Materials Research on REBCO Superconductors to meet Application Requirements

REBCO superconductors are in great demand now for many applications, particularly compact fusion. While these superconductors are being implemented in prototype devices, several issues remain before they can be widely used in commercial applications. Cost, capacity, uniformity, mechanical properties, and quench damage are the main issues of concern. High and uniform critical current to reduce cost, high growth rates to increase capacity and reduce cost, alternate conductor architectures for improved strength, flexibility, and defect tolerance are ongoing areas of research. Progress in these areas at the University of Houston will be discussed in this presentation.