Measurement of magnetic signals generated from electric activity of myocardium provides useful information for the functional diagnosis of heart diseases. Key technical component of the magnetocardiography (MCG) technology is SQUID. To measure MCG signals with high signal-to-noise ratio, sensitive SQUID magnetic field sensors are needed. Present magnetic field sensors based on Nb SQUIDs have field sensitivity good enough to measure most of MCG signals. However, for accurate measurement of fine signal pattern or detection of local atrial fibrillation signals, we may need higher field sensitivity. In addition to field sensitivity, economic aspect of the SQUID system is also important. To simplify the SQUID readout electronics, the output voltage or flux-to-voltage transfer of SQUID should be large enough so that direct measurement of SQUID output can be done using room-temperature preamplifiers. Double relaxation oscillation SQUID (DROS), having about 10 times larger flux-to-voltage transfers than those of DC-SQUIDs, was shown to be a good choice to make the electronics compact. For effective cancellation of external noise inside a thin economic shielded room, first-order axial gradiometer with high balance, simple structure and long-baseline is needed. We developed a technology to make the axial gradiometer compact using direct bonding of superconductive wires between pickup coil and input coil. Conventional insert has mechanical support to hold the gradiometer array, and the dewar neck has equal diameter with the dewar bottom. Boiling of the liquid He can generate mechanical vibrations in the gradiometer array due to mechanical connection structure. Elimination of the mechanical support, and direct mounting of the gradiometer array into the dewar bottom can reduce the dewar neck diameter, resulting in the reduction of liquid He consumption.

조성경사법을 이용하여 LMO/IBAD-MgO template 상에 EDDC 증착법을 이용하여 $Sm_{1+x}Ba_{2-x}Cu_{3+y}O_{7-d}$ 초전도 박막을 증착하였다. 테이프 형상의 기판상에 길이방향으로 $Sm_{1+x}Ba_{2-x}Cu_{3+y}O_{7-d}$ 박막의 조성비가 연속적으로 변하는 샘플을 얻을 수 있었고, 비접촉 Hallprobe를 이용하여 임계전류를 측정한 결과 조성비에 대응하는 연속적인 임계전류분포를 측정할 수 있었다. 본 조성비 영역 중 Sm:Ba:Cu = 1.01:1.99 :4.87의 조성비에서 최대의 임계전류를 보였다. 이 조성비에서 SmBCO 박막표면에 전체적으로 roof tile 형상의 결정립들이 관찰되었으며 국소적으로 2차상들이 관찰되었다. 조성 경사법을 이용하면 광범위한 조성비영역에서 신뢰도 높은 초전도특성, 결정배향성, 박막표면 형상 등을 조사할 수 있을 것으로 예상된다.

We investigated the effects of Ba and Cu co-substitution on the structural and superconducting properties of ($Ru_{1-y}Cu_y$)($Sr_{1.67-x}Ba_xEu_{0.33}$)($Eu_{1.34}Ce_{0.66}$)$Cu_2O_z$ samples. X-ray diffraction(XRD) reveals that single-phase samples can be obtained in the range from x = 0.1 to 0.2 for ($Ru_{0.5}Cu_{0.5}$)($Sr_{1.67-x}Ba_xEu_{0.33}$)($Eu_{1.34}Ce_{0.66}$)$Cu_2O_z$ and from y = 0.25 to 0.5 for ($Ru_{1-y}Cu_y$)($Sr_{1.47}Ba_{0.2}Eu_{0.33}$)($Eu_{1.34}Ce_{0.66}$)$Cu_2O_z$, respectively. All samples with compositions of ($Ru_{0.5}Cu_{0.5}$)($Sr_{1.67-x}Ba_xEu_{0.33}$) ($Eu_{1.34}Ce_{0.66}$)$Cu_2O_z$ (x = 0 - 0.33) show superconducting transition behavior and the onset transition temperature decreases slightly with increasing x in consistent with the change of hole concentration estimated from room temperature thermoelectric power measurements. The XRD and resistivity measurements for the ($Ru_{1-y}Cu_y$)($Sr_{1.47}Ba_{0.2}Eu_{0.33}$)($Eu_{1.34}Ce_{0.66}$) $Cu_2O_z$ system indicate that the partial substitution of Cu for Ru is necessary to form phase pure samples, but result in a small change in transition temperature in the single-phase region from x = 0.25 to 0.5.

We developed a four-channel first order gradiometer system to measure magnetoencephalogram for mice. We used double relaxation oscillation SQUID (DROS). The diameter of the pickup coil is 4 mm and the distance between the coils is 5 mm. Coil distance was designed to have good spatial resolution for a small mouse brain. We evaluated the current dipole localization confidence region for a mouse brain, using the spherical conductor model. The white noise of the measurement system was about 30 fT/$Hz^{1/2}$/cm when measured in a magnetically shielded room. We measured magnetic signal from a phantom having the same size of a mouse brain, which was filled with 0.9% saline solution. The results suggest that the developed system has a feasibility to study the functions of brain of small animals.

High voltage insulation in cryogenic environment is one of big issues for development of superconducting power application, such as superconducting fault current limiter, transformer, transmission cable, and so on. We had proposed a composite solid insulator composed of plastics and polymer insulation sheets for a use of high voltage superconducting power applications. It is well known that the G10 FRP keeps its mechanical strength at very low temperature and the PPLP is very good insulator adopted as insulations for superconducting transmission cables. The composition of these two materials will show very good electrical and mechanical properties adequate for the insulation components of superconducting power applications, such as bushing, insulation barrier, and even for a cryostat. Dielectric strengths of prepared samples were measured at the temperature of boiling point of liquid nitrogen at atmospheric pressure, which will be presented in this paper to show a usefulness of this technique.

Distribution of the local critical temperature and current density in YBCO coated conductors were analyzed using Low-temperature Scanning Laser and Hall Probe Microscopy (LTSLHPM). We prepared YBCO coated conductors of various bridge types to study the spatial distribution of the critical temperature and the current density in single and multi bridges. LTSLHPM system was modified for detailed linescan or two-dimensional scan both scanning laser and scanning Hall probe method simultaneously. We analyzed the local critical temperature of single and multi bridges from series of several linescans of scanning laser microscopy. We also investigated local current density and hysteresis curve of single bridge from experimental results of scanning Hall probe microscopy.

본 연구를 통해서 초전도 선재 시료의 국소적인 영역에 대한 전류 밀도의 공간적인 분포를 시료의 손상 없는 비파괴적인 방법으로 LTSHPM을 통해서 1차원 2차원으로 형상화해 보았다. 그 결과 외부자기장에 의한 차폐전류의 흐름을 분석할 수 있었다. 또한 MPMS에서 외부자기장에 따른 자기모멘트를 측정한 결과와 LTSHPM을 통해 전류 밀도 분포를 분석한 결과를 비교해 볼 때 외부자기장에 의한 반자성의 크기와 자기모멘트로 인해 생기는 차폐전류가 100 Oe에서 최댓값을 가지는 일치하는 결과를 얻을 수 있었다. 그리고 세 가지의 평행한 브릿지에 흐르는 차폐전류를 2차원적으로 분석해 본 결과 시료 전체적으로 가장 바깥쪽으로 차폐전류가 흐르는 공통점을 확인해 볼 수 있었다.

A superconductor flywheel energy storage system (SFES) is an electro-mechanical battery which transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy for storage, and vice versa. A 10 kWh class flywheel energy storage system (FESS) has been developed to evaluate the feasibility of a 35 kWh class SFES with a flywheel $I_p/I_t$ ratio larger than 1. The 10 kWh class FESS is composed of a main frame, a composite flywheel, active magnetic dampers (AMDs), a permanent magnet bearing, and a motor/generator. The flywheel of the FESS rotates at a very high speed to store energy, while being levitated by a permanent magnetic bearing and a pair of thrust AMDs. The 10 kWh class flywheel is mainly composed of a composite rotor assembly, where most of the energy is stored, two radial and two thrust AMD rotors, which dissipate vibration at critical speeds, a permanent magnet rotor, which supports most of the flywheel weight, a motor rotor, which spins the flywheel, and a central hollow shaft, where the parts are assembled and aligned to. The stators of each of the main components are assembled on to housings, which are assembled and aligned to the main frame. Many factors have been considered while designing each part of the flywheel, stator and frame. In this study, a 10 kWh class flywheel energy storage system has been designed and constructed for test operation.

Mono-atomic-layer graphene is an interesting system for studying the relativistic carrier transport arising from a linear energy-momentum dispersion relation. An easy control of the carrier density in graphene by applying an external gate field makes the system even more useful. In this study, we measured the Josephson current in a device consisting of mono-layer graphene sheet sandwiched between two closely spaced (~300 nm) aluminum superconducting electrodes. Gate dependence of the supercurrent in graphene Josephson junction follows the gate dependence of the normal-state conductance. The gate-tunable and relatively large supercurrent in a graphene Josephson junction would facilitate our understanding on the weak-link behavior in a superconducting-normal metal-superconducting (SNS) type Josephson junction.

A superconductor flywheel energy storage system (SFES) is an electro-mechanical battery which transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy for storage, and vice versa. The 35 kWh class SFES is composed of a main frame, superconductor bearings, electro-magnetic dampers, a motor/generator, and a composite flywheel. The energy storing capacity of the SFES can be limited by the operational speed range of the system. The operational speed range is limited by many factors, especially the resonant frequency of the main frame and flywheel. In this study, a steel frame has been designed and constructed for a 35 kWh class SFES. All the main parts, their housings, and the flywheel are aligned and assembled on to the main frame. While in operation, the flywheel excites the main frame, as well as all the parts assembled to it, causing the system to vibrate at the rotating speed. If the main frame is excited at its resonant frequency, the system will resonate, which may lead to unstable levitation at the superconductor bearings and electro-magnetic dampers. The main frame for the 35 kWh class SFES has been designed and constructed to improve stiffness for the stable operation of the system within the operational speed range.

Recently, superconductor flywheel energy storage systems (SFESs) have been developed for application to a regenerative power of train, a power quality improvement, the storage of distributed power sources such as solar and wind power, and a load leveling. As the high temperature superconductor (HTS) bearings offer dynamic stability without the use of active control, accurate analysis of the HTS bearing is very important for application to SFESs. Mechanical property of a HTS bearing is the main index for evaluating the capacity of an HTS bearing and is determined by the interaction between the HTS bulks and the permanent magnet (PM) rotor. HTS bearing rotor consists of PM and iron collector and the proper dimension design of them is very important to determine a supporting characteristics. In this study, we have optimized a rotor magnet array, which depends on the limited bulk size and performed various dimension layouts for thickness of the pole pitch and iron collector. HTS bearing rotor was installed into a single axis universal test machine for a stiffness test. A hydraulic pump was used to control the amplitude and frequency of the rotor vibration. As a result, the stiffness result showed a large difference more than 30 % according to the thickness of permanent magnet and iron collector. This is closely related to the bulk stiffness controlled by flux pining area, which is limited by the total bulk dimension. Finally, the optimized HTS bearing rotor was installed into a flywheel system for a dynamic stability test. We discussed the dynamic properties of the superconductor bearing rotor and these results can be used for the optimal design of HTS bearings of the 10kWh SFESs.