Nanostructures have attracted huge interest as a rapidly growing class of materials for many applications. Several techniques have been used to characterize the size, crystal structure, elemental composition and a variety of other physical properties of nanoparticles. In several cases, there are physical properties that can be evaluated by more than one technique. Different strengths and limitations of each technique complicate the choice of the most suitable method, while often a combinatorial characterization approach is needed. In addition, given that the significance of nanoparticles in basic research and applications is constantly increasing, it is necessary that researchers from separate fields overcome the challenges in the reproducible and reliable characterization of nanomaterials, after their synthesis and further process (e.g. annealing) stages. The principal objective of this review is to summarize the present knowledge on the use, advances, advantages and weaknesses of a large number of experimental techniques that are available for the characterization of nanoparticles. Different characterization techniques are classified according to the concept/group of the technique used, the information they can provide, or the materials that they are destined for. We describe the main characteristics of the techniques and their operation principles and we give various examples of their use, presenting them in a comparative mode, when possible, in relation to the property studied in each case.

/pdf/characterization-techniques-for-nanoparticles-comparison-and-2ubze3ehrc.pdf

Characterization techniques for nanoparticles: comparison and complementarity upon studying nanoparticle properties

Large-grain high-temperature superconductors of the form RE-Ba-Cu-O (where RE is a rare-earth element) can trap magnetic fields of several tesla at low temperatures, and so can be used for permanent magnet applications. The magnitude of the trapped field is proportional to the critical current density and the volume of the superconductor. Various potential engineering applications for such magnets have emerged, and some have already been commercialized. However, the range of applications is limited by poor mechanical stability and low thermal conductivity of the bulk superconductors; RE-Ba-Cu-O magnets have been found to fracture during high-field activation, owing to magnetic pressure. Here we present a post-fabrication treatment that improves the mechanical properties as well as thermal conductivity of a bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O magnet, thereby increasing its field-trapping capacity. First, resin impregnation and wrapping the materials in carbon fibre improves the mechanical properties. Second, a small hole drilled into the centre of the magnet allows impregnation of Bi-Pb-Sn-Cd alloy into the superconductor and inclusion of an aluminium wire support, which results in a significant enhancement of thermal stability and internal mechanical strength. As a result, 17.24 T could be trapped, without fracturing, in a bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O sample of 2.65 cm diameter at 29 K.

High-temperature superconductor bulk magnets that can trap magnetic fields of over 17 tesla at 29 K

The ability of large-grain (RE)Ba2Cu3O7−δ ((RE)BCO; RE = rare earth) bulk superconductors to trap magnetic fields is determined by their critical current. With high trapped fields, however, bulk samples are subject to a relatively large Lorentz force, and their performance is limited primarily by their tensile strength. Consequently, sample reinforcement is the key to performance improvement in these technologically important materials. In this work, we report a trapped field of 17.6 T, the largest reported to date, in a stack of two silver-doped GdBCO superconducting bulk samples, each 25 mm in diameter, fabricated by top-seeded melt growth and reinforced with shrink-fit stainless steel. This sample preparation technique has the advantage of being relatively straightforward and inexpensive to implement, and offers the prospect of easy access to portable, high magnetic fields without any requirement for a sustaining current source.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-2048/27/8/082001/pdf

A trapped field of 17.6 T in melt-processed, bulk Gd-Ba-Cu-O reinforced with shrink-fit steel

Magnetic oxides show a variety of extrinsic magnetotransport phenomena: grain-boundary, tunnelling and domain-wall magnetoresistance. In view of these phenomena the role of some magnetic oxides is outstanding: these are believed to be half-metallic having only one spin-subband at the Fermi level. These fully spin-polarized oxides have great potential for applications in spin-electronic devices and have, accordingly, attracted intense research activity in recent years. This review is focused on extrinsic magnetotransport effects in ferromagnetic oxides. It consists of two parts; the second part is devoted to an overview of experimental data and theoretical models for extrinsic magnetotransport phenomena. Here a critical discussion of domain-wall scattering is given. Results on surface and interfacial magnetism in oxides are presented. Spin-polarized tunnelling in ferromagnetic junctions is reviewed and grain-boundary magnetoresistance is interpreted within a model of spin-polarized tunnelling through natural oxide barriers. The situation in ferromagnetic oxides is compared with data and models for conventional ferromagnets. The first part of the review summarizes basic material properties, especially data on the spin polarization and evidence for half-metallicity. Furthermore, intrinsic conduction mechanisms are discussed. An outlook on the further development of oxide spin-electronics concludes this review.

Extrinsic magnetotransport phenomena in ferromagnetic oxides

This paper describes the present status of high temperature superconductors (HTS) and of bulk superconducting magnet devices, their use in bearings, in flywheel energy storage systems (FESS) and linear transport magnetic levitation (Maglev) systems. We report and review the concepts of multi-seeded REBCO bulk superconductor fabrication. The multi-grain bulks increase the averaged trapped magnetic flux density up to 40% compared to single-grain assembly in large-scale applications. HTS magnetic bearings with permanent magnet (PM) excitation were studied and scaled up to maximum forces of 10 kN axially and 4.5 kN radially. We examine the technology of the high-gradient magnetic bearing concept and verify it experimentally. A large HTS bearing is tested for stabilizing a 600 kg rotor of a 5 kWh/250 kW flywheel system. The flywheel rotor tests show the requirement for additional damping. Our compact flywheel system is compared with similar HTS–FESS projects. A small-scale compact YBCO bearing with in situ Stirling cryocooler is constructed and investigated for mobile applications. Next we show a successfully developed modular linear Maglev system for magnetic train operation. Each module levitates 0.25t at 10 mm distance during one-day operation without refilling LN2. More than 30 vacuum cryostats containing multi-seeded YBCO blocks are fabricated and are tested now in Germany, China and Brazil.

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-2048/25/1/014007/pdf

Superconductor bearings, flywheels and transportation

Magnetic properties of melt-processed YBCO doped with different content of Li, Ni and Pd impurities are reported. The increase of critical currents of doped materials has been observed in intermediate magnetic fields. The normalized pinning force is scaled into a single curve for all measured isotherms (60–77 K) for the samples with higher impurities level. The analysis of magnetic relaxation measurements at a field of 1 T and in the temperature interval between 10 and 70 K reveals a logarithmic dependence of the effective activation energy vs. current density. The observed time dependence of the magnetization in doped materials can be described in the framework of collective pinning theory.

Pinning behavior and magnetic relaxation in melt-processed YBCO doped with Li, Ni and Pd

The maximum field B0 ¼ 16 T was trapped at 24 K in the gap of a mini-magnet made of two cylindrical samples. B0 on top of a single cylinder was 12.5 T at 20 K and 9 T at 40 K. The YBa2Cu3O7 based bulk material was prepared by the modified melt crystallization process from Y123 þ Y200 (þPt) precursor with 12 wt.% Ag forming silver precipitates in the as grown materials. A bandage of stainless steel compensated the tensile stress during magnetization. The unfavorable influence of admixed Ag on the critical current density jc was compensated by doping with Zn ions. � 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

16 T trapped fields in modified YBaCuO: materials aspects

We present new types of electric machines with the rotors containing bulk high-temperature superconductor (HTS)—YBCO and Bi–Ag—elements. We discuss different schematics of hysteresis, reluctance, 'trapped field' and composed synchronous HTS machines. The two-dimensional mathematical models describing the processes in such types of HTS machines were developed on the basis of the theoretical analysis of the electrodynamic and hysteresis processes in the single-domain and polycrystal YBCO ceramic samples and plate shape Bi–Ag elements. We give the test results of the series of hysteresis, reluctance, 'trapped field' and composed with permanent magnets HTS motors with an output power rating of 0.1–18 kW and current frequencies 50 Hz and 400 Hz. These results show that in the media of liquid nitrogen the specific output power per one unit weight of the HTS motor is four to seven times better than for conventional electric machines. A comparison of the theoretical and experimental characteristics of the developed HTS motors show that they are in good agreement. We discuss the test results for a liquid nitrogen cryogenic pump system with a hysteresis 500 W HTS motor. We describe several designs of new HTS motors operating in the media of liquid nitrogen with an output power 125 kW (and more) and a power factor of more than 0.8. We discuss future applications of new types of HTS motors for aerospace technology, on-land industry and transport systems.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-2048/15/5/335/pdf

High output power reluctance electric motors with bulk high-temperature superconductor elements

The test results of electrical reluctance motors with superconducting YBCO bulk material operating at 77 K are compared to conventional machines. The design of a superconducting 150 kW reluctance motor is presented. We discuss the demands on YBCO bulk material which are necessary for a high performance of superconducting motors. Furthermore, we present the conceptual design of a superconducting linear motor. In the end we discuss future applications for superconducting motors of medium power range.

Design of HTS reluctance motors up to several hundred kW

New types of electric machines with the rotors containing bulk HTS (YBCO and Bi–Ag) elements are presented. Different schematics of hysteresis, reluctance, “trapped field” and composed synchronous HTS machines are discussed. The two-dimensional mathematical models describing the processes in such types of HTS machines were developed on the basis of the theoretical analysis of the electrodynamic and hysteresis processes in the single-domain and polycrystal YBCO ceramic samples and plate shape Bi–Ag elements. The test results of the series of hysteresis, reluctance, “trapped field” and composed with permanent magnets HTS motors with output power rating 0.1–18 kW and current frequency 50 and 400 Hz are given. These results show that in the media of liquid nitrogen the specific output power per one weight unit of HTS motors is 4–7 times better than for conventional electric machines. Comparison of the theoretical and experimental characteristics of the developed HTS motors show that they are in good agreement. The test results for liquid nitrogen cryogenic pump system with hysteresis 500 W HTS motor are discussed. The designs and first test results of HTS motor operating in the media of liquid nitrogen with output power 100 kW and power factor more than 0.8 are given. Future development and applications of new types of HTS motors for aerospace technology, on-land industry and transport systems are discussed.

G. Krabbes

Papers

Pinning behavior and magnetic relaxation in melt-processed YBCO doped with Li, Ni and Pd

16 T trapped fields in modified YBaCuO: materials aspects

High output power reluctance electric motors with bulk high-temperature superconductor elements

Design of HTS reluctance motors up to several hundred kW

High output power electric motors with bulk HTS elements