Phys.org June 7, 2024
Iron-based high-temperature (high-Tc) superconductors have good potential to serve as materials in next-generation superstrength quasipermanent magnets owing to their distinctive topological and superconducting properties. However, their unconventional high-Tc superconductivity paradoxically associates with anisotropic pairing and short coherence lengths, causing challenges by inhibiting supercurrent transport at grain boundaries in polycrystalline materials. An international team of researchers (Japan, UK) manipulated intricate polycrystalline microstructures resulting in a bulk Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2 permanent magnet with a magnetic field that was 2.7 times stronger than previously reported. They demonstrated magnetic field stability for a practical 1.5 T permanent magnet, which is a vital aspect of medical magnetic resonance imaging. Nanostructural analysis showed that high-density defects and bipolarized grain boundary spacing distributions were primary contributors to the magnet’s exceptional strength and stability… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Conceptual schematic of the complementary data- and researcher-driven process designs. Credit: NPG Asia Materials volume 16, Article number: 29 (2024)