the screening current was observed at 4.2 K. Even without transport current, delamination of the superconducting layer from the buffer layer occurred because of the cleavage force. The Lorentz force between an induced screening current and an external magnetic field is considered to generate the cleavage force. In this paper, we report the degradation of REBCO conductors due to the screening current and discuss the cleavage force using simple models. The degradation of the REBCO conductor was observed for inclination angles of 0°, 10°, 20°, 45°, 60° and 90°. We found serious degradation at 45°. In practical REBCO coils, especially feed through parts, degradation of the REBCO conductor by the cleavage force due to the induced screening current should be prevented.

Concentration of a magnetic field has been achieved using a Gd–Ba–Cu–O (GdBCO) magnetic lens. A conduction-cooled compact high-field superconducting magnet with a GdBCO magnetic lens was developed. The magnet possessed a 10-mm room-temperature bore and consisted of two Nb–Ti solenoid coils and a GdBCO magnetic lens, which was installed at the center of the Nb–Ti coils in order to concentrate the background field generated by the Nb–Ti coils. The Nb–Ti coils and the GdBCO magnetic lens were cooled using a two-stage pulse-tube cryocooler. A concentrated magnetic field of 10.3 T was obtained at a background field of 5.6 T provided by the Nb–Ti coils. No degradation was found in the magnet during repeat excitation. The large field gradient generated by the GdBCO magnetic lens is expected to be used for the levitation of diamagnetic materials.

High field concentration and magnetothermal stability are critical considerations when designing and fabricating magnetic lenses made from a stack of bulk high-temperature superconducting (HTS) material. In a previous study, we investigated a GdBCO magnetic lens for use as a compact high-field superconducting magnet, but it cracked due to a high flux jump. In the present study, we investigate the magnetic performance of an improved GdBCO lens. This new lens had almost the same dimensions as the previous one, but it was impregnated with epoxy resin to prevent it breaking. The impregnated lens exhibited superior stability and magnetic properties, making it promising for use in a compact magnet system. A maximum field of 13 T was obtained at 20 K with no flux jump.

Magnetic field concentration by using the diamagnetism of a superconductor is a novel technique that has been experimentally demonstrated in magnetic lenses. A magnetic lens consists of a hollow superconductor cylinder with a tapered inner diameter within which the magnetic flux is concentrated by diamagnetism. Magnetic lenses are very promising for use in compact high magnetic field systems. However, magnetic lenses with large inner diameters are required to facilitate sample access during use. In this study, an optimized GdBaCuO magnetic lens with large inner and outer diameters was designed and its performance was investigated in liquid nitrogen, liquid helium, and a cryocooler-cooled cryostat. A lens with an inner diameter of 12 mm was constructed by stacking three specially machined GdBaCuO bulk pieces. This magnetic lens cracked due to the large flux jump that occurred when the concentrated field of the magnetic lens exceeded 10 T at 4.2 K. The cracked lens was subsequently impregnated with epoxy resin. A concentrated field of 12.42 T was realized when the background field was 8 T at 20 K and no flux jumps occurred. This result demonstrates that this GdBCO magnetic lens is promising for use in compact superconducting magnet systems.

Though YBCO coils are stable against transient disturbances such as conductor motion, they suffer from thermal runaway at a current below the coil critical current due to continuous local disturbances attributed to partial degradation of the conductor in the coil winding. Continuous heat generation in the degraded layer induces thermal runaway in adjacent layers; thermal runaway does not occur in the degraded layer spontaneously due to the small n index of the degraded YBCO-coated conductor. The thermal runaway current depends on the cooling conditions of the winding. For a paraffin-impregnated YBCO coil under quasi-adiabatic conditions, the thermal runaway current is far below the coil critical current, while it is close to the coil critical current in the case of a dry-wound coil. The permissible temperature rise following a thermal runaway for YBCO conductors in the degraded layer is demonstrated to be 340 K. If the YBCO coils are operated at a temperature below 20 K, the current density, typically 600–800 A mm−2, is much higher than that at 77 K. Therefore, the time interval between thermal runaway initiation and the melting temperature becomes less than 0.5 s, posing a difficult problem for protection; i.e., thermal runaway due to continuous local disturbances is hazardous to the safe operation of high current density YBCO coils.

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets are believed to be a practical option in the development of high field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) systems. The development of a 600 MHz NMR system that uses an HTS magnet and a probe with an HTS radio frequency coil is underway. The HTS NMR magnet is expected to reduce the volume occupied by the magnet and to encourage users to install higher field NMR systems. The tolerance to high tensile stress is expected for HTS conductors in order to reduce the magnet in volume. A layer-wound Gd–Ba–Cu–O (GdBCO) insert coil was fabricated in order to investigate its properties under a high electromagnetic force in a high magnetic field. The GdBCO insert coil was successfully operated at a current of up to 321 A and an electromagnetic force BJR of 408 MPa in an external magnetic field generated by Nb3Sn and Nb–Ti low-temperature superconducting coils. The GdBCO insert coil also managed to generate a magnetic field of 6.8 T at the center of the coil in an external magnetic field of 17.2 T. The superconducting magnet consisting of GdBCO, Nb3Sn and Nb–Ti coils successfully generated a magnetic field of 24.0 T at 4.2 K, which represents a new record for a superconducting magnet.

A magnetic lens allows the concentration of magnetic fields using the diamagnetism of superconductors. The important features of the magnetic lens are a tapered inner diameter from which the magnetic flux is extruded and a slit to suppress the circumference current that shields the magnetic flux. This concept was experimentally confirmed through the use of GdBaCuO bulks and a stack of NbTi/Nb/Cu sheets. We refer to this arrangement as a magnetic lens.The Mg-reactive liquid infiltration (Mg-RLI) process developed by Edison SpA is suitable for the production of large and high-density MgB2 bulks. Three MgB2 bulk magnetic lenses, each with a different microstructure, were fabricated following the Mg-RLI process. The properties of the MgB2 magnetic lenses were measured in a cryocooler system as well as in liquid helium. The results confirmed that the MgB2 bulk magnetic lenses could concentrate a magnetic field and that their field concentration properties were greatly affected by the temperature and the external field. In addition, the microstructure of the MgB2 bulk also had an influence on the magnetic properties at different external fields. The results indicated that the MgB2 lens might be utilized as a field amplifier in intermediate fields.

Magnetic lenses are new devices that concentrate magnetic flux by using the diamagnetism of superconductors. Magnetic lenses of two types made from NbTi sheets were constructed; measurements were made on them and they were systematically studied. Type A was constructed by stacking NbTi rings that had identical outer diameters and increasing inner diameters to form a hollow cone. Each ring had a slit to suppress the circumference current. Three construction methods for type A were tested: the rings were stacked with their slits aligned but with no insulation between the rings (A-1), with their slits aligned and with insulation between the rings (A-2), and with their slits in different positions and with insulation between the rings (A-3). For type B, sheets were rolled into hollow cones. Three identical cones were stacked to form a lens (B-1) and a single cone was used as a reference lens (B-2). The lenses were assembled in a cryocooler-cooled cryostat with a NbTi magnet. The quenching behavior, concentration ratio, hysteresis, and decay behavior were measured. Because of its larger dimensions, type B had a larger concentration ratio (2.49 for B-1) than type A (1.87 for A-1). Both lenses (types A and B-1) were quenched when the concentrated flux density reached about 0.64 T. The results suggest that quenching was caused by the NbTi sheet itself.