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Magneto-thermal switching using superconducting metals and alloys
Hiroto Arima1,2, Takumi Murakami2, Poonam Rani2
1National Metrology Institute of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Science and Technology of Advanced Materials
|June 13, 2025
Summary
Superconductors act as magneto-thermal switches (MTS) by altering thermal conductivity. This review covers MTS in various superconductors, highlighting nonvolatile switching in phase-separated types.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Materials science
Background:
- Superconductors exhibit reduced thermal conductivity (κ) in the superconducting state due to Cooper pair formation.
- This phenomenon allows superconductors to function as magneto-thermal switches (MTS).
Purpose of the Study:
- To review magneto-thermal switch (MTS) behavior in different classes of superconductors.
- To identify key factors influencing MTS performance and characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on MTS in pure-metal, phase-separated, and alloy-based superconductors.
- Analysis of thermal conductivity changes and switching mechanisms.
Main Results:
- High-purity superconducting metals can achieve a large switching ratio in MTS.
- Phase-separated superconductors demonstrate nonvolatile MTS, with flux-trapping states being critical.
Conclusions:
- MTS behavior varies significantly across different superconductor types.
- Phase-separated superconductors offer unique nonvolatile switching capabilities for advanced applications.
Keywords:
Magneto-thermal switchingalloycritical fieldphase separationsoldersuperconductorthermal conductivityMore Related Videos
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