Scientist in Charge: Dr. Judith Driscoll

http://www.cam.ac.uk/

Expertise and experience

At UCAM there are two research groups involved in the NESPA network: the Device Material Group and the Applied Superconductivity and Cryoscience Group (ASCG). Both groups have been involved in the study of applied superconductivity for more then 30 years. The Device Material Group has special expertise in the areas of superconducting film growth (PLD, Hybrid Liquid Phase Epitaxy (HLPE), conventional LPE). It has considerable expertise in nano-structuring of HTS and they were the first in the world to demonstrate simple, industrially scaleable, nanostructuring of both MgB2 and HTS (the latter in collaboration with Los Alamos). The Applied Superconductivity and Cryoscience Group have special experience in the manufacturing and characterisation of AC and DC conductors (LTSC and HTSC). The ASC group pioneered the development of in-situ and ex-situ MgB2 conductors as well as YBa2Cu3O7 and TlSr2Ca2Cu3Ox conductors. It developed ink-jet printing/coating for Y123 coated conductors and has well recognised expertise in structure optimisation of practical conductors and minimisation of AC losses through projects with IGC, Sumitomo Electric and the US AirForce. UCAM has broad experience in undertaking international research collaborations. As well as having numerous informal collaborations in Europe, the U.S, the Far-East and Australia, we have formal collaborations in the form of a number of EU projects. Besides the variety of preparation facilities UCAM has extensive materials physical characterisation capabilities (including high resolution X-ray diffraction, HRTEM, Raman, a two axis goniometer for Jc(B,T), AC field and AC current measurements and a unique Cyo-BI-Pulse facility for 32 Tesla and 6kA) which are fully accessible by the network. UCAM has a great teaching tradition and capability to teach at all levels (from undergraduate to post-doctoral). There are a number of on-going graduate courses and MPhil courses which would be accessible to researchers in the network. There are also numerous training courses at the NanoScience Centre for specific items of equipment, and there are bi-annual NanoScience one-day workshops, which the researchers would be welcome to attend. A long close collaboration with the Engineering Department forms the firm base for training young scientists on AC losses in advanced multifilamentary conductors using world class AC field AC current facilities. The UCAM investigators have together supervised the research and training of more than 50 students and post-docs and have taught across a very wide spectrum of materials science topics. The investigators also supervise numerous research projects in the MPhil. Course in Micro- and Nanotechnology Enterprise and one of the investigators is also an examiner on the course. In frame of the EC funded SCENET-2 project a 3-hour DVD Lectures on Superconductivity for the undergraduates and PhD students across Europe will be produced.

Role in the Project

The nano-materials work in the Device Material Group will be led by Dr. Judith Driscoll. The research will involve growth of films by conventional and scaleable routes with simultaneous incorporation of both random and correlated pinning defects, namely particles and dislocations. In association with the Department of Materials Science and the new Cambridge Nanoscience Centre, and the MPhil. Course in Micro- and Nanotechnology Enterprise, a training programme on nano-processing of advanced materials will be set up to cover the preparation and analysis of nanoengineered materials. The AC conductor development and characterisation work in the ASC group will be led by Dr. Bartek Glowacki and will focus on the realization of low ac loss coated conductors by the development of 2D and 3D multifilamentary structures by ink-jet sol-gel coated YBaCuO conductors on buffered Ni-based substrates. The UCAM group will lead WP1.

Key scientific staff

Dr. Judith Driscoll (materials science and chemistry of superconductors); Prof. Mark Blamire (modelling, data analysis) ; Dr. Bartek Glowacki (AC-losses); Dr. John Durrell (PLD film growth, transport measurements) ; Dr. Ahmed Kursumovic (HLPE film growth and nanostructuring) ; Dr Milan Majoros (modeling and measurements of AC magnetic field - AC transport current, Hall probe scanning magnetometry) ; Dr Mario Cordero-Cabrera (ink-jet printing and coating of the 2D and 3D filamentary YBa2Cu3O7 patterns); Dr. Anna Palau (magnetic and transport measurements); Dr. Yinglin Liu (nano-templates by electrochemistry and low temperature CVD); Dr. Adam Robison (nano-imprinting), Dr. Lukas Schmidt-Mende (nano-templates by electrochemistry)