A Josephson sampler circuit using high-Tc superconductor (HTS) ramp-edge junctions has been designed, fabricated, and experimentally tested. It consists of five ramp-edge junctions with a stacked groundplane and is based on single-flux-quantum (SFQ) operations. The sampler was used to measure current waveforms at picosecond and microampere resolutions. We are developing a system based on the sampler for measuring the current waveform in a room-temperature sample. And measuring current flowing through wiring in a semiconductor large-scale integrated circuit is a promising application for the HTS sampler system.

The temperature dependent Josephson critical current $J_c(T)/J_c(0)$ between high $T_c$ superconductors along the a-axis is theoretically studied. The interface influence on the wave functions of quasi-particles is included in the theory within the framework of the two-dimensional t-J model. It is found that the experimental results can be satisfactorily explained by the present model with d wave pairing symmetry.

A YBCO superconductor was prepared in a short time by a melt infiltration process that utilizes meting of $Ba_3Cu5O_8$ powder and the infiltration into a porous $Y_2BaCuO_5$ compact. The processing parameters such as a reaction temperature and time, and atmosphere (air and $O_2$) were controlled to establish the fabrication condition. The formation of a $YBa_2Cu_3O_x$, phase and the developed microstructure are reported.

We have studied critical currents of $YBa_2Cu_3O_7$ step-edge junctions with different step orientations with respect to the major axes of $SrTiO_3$ (100) substrates. The junctions were prepared by pulsed laser deposition and argon ion milling with photoresist mask. We investigated current-voltage characteristics and critical current of the junctions as a function of the angle. The junction critical current showed an angle dependent modulation with maxima near 0 or 90 degree and minima near 45 and 135 degrees. The experimental results were analyzed based on the microstructure of the junction along the step and the d-wave symmetry of $YBa_2Cu_3O_7$ superconductor.

The e.m.f. induced by a normal spot moving in a superconducting foil has been investigated by using the simulation and the experiment of a simple superconducting Power Supply. The induced e.m.f. has been derived theoretically from the magnetic field distribution within the spot. It is the sum of a DC component induced constantly by the Faraday's law during the spot's movement and a pulse component induced periodically by the flux conservation law at every electrical degrees 2$\pi$ radians. The DC component of the output voltage appears slightly nonlinear to the rotating speed, having values greater than the linear approximation values. The theoretical interpretation has been verified through experiment.

We have designed and fabricated a single-flux-quantum(SFQ) four-stage shift register using YBCO bicrystal Josephson junctions, and tested its operations using a digital measurement set-up. The circuit consists of 4 shift register stages and a read SQUID placed next to each side of the shift register. Each SQUID was inductively coupled to the nearby shift register stage. The major obstacle in testing the circuits was the interference between the two read SQUIDs, and we could get over the problem by determining the correct operation points of the SQUID from the simultaneously measured modulation curves. Loaded data ('1' or '0') were successfully shifted from a stage to the next by a controlled current pulse injected to the bias lines located between the stages, and the corresponding correct data shifts were observed with the two read SQUIDs.

We have investigated the Josephson vortex dynamics in $Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O{8+\delta}$ intrinsic Josephson junctions subjected to a magnetic field parallel to $CuO_2$ planes. We investigated mesas with $40\times40{\mu}m^2$ in size and containing 6 and 20. intrinsic junctions. The zero field I-V characteristics exhibited a typical hysteretic, multi-branched nature of the intrinsic Josephson effect. At high magnetic fields (H>1.5 T), I-V characteristics showed flux flow steps. The Swihart velocity obtained from this observation was about $4.2\times10^5$ m/s, which was the lowest mode electromagnetic wave velocity of N coupled stack. The experimental I-V curves fitted well into the simple model of Cherenkov radiation including Ohmic and non-linear dissipation terms. This suggests that the dissipation mechanism of Josephson vortex be due to both Cherenkov radiation and quasiparticle tunneling current.

We designed and constructed a non-destructive evaluation system using an HTS DC SQUID electronic gradiometer. Our DC SQUID electronic gradiometer is composed of two DC SQUID magnetometers. The system included a non-magnetic stainless steel cryostat and a set of coaxial exciting coils, which were used to induce an eddy current in the test piece. We also have calculated the eddy current density produced by an exciting coil in any direction of the testing object. We could compute the eddy current density distribution in 3D. The SQUIDs were computer controlled and the output data from the electronic gradiometer was obtained by using a Labview software.

Ni-13%Cr and Ni-70%Cu alloy tapes were prepared by using high purity metal powders as starting materials. The Ni-13%Cr and the Ni-70%Cu mixtures were isostatically pressed, sintered, rolled and texture-annealed. SEM EDS analysis showed that copper and nickel atoms were completely mixed, while the alloying between the chromium powders and the nickel powders was incomplete. In spite of incomplete alloying between nickel and chromium powders, sharp cube-texture was developed for the Ni-13%Cr tape as well as the Ni-70%Cu tape.

A quench phenomenon is caused by an external disturbance in a superconducting magnet, where the magnet is operating in a cryogenic environment. The heat coupling between the layers and pancakes of the magnet can induce the normal zone propagation with fast speed. In order to analyze quench behavior in a pancake-shaped superconducting magnet, a quasi-three-dimensional model is proposed. A moving mesh finite volume method is employed in solving the heat conduction equation. The quench process of the superconducting magnet is studied under the various operating conditions and cooling conditions.

Distribution of Pr ions between Y- and Ba-site of the $Y(Ba_{1-Xn}Pr_{Xn})_2Cu_3O_y$ ($0{\leq}Xn{\leq}{0.3}$, Xn : nominal composition) material prepared by the solid state reaction method was studied. Although the samples have narrow superconducting transition, tiny peaks of $Y_2BaCuO_5$ impurity phase are included in the x-ray diffraction patterns suggesting that some of the Pr ions are entered into the Y-site. The distribution of Pr ions between Y- and Ba-site was determined by measuring the mass fraction of YBCO and $Y_2BaCuO_5$ phase for each sample through the Rietveld analysis of the x-ray diffraction data. About 60 % of Pr ions occupy the Y-site regardless of the Pr content. Various superconducting parameters such as the oxygen content and the hole concentration etc. are compared before and after the impurity correction.

Different twist pitches of multi filamentary BSCCO 2223 tapes using high resistivity sheath were fabricated to investigate the effect of twist pitches on the microstructure and critical current property. A conductor with a high resitstivity matrix is possible to allow larger twist pitch for reducing ac losses and reduce eddy current losses simultaneously. The $J_{ct}$ values of 10 mm and 5 mm twisted tapes drop faster than that of untwisted and 20 mm twisted tapes under increasing magneticfield, especially in low field regime (0 $\sim$ 0.03 T). It suggests that weak links in the former are more serious than in the latter, which is in accordance with the microstructure analysis.

Step edge Josephson junctions in c-axis oriented $YBa_2Cu_3O_7$ films were fabricated on $CeO_2$ buffered sapphire substrates. The step angle was controlled in the wide range of $20^{\circ}\sim75^{\circ}$ by the Ar ion milling technique. I-V curves of junction fabricated on the thickness ratio of $\sim$0.8 and the step angle of $35^{\circ}$ were exhibited RSJ-like behavior with $I_CR_N$ product of $\sim250{\mu}A$ and critical current density of $\sim2\times10^4A/cm^2$ at 77 K. Critical current of step edge junction was increased linearly with decreasing temperature but the normal resistance was almost constant. Total samples of step edge Josephson junction was satisfied a scaling behavior of $I_CR_N{\propto}(J_C)^{0.5}$.