• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.61-70
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• 2023

This paper examines the way of thinking and limitations of physicists regarding the phenomenon of superconductivity and outlines how room-temperature and ambient-pressure superconductors can be developed through the statistical thermodynamic background of the liquid state theory. In hypothesis, the number of electron states should be limited by confining them to a state close to one-Dimension. Simultaneously, the electron-electron interactions should be frequent enough for the electrons to have liquid-like properties. As an example of implementing the hypothesis, our team reports the development of room-temperature and ambient-pressure superconductivity of a material named LK-99 (superconducting compound name developed in the research), whose structure was revealed through numerous experiments with a clue found by chance. Moreover, we summarize the theoretical and experimental basis for the characteristics and discovery of the world's first superconducting material surpassing the critical temperature of 97℃ at atmospheric pressure.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.165-165
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• 2023

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.124-124
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• 2023

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.5-8
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• 2009

MgO nanodots have been deposited and formed on top of the substrate surface. Mg was sputtered to form the MgO nanodots on the single crystal substrates by rf-sputtering method and followed by heat treatment in the oxygen ambient. The deposition and formation of MgO nanodots have been controlled systematically using the process variables such as substrate temperature, sputtering time, and rf-power. As the substrate temperature increased from the room temperature the density of MgO nanodots decreased. The optimal conditions of MgO nanodots formation using the rf-sputtering was investigated and the maximum density of more than $230/{\mu}m^2$ on single crystal substrates was obtained when the rf-power of 100 watts was applied for 30 seconds at room temperature. The typical size of MgO nanodots was identified to be <160 nm(diameter) and 4-30nm (height) by atomic force microscopy. The modulated surface morphology was examined through surface images and cross-section analysis and discussed for the artificial pinning sites in the superconducting films.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.10-13
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• 2023

To confirm the room-temperature superconductivity at ambient pressure as claimed in recent arXiv preprints by Lee et al., we followed the original authors' systematic solid-state synthesis recipe to reproduce Cu-doped Pb-apatite, known as LK-99. Using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, we identified inclusion of various impurities alongside the apatite phase in our sample. While the sample exhibited an overall semiconducting behavior in electrical transport, an intriguing resistivity anomaly at 380 K was observed, possibly originating from a structural phase transition of the Cu_2-δS impurity. Based on the transport and magnetization measurements, we conclude that the sample is a non-magnetic semiconductor, with absence of superconductivity.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.34-38
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• 2019

Multilayered high-temperature superconductor coated conductor (CC) tapes are used in an extensive range of applications and are exposed to many stresses such as hoop stress, radial/transverse tensile stress under large Lorentz forces, and thermal stress while cooling if thermal expansion properties differ. Loads induced transversely at the tape surface inevitably create delamination phenomena in the multilayered CC tapes. Thus, delamination behaviors of CC tapes along the c-axis under transverse loading conditions, which can vary based on manufacturing process and constituent layers, must be characterized for applications. The anvil test method was used to mechanically investigate the delamination characteristics of various commercially available Ag-stabilized CC tapes at room temperature and 77 K, finding superior strength at the latter. The wide variations found depended on tape structure and fabrication technique. Fractographic morphologies of delaminated tapes supported the findings under transverse loading conditions.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2013

Closed-loop J-T (Joule-Thomson) refrigeration cycle is advantageous compared to common open loop $N_2$ decompression system in terms of nitrogen consumption. In this study, two closed-loop pure $N_2$ J-T refrigeration systems with sub-atmospheric device for cooling High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) power cable are investigated. J-T cooling systems include 2-stage compressor, 2-stage precooling cycle, J-T valve and a cold compressor or an auxiliary vacuum pump at the room temperature. The cold compressor and the vacuum pump are installed after the J-T valve to create sub-atmospheric condition. The temperature of 67 K is possible by lowering the pressure up to 24 kPa at the cold part. The optimized hydrocarbon mixed refrigerant (MR) J-T system is applied for precooling stage. The cold head of precooling MR J-T have the temperature from 120 K to 150 K. The various characteristics of cold compressor are invstigated and applied to design parameter of the cold compressor. The Carnot efficiency of cold compressor system is calculated as 16.7% and that of vacuum pump system as 16.4%. The efficiency difference between the cold compressor system and the vacuum pump system is due to difference of enthalpy change at cryogenic temperature, enthalpy change at room temperature and different work load at the pre-cooling cycle. The efficiency of neon-nitrogen MR J-T system is also presented for comparison with the sub-atmospheric devices. These systems have several pros and cons in comparison to typical MR J-T systems such as vacuum line maintainability, system's COP and etc. In this paper, the detailed design of the subcooled $N_2$ J-T systems are examined and some practical issues of the sub-atmospheric devices are discussed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.93-100
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• 2011

The thermal property of insulation material is essential in developing a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) power cable to be operated at around liquid-nitrogen temperature. Unlike metallic materials, nonmetallic materials have a high thermal resistance; therefore, accurate estimate of the heat flow is difficult in the case of nonmetallic materials. The aim of this study is to develop an instrument for precisely measuring the thermal conductivity of insulating materials over a temperature range of 30 K to approximately the room temperature by using a cryocooler. The details of the thermal-conductivity measurement system, including the design and fabrication processes, are described in this paper. In addition, the design optimization to minimize unavoidable heat leakage from room temperature is discussed.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.44-47
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• 2012

The substantial improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be achieved with small-size samples or low-field MRI system by high-temperature superconducting(HTS) RF coil. The typical HTS RF coil made of HTS thin film is expensive and is limited the coil geometry to planar surface coil. In this study, commercial Bi-2223 HTS tapes was used as RF coil for a 0.35T permanent MRI system. It has advantages of both much lower cost and easier fabrication over HTS thin film coil. SNR gain of the image obtained from the HTS RF coil over a conventional Cu RF coil at room temperature was about 2.4-fold and 1.9-fold using the spin echo pulse sequence and gradient echo pulse sequence respectively.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.107-110
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• 2003

High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) transmission cable can carry more than 2 to 5 times higher electricity and also obtain substantially lower transmission losses than conventional cables. Liquid nitrogen is to be used to cool the HTS power cable and its cost is much cheaper than the liquid helium used for the cooling of metal superconducting wire. In Korea the HTS power cable development project has been ongoing since July, 2001 with the basic specifications of 22.9kV, 50MVA and told dielectric type as the first 3-year stage. The cryogenic system of the HTS cable is composed of HTS cable cryostat termination and refrigeration system. Termination of HTS cable is a connecting part between copper electrical cable at room temperature and HTS cable at liquid nitrogen temperature. In order to design the termination cryostat, it is required that the conduction heat leak and Joule heating on the current lead be reduced, the cryostat be insulated electrically and good vacuum insulation be maintained during long time operation. Heat loads calculations on the copper current lead have been performed by analytical and numerical method and the feasibility study fer the other candidate materials has also been executed.