Research Projects

Addressing two of the most critical global challenges of the 21st century, climate change and the growing global energy demand, nuclear fusion has emerged as a promising clean energy source due to its ability to produce massive power output with a minimal environmental impact. Superconductors are essential to enabling this technology, as they are used in creating the high magnetic fields required to confine plasma in fusion reactors like the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). ITER, for instance, utilizes superconducting magnets composed of NbTi and Nb₃Sn to manage and sustain these intense magnetic fields. Beyond fusion, superconductors are also crucial to MRI, NMR, quantum technologies, and high-energy physics. A critical challenge for real-world applications is achieving high critical current density (JC) along with mechanical durability and radiation resistance. Traditional methods rely on extrinsic pinning centers, introduced through complex processing, which adds cost and reduces robustness. This project proposes a fundamentally new approach by utilizing high-entropy alloys (HEA), a class of materials known for their exceptional mechanical properties, robust structural integrity, thermal stability, and high intrinsic disorder, to engineer next-generation superconductors. These HEA-based proposed materials aim to achieve high critical current densities, enhanced mechanical robustness, and exceptional radiation tolerance, making them suited to use in extreme environments such as fusion reactors and outer space. In particular, two core HEA features, severe lattice distortion and sluggish diffusion, will be exploited to create and stabilize intrinsic vortex pinning centers, potentially eliminating the need for artificial pinning. The project combines a multidisciplinary framework, integrating expertise in metallurgy, materials science and engineering, physics, and chemistry to design and synthesize HEA superconductors in bulk, wire, and thin-film form. The research methodology involves a comprehensive approach combining theoretical modelling (first-principles calculations with data-driven machine learning methods, electron-phonon coupling), advanced materials synthesis (arc melting, planetary ball mill, pulsed laser deposition and magnetron sputtering), and state-of-the-art characterizations (synchrotron X-ray diffraction, electron backscatter diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy, irradiation studies, mechanical properties at cryogenic and room temperature, magnetic, transport and thermodynamic measurements). Preliminary results already show transition temperatures above 8 K (comparable to NbTi) and JC values exceeding 100 kA/cm² for the proposed materials, positioning these materials for real-world application. A special focus is placed on understanding the correlation between lattice distortion, vortex pinning, and JC through advanced microstructural analysis and flux pinning force modeling. Prototypes will be benchmarked against commercial standards like NbTi and Nb₃Sn, with evaluation under high magnetic fields and extreme environments (irradiation studies). Key deliverables include prototype wire fabrication via powder-in-tube (PIT) and direct wire drawing, and demonstration of robustness under irradiation and mechanical stress. The project supports national priorities in clean energy, strategic materials, and fusion technology. By pioneering this intrinsic pinning strategy through HEAs, the proposed materials are expected to redefine the landscape for superconductors operating under extreme conditions. Further, the proposed actions eliminate reliance on complex post-processing, potentially reducing cost, enhancing mechanical robustness, and improving radiation tolerance.