CERN, an expert in superconductivity
CERN has over 40 years of expertise in building world-record superconductive cables which are at the core of existing and next-generation particle accelerators. Such cables present no resistance to the flow of the current and transmitting much higher intensities than traditional, non-superconducting cables.
Today, the innovation triggered by CERN can help revolutionise the aerospace sector. With this new partnership, CERN can help Airbus make the right decision for more efficient and lightweight systems.
In accelerators, superconducting magnet are used to steer, guide and focus the beam before the collisions. Superconductivity is an enabling technology for high-energy physics. Our superconducting magnets are able to transfer very high currents in order to generate very high magnetic fields. In the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) the main dipoles transfer current as high as 11,800 amps to generate magnetic fields of about 8,3 Tesla. High currents mean high fields, which means high energies. The current being transported on superconducting magnets, could not be generated with conventional materials.
To generate these magnetic fields, we have to invest in the development and study of new superconducting materials. An important role in the future is going to be played by the high-temperature superconducting materials which have the capability of transporting high currents at high temperature, as well as of generating very high magnetic field at low temperature. We have started study of the possibility of generating fields of up to 20 Tesla with HTS magnets.
Amalia Ballarino, deputy group leader of the Magnets, Superconductors and Cryostats group at CERN.
