High-field magnets and high-field superconductors

Abstract

This paper gives a brief historical review of the development of high magnetic fields and high field superconductors including brief summaries of the early developments of high magnetic fields and the Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory (FBNML). The start of the first revolution (when large critical currents in Nb/sub 3/Sn were observed in high magnetic fields) and the development of practical superconductors are outlined in parallel with selected applications developed at Lincoln Laboratory, FBNML, and other departments at MIT. Many large scale superconductor applications, supported by governments, are reviewed briefly; although many models and preliminary designs were completed, a number of US initiatives for large superconducting systems were discontinued. This summary of high-field superconducting applications is followed by an outline of the development of the highest field superconducting materials, comments on the false reports of high T/sub c/ superconductors which appeared throughout the 1970s, and the start of the second revolution (when the high T/sub c/ oxides were reported). >