Fast device for large transport critical current measurements

C.D'OVIDIO; D.A. ESPARZA; M. T. MALACHEVSKY

PHYSICA C - SUPERCONDUTIVITY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2002 vol. 372 p. 162 - 165

0921-4534

In this work we describe some modifications that improve an equipment for the fast measurement of transport critical currents in superconducting materials having a critical current of hundreds of amperes. It is based on the appliance of an electrical current for a very short period of time, rapid enough to preserve the integrity of the current leads and minimize the Joule effect. Power is applied to the wire-sample ensemble and the voltage drop is measured within seconds, with a resolution that can reach the order of 10 nV. The hardware is composed of three parts: the current pulse generator, a low noise-quick response differential voltage amplifier and a PC witha digital to analog converter?analog to digital converter card. The data acquisition is achieved via an Assembler program.