Aluminium-Stabilized High-Temperature Superconducting Cable for Particle Detector Magnets

Within the context of EP R&D;, CERN is developing a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) conductor for future superconducting detector magnet projects. The conductor features a Rare-Earth Barium Copper Oxide (REBCO) tapes soldered to a copper-coated high-purity aluminium stabilizer. Critical currents of the 200 mm long straight cable samples measured with various numbers of REBCO tapes at 77 K are consistent with empirical scaling formulas for critical current within 10%. A few percent deviations are expected to arise from the critical current variation along the length of the HTS tape. No degradation was observed after multiple soldering and de-soldering cycles at 165 $^\mathrm{\circ}$C with Bi–Sn based solder and after thermal cycling between 77 K and room temperature. However, extreme bending (of 100 mm radius) of the already soldered HTS cable leads to failure of the cable. We repeated the critical current measurements with a 650 mm long cable loop sample with 85 mm bending radius, where the HTS tapes were soldered after the aluminium profile was bent. The critical current of the HTS cable loop was 7% lower than the prediction. Based on the first critical current measurements, the HTS cable preparation method presented in this work results in repeatable quality aluminium-stabilized HTS cable.