Dissipation Measurement in High TcSuperconductors with Electromagnetic Probes

The new ceramic superconducting materials, which have transition temperatures above that of liquid nitrogen, have great potential. However, most fabrication schemes produce consolidated forms with relatively low critical currents; successful application of these materials requires a means of measuring their critical parameters (such as critical current) that can be used to monitor and control fabrication processes. This paper describes a technique for measuring the onset of dissipation in a superconducting coating in a local and noncontacting manner. This work begins the process of developing noncontacting techniques for the measurement of critical currents on a local scale with the capability of providing spatial information