Scientist in Charge: Prof. Harald Weber

http://www.tuwien.ac.at/

Expertise and experience

The Physics Faculty at the Vienna University of Technology consists of four university institutes, one of them the Atomic Institute of the Austrian Universities (ATI), specializes in teaching and research on atomic, nuclear, neutron, solid state and low temperature physics as well as radiation effects and nuclear chemistry. It operates the only research reactor in Austria. Research and training activities for NESPA will be performed by the Low Temperature Physics Department (LTP) of ATI (http://www.ati.ac.at/lowtemp) with six permanent scientific and technical staff and approximately 10 scientists hired under contracts. LTP has specialized in research on superconductivity, since 1987 almost exclusively on high temperature superconductors. Its key personnel have broad experience in managing national and international projects, among them about 10 European projects in the framework of Euratom and a highly successful TMR programme of the EU on high-field/high-current superconductors (SUPERCURRENT). LTP also participated in about 10 European research programmes and networks. LTP is particularly well equipped for the assessment of the transport and magnetic properties of superconductors (including the angular dependence of both the critical currents and the magnetic moments) in a broad field and temperature range.
LTP has wide experience in the modification of the defect microstructure especially in high temperature superconductors (on the scale of a few nm) by means of neutron irradiation and its analysis in terms of flux pinning. Highly specialized measuring and evaluation techniques for the separation of inter- and intra-granular current flow are available and will be employed for the characterization of state-of-the-art materials (bulk HTS, thin and thick films, wires and tapes, single crystals). ATI/LTP is fully integrated in the teaching and training activities of the Physics Faculty at TUW (curriculum “Technical Physics” leading to the degree “Dipl.-Ing. – Master’s Degree”, and the PhD curriculum). A unique training opportunity is offered by the lab course on Low Temperature Physics, held in block form every summer term, where the fundamental aspects of low temperature physics and superconductivity are taught at a level suitable for students in the last two years of their Master’s Degree studies.

Role in the project

The Vienna group will perform benchmarking experiments on the optimal defect structure for flux pinning in HTS, thus indicating possible routes for modifying the production processes. All characterization work is aimed at assessing the degree of texture, the role of granularity and current percolation as well as the flux pinning action of certain defect structures at the level of a few nm. TUW will lead the WP2 (Advanced structural and electrical characterization) and will offer training for electrical and magnetic characterization of superconductors. The ESR to be trained by NESPA will either be integrated in the regular lab courses or brought together during the project running time for special training under the title “Basic superconducting measurement techniques”.

Key personnel involved

Prof. H.W. Weber will lead the effort of the Vienna group together with Dr. M. Eisterer, Dr. F.M. Sauerzopf . Prof. Weber has broad experience in the fields of flux pinning and anisotropy effects in superconductors and has led or participated in a large number of European and national research contracts. Drs. Eisterer and Sauerzopf have an excellent publication record in the fields of flux pinning, current percolation and magnetic characterization techniques of high temperature superconductors.