High current superconductivity in FeSe0.5Te0.5-coated conductors at 30 tesla

Although high-temperature superconductor cuprates have been discovered for more than 25 years, superconductors for high-field application are still based on low-temperature superconductors, such as Nb 3 Sn. The high anisotropies, brittle textures and high manufacturing costs limit the applicability of the cuprates. Here we demonstrate that the iron superconductors, without most of the drawbacks of the cuprates, have a superior high-field performance over low-temperature superconductors at 4.2 K. With a CeO 2 buffer, critical current densities >10 6 A cm −2 were observed in iron-chalcogenide FeSe 0.5 Te 0.5 films grown on single-crystalline and coated conductor substrates. These films are capable of carrying critical current densities exceeding 10 5 A cm −2 under 30 tesla magnetic fields, which are much higher than those of low-temperature superconductors. High critical current densities, low magnetic field anisotropies and relatively strong grain coupling make iron-chalcogenide-coated conductors particularly attractive for high-field applications at liquid helium temperatures. Iron-based superconductors have the potential to carry higher currents and withstand higher magnetic fields than present-day superconducting cables. Using an approach developed for cuprates, Si et al . improve the high-field performance of iron-based superconductors well beyond that of conventional superconductors.