High performance, advanced-internal-magnesium-infiltration (AIMI) MgB ₂ wires processed using a vapor-solid reaction route

Abstract

Abstract MgB 2 superconducting wires made using a Mg infiltration method have reached a higher performance than either in-situ or ex-situ mixed powder based routes. Indeed, very high layer J c coupled with whole-strand J e (critical current per total strand cross section) exceeding 10 4 A cm −2 at 4.2 K, 10 T have been found for monocore MgB 2 wires. However, previous multicore infiltration route wires have not reached their potential for J e due to partially reacted and non-uniform MgB 2 layers. This study shows that 18-core MgB 2 AIMI wires processed using a low temperature route can attain higher and more uniform J e values due to a more uniform MgB 2 reaction layer. The formation of fully reacted, uniform MgB 2 layers is attributed to the switch from a liquid-solid to a vapor-solid reaction route.