Scientist in Charge: Dr. Andrzej Zaleski

Expertise and experience of the participating organization

The investigation of the physical properties of superconducting materials has been one of the basic subjects of the research at ILT&SR since 1966, i.e. since the foundation of the Institute. Since that time till the late ’80 ILT&SR was coordinating all low temperature based R&D in Poland (and superconductivity among them) and was heading some international projects at former Eastern block. Scientific staff of ILT&SR consists of chemists and physicists and from the beginning of its history was involved in preparation and characterization of superconductors, magnetic materials and materials promising for laser action. The institute is equipped with apparatus for different material production and its characterization (crystallography, microscopy, spectroscopy, NMR, EPR, Moessbauer effect, mechanical, thermal, electric and magnetic properties and also theory). In superconductivity research ILT&SR was involved in synthesizing of different materials as the bulk and single crystals (NbTi, A15, NbN, Chevrel phases, heavy fermions and HTSC). Transport and magnetic property investigations (especially magnetic fields and currents distribution i.e. pinning and ac losses) were of special interest. At present about 20 scientists are engaged in studying magnetic, thermal and some mechanical properties, together with structure evaluation, material characterization and chemistry. They have expertise in measuring ac losses in bulk materials, tapes and wires, under pulsed magnetic fields, currents or both.

Role in the project

The Wroclaw group will concentrate on pinning studies and its influence not only on the critical current density of the tapes and wires made of HTSC and MgB2 but also on thermal and mechanical properties of the material. All studies will aim at finding and then optimizing the nano-structural defects acting as the effective pinning centers, which would maximize the current carrying capacity of superconducting materials. ILTSR will also offer a training course on mechanisms and materials aspects of pinning.

Key scientific staff

The group will be headed by Dr. A.J. Zaleski working together with Dr. M. Ciszek , Dr. T. Plackowski , Dr. J. Mucha  and Dr. K. Rogacki . Dr. Zaleski is specializing at magnetic and dilatometric measurements, while Dr. Ciszek is outstanding specialist in ac losses measurements for varying magnetic fields and currents. Dr. Plackowski is an expert in flux matter studies from specific heat and magnetocaloric measurements; Dr. Mucha in thermal transport studies and Dr. Rogacki in electric transport investigations. All members of the group have already meaningful publication record in the field covered by their interests.