Scientists have demonstrated a simple and industrially scaleable method for improving the current densities of superconducting coated conductors in magnetic field environments by adding nanoscale defects. The discovery could increase the carrying capacity of superconducting wires and tapes by as much as 200 to 500 percent.

The advance is important for the development of powerful, energy-efficient superconducting electric motors and generators for civilian and military applications.

Magnetic fields create small swirls of current in a superconductor called vortices, much like tornadoes in the air, that move through the material under the influence of electrical currents, causing resistance to the flow of the current. Addition of nanoscale defects immobilize or “pin” the vortices, allowing the current to flow without resistance.

Los Alamos National Labs news release