2. The Promise of MgB2 Paul M. Grant Science Fellow
Electric Power Research Institute
Palo Alto, California USA

3. Nature, 1 March 2001
How did we ever miss it!

4. Maybe It Wasn’t Missed! ? 39 32

5. Sleepless in Seattle 12 March 2001
Famous Old Guy

6. Physics story is pretty much over
Physics of MgB2
Strong B isotope effect
Distinct Mg-B optical phonon branch
Tunneling suggests s-wave gap
Semimetallic Band Structure
TC predicted by McMillan/Eliashberg strong e-p coupling theory
Is MgB2 a low or high TC superconductor?
Physics story is pretty much over

7. Mg-infused Boron fiber “wire”
MgB2: JC vs H
Mg-infused Boron fiber “wire”
Ames Group
ArXiv:cond-mat/
V2 17 Feb 2001 25
6000 A/cm2
1.0
Even though MgB2
is hexagonal, little
evidence of weak
link behavior! 10 30 20 15
Data taken from Ames Group work published on cond-mat on “wires”
made from Mg infusion of B fibers
Note that Jc, H line for 25 K line is likely below Caplin’s Imperial Group’s
“creep” limit for “pure” MgB2.

8. Nature, 31 May 2001
4.2 K
25 K
1 T
(A/cm2)
150,000
35,000

9. Geneva 1

10. Geneva 2

11. Madison, 18 July 2001 JC @ 1 T (A/cm2) Group 4.2 K 25 K Geneva 250,000
100,000
Wollengong
59,000
Karlsruhe
37,000
Grasso (10 m!)
50,000
Ames
500,000!
(200,000?)

12. Wollengong 5

13. MgB2 Wire: Cost Issues Assumptions MgB2 Wire C/P
JC = 100,000 A/cm2 (25 K, 1 T)
IC = 2000 A/wire (Area = 2 mm2)
Non-MgB2 Materials C/P = 0.11 $/kAm (from NbTi addenda)
Mg Spot = $/gm (e.g., Ag = 0.14 $/gm)
Boron Spot = $/gm (as borax ore)
Boron Extraction = 0.01 $/gm
MgB2 Reaction = 0.01 $/gm (sinter & heat treat)
MgB2 Wire C/P
K, 1 T !!!
Wire almost too cheap to “kiloAmp” meter!

14. Hydrogen-Superconductivity Symbiosis
Powering the 21 st
Century
DNA - to
order.com
Supermercado
Casas Lagunas
Escuelas
Energia
Durango, SSA O 2
MgB H
Renewable Nuclear +
Hydrogen
dc Superconductivity
Cyro
Energy El
coche de la
familia
“Laguna Genome”
An emission
free
Industrial/Residential
community

15. The Hindenburg did not crash Because of a hydrogen leak!
Hindenburg Hysteria
The Hindenburg did not crash
Because of a hydrogen leak!