Requirement and Development of Advanced Conductors for Ultra-High Field Pulsed Magnets

High magnetic fields have been critically important research tools for condensed matter physicists. The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory's Pulsed Field Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory is one of few research centers in the world that can create and use ultra-high pulsed magnetic fields up to 100 tesla for scientific research. Present research frontiers in quantum matter, including topological matter and superconductivity, require magnetic fields beyond 100 tesla and several high field facilities around the world are actively working toward that ambitious goal. The power and stored energy required to generate a magnetic field increase exponentially with the field amplitude. Therefore the better conductors with higher mechanical strength and electrical conductivity are required to nondestructively generate magnetic fields above 100 tesla with acceptable risk and cost. The first part of this talk will present the simulation results to understand the requirements of advanced conductors for pulsed magnets to practically achieve magnetic fields beyond 100 tesla. The second part of the talk will present our integrated experimental-modeling effort on the pathway to produce the novel conductor with tensile strength and electrical conductivity required to enable the goal of 120 T.