Switzerland finishes up superconductivity

these days, the magnets used in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and medical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) represent the number one industrial packages of superconductivity. NMR, used mainly inside the chemical and pharmaceutical enterprise, allows coming across new molecules, studying the shape of proteins or analyzing meals content material. it is crucial for drug development or the quality manage of chemicals. present day dimension contraptions to be had available on the market nowadays and manufactured specially by using Bruker BioSpin, global chief on this subject, are able to produce magnetic fields of up to 23.five Tesla. This restriction is related to the bodily properties of conventional superconducting substances used to generate the magnetic area. "however, there may be a want for more effective spectrometers within the biomedical subject," says Carmine Senatore, professor in the branch of Quantum matter Physics in the college of science at UNIGE. "indeed, the stronger the magnetic area, the better the resolution of molecular systems. The aim of our collaboration was therefore to reach the new report for the magnetic field depth of 25 Tesla with newly to be had superconducting materials, which become a actual clinical and technological venture. it's also an crucial milestone in the advent of vital technologies for the development of commercial extremely-high-field NMR products."

To create the magnetic discipline of 25 Tesla, the researchers blended a Bruker laboratory magnet generating 21 Tesla, already hooked up at UNIGE, with an innovative superconducting insert coil increasing the sector via an extra four Tesla; so in total, a subject nicely past the 23.five Tesla on hand with traditional superconducting coils could be generated. in an effort to function, the coil ought to be cooled with liquid helium to a temperature of −269°C (four.2 k). The superconductor selected to obtain such a subject is a copper-oxide-primarily based ceramic, YBCO. A one-micrometer thick layer of superconductor covers a skinny steel tape that is then wound onto a cylindrical aid to attain the coil. 140 meters of three mm wide tape have been important to provide the superconducting insert coil. inside the preliminary design phase, many sorts of commercially available superconducting tapes have been systematically studied and examined that allows you to apprehend and control their electric, magnetic, mechanical and thermal houses. The assignment consisted of locating a conductor with the proper balance of residences: it ought to convey high currents without dissipation, bear the winding method without degradation and withstand the magnetically generated mechanical stresses. This has been executed.

"similarly to the potential higher resolution, with a view to honestly stimulate the scientific community and the community of establishments operating at the leading edge of molecular science, the use of YBCO may also simplify the operation of NMR spectrometers through using less complicated cooling systems," explains Riccardo Tediosi, manager of Bruker BioSpin's Superconducting technology group.

this primary 25 Tesla coil will be a significant and crucial part of the laboratory of carried out superconductivity at UNIGE. even though the coil isn't a business product, the know-how evolved for its design and manufacture represents a useful contribution to business NMR systems based totally in this technology. This task demonstrates how the Swiss community of research institutes and companies energetic on this field in Switzerland are capable of master such technology. within the close to destiny, this document magnet might be used for primary and fundamental research at the same time as scientists and engineers will goal at even more tough dreams: all-superconducting coils generating solid and homogeneous magnetic fields past 30 Tesla.