GOALI: Local Measurement of Superconducting Nonlinearities

超导微波材料和器件中产生非线性的缺陷的识别和消除是超导微波产业的重要目标。D波超导体中非线性迈斯纳效应的测量是基础凝聚态研究的一个重要目标。GOALI奖支持一个项目，该项目将学术研究实验室的一名研究人员与两家公司研究实体Isco International和Neocera联合起来，以便在本地测量超导体的非线性。理论研究采用的实验方法对实际工程有帮助，反之亦然。该项目的预期结果是：1)对d波和S波超导体的本征非线性迈斯纳效应进行最灵敏的测量，以及2)识别和消除实际超导材料中引起微波非线性的特定外在缺陷。工业伙伴的研究贡献包括：协助扫描近场微波测量，提供成像材料，帮助了解氧化物超导体的复杂微结构，帮助识别和消除材料中的外部非线性来源，并帮助将我们研究的实际方面带到应用社区。通过这一项目，有望实现新的超导体局域电动力学测量。这项工作将为铜酸盐超导电性理论提供关键的检验，并开辟高温超导材料在无线和高速器件应用中的新应用。两名研究生将接受高科技职业所需技能的培训，并将从与行业的密切合作中受益。还将有大量的外展活动，以吸引中小学生。高温超导体(HTS)已经开始对商业无线通信领域产生影响。由于其低电阻和紧凑的尺寸，HTS薄膜在用于滤除无线电话基站中的不需要的信号时具有优越的性能。这将为无线消费者带来更高的通话质量、更长的覆盖范围和更少的掉话，并为无线运营商带来更大的利润。然而，这些优势由于用于制造这些设备的超导材料中的不受控制的缺陷和无序而受到威胁。这些缺陷限制了高温超导材料在低功率接收应用中的使用，并阻碍了超导材料在高功率发射应用中实现的好处。该奖项支持对这些缺陷和混乱的根源进行微观调查。该项目也是为了与HTS薄膜和无线设备制造商合作，消除这些缺陷，从而大幅提升他们的产品。此外，该项目还涉及协同基础研究，重点是超导非线性性质的基本测量，并使用这些测量来严格测试高温超导的领先理论。两名研究生将接受高科技职业所需技能的培训，并将从与行业的密切合作中受益。还将开展大量外展活动，吸引中小学生参与。

The identification and elimination of defects that produce nonlinearity in superconducting microwave materials and devices is an important goal for the superconducting microwave industry. The measurement of the nonlinear Meissner effect in d-wave superconductors is a key goal of fundamental condensed matter research. This GOALI award supports a project uniting the efforts of an investigator at an academic research laboratory with two corporate research entities, ISCO International and Neocera, in order to locally measure nonlinearities in superconductors. The experimental methods employed for the fundamental research will help the practical project, and vice versa. The expected outcomes of this project are: 1) the most sensitive measurement of the intrinsic nonlinear Meissner effect in d-wave and s-wave superconductors, and 2) identification and elimination of specific extrinsic defects that cause microwave nonlinearities in practical superconducting materials. The research contributions of the industrial partners include: assistance with the scanning near-field microwave measurements, providing materials for imaging, helping to understand the complicated microstructure of oxide superconductors, helping to identify and eliminate extrinsic sources of nonlinearity from the materials, and helping to bring the practical aspects of our research to the applied community. Through this project it is expected that new local electrodynamics measurements in superconductors will be made possible. This work will provide key tests of theories of cuprate superconductivity, and open up new applications of high-Tc superconducting materials in wireless and high-speed device applications. Two graduate students will be trained in skills necessary for high-tech careers and will benefit from the close collaboration with industry. There will also be substantial outreach activities to engage elementary and secondary schools students.High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) have begun to make an impact on the commercial wireless communications field. Because of their low resistance and compact size, HTS thin films produce superior performance when used to filter out un-wanted signals in wireless telephone base stations. This translates into improved call quality, longer range and fewer dropped calls for the wireless consumer, and greater profits for the wireless operators. However, these advantages are jeopardized by uncontrolled defects and disorder in the superconducting materials used to make these devices. These defects limit the use of HTS materials to low power receive applications, and prevent the benefits of superconductivity from being achieved in high power transmit applications. This GOALI award supports a microscopic investigation of the sources of these defects and disorder. The project is also an effort to work with manufacturers of HTS thin films and wireless devices to eliminate these defects and therefore substantially enhance their products. In addition the project involves synergistic fundamental research that will focus on basic measurements of superconducting nonlinear properties and use these measurements to rigorously test the leading theories of high temperature superconductivity. Two graduate students will be trained in skills necessary for high-tech careers and will benefit from the close collaboration with industry. There will also be substantial outreach activities to engage elementary and secondary schools students.