Magnesium diboride: Down to the wire

Work on magnesium diboride, MgB₂, recently found to be a superconductor with the highest bulk superconducting temperature (39 K) of any non-copper oxide material, is now reaching the practical stage. Three papers this week concentrate on the performance of MgB₂ in the engineering environment. Two groups find ways of persuading MgB₂ to retain superconductivity in high magnetic fields � by using MgB₂/oxide thin films or by introducing atomic disorder into bulk MgB₂ by proton irradiation. And the third paper reports the fabrication of dense metal-clad MgB₂ wires with promisingly high critical currents. In News and Views, Paul Grant takes stock of the past 5 months of frenzied research on MgB₂ and asks whether it has what it takes to become a practical superconductor.

High critical current density and enhanced irreversibility field in superconducting MgB₂ thin films
C. B. EOM, M. K. LEE, J. H. CHOI, L. J. BELENKY, X. SONG, L. D. COOLEY, M. T. NAUS, S. PATNAIK, J. JIANG, M. RIKEL, A. POLYANSKII, A. GUREVICH, X. Y. CAI, S. D. BU, S. E. BABCOCK, E. E. HELLSTROM, D. C. LARBALESTIER, N. ROGADO, K. A. REGAN, M. A. HAYWARD, T. HE, J. S. SLUSKY, K. INUMARU, M. K. HAAS & R. J. CAVA
Nature 411, 558-560 (31 May 2001)
| First Paragraph | Full Text | PDF (287 K) |

Enhancement of the high-magnetic-field critical current density of superconducting MgB₂ by proton irradiation
Y. BUGOSLAVSKY, L. F. COHEN, G. K. PERKINS, M. POLICHETTI, T. J. TATE, R. GWILLIAM & A. D. CAPLIN
Nature 411, 561-563 (31 May 2001)
| First Paragraph | Full Text | PDF (228 K) |

High critical currents in iron-clad superconducting MgB₂ wires
S. JIN, H. MAVOORI, C. BOWER & R. B. VAN DOVER
Nature 411, 563-565 (31 May 2001)
| First Paragraph | Full Text | PDF (197 K) |

Superconductivity: Rehearsals for prime time
PAUL GRANT
Superconductivity seems to have been forever waiting in the wings. Although superconducting power cables are about to go live, will the newest material, magnesium diboride, become the class act of the future?
Nature 411, 532-533 (31 May 2001)
| Full Text | PDF (72 K) |

physics: Wires stay current

31 May 2001 table of contents