BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Memento EPFL// BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:IMX Colloquium - Radiation damage of high temperature superconduct ors for fusion magnets DTSTART:20250324T131500 DTEND:20250324T141500 DTSTAMP:20260921T183917Z UID:be157d2943d351a5ae4c67dfaca2ed177091d6a2a267285c162a600b CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars DESCRIPTION:Prof. Susie Speller\, University of Oxford\, UK\nHigh temperat ure superconductors (HTS) in the form of coated conductors are an enabling technology for the next generation of compact nuclear fusion reactors tha t require higher magnetic fields than Nb3Sn can provide. However\, in oper ation\, the superconducting magnet windings will be exposed to a flux of f ast neutrons which will introduce structural damage at cryogenic temperatu res. Many previous studies using both fission spectrum neutrons and ions a t room temperature (or slightly elevated temperatures) have shown that an initial increase in the superconducting current carrying performance upon irradiation is followed at higher fluences by a severe degradation of the properties and eventually complete loss of superconductivity. The supercon ducting transition temperature is found to decrease monotonically with flu ence\, strongly suggesting that radiation-induced defects occur throughout the entire crystal lattice\, even at relatively low fluence. This talk wi ll outline the research being carried out by the Oxford Superconducting Ma terials group to improve understanding of radiation damage in HTS material s. This includes innovative in situ ion irradiation experiments to assess radiation damage of HTS at cryogenic temperatures\, superconducting proper ty measurements at ultra-high magnetic fields\, and studies aimed at eluci dating the nature of irradiation induced lattice defects using state-of-th e-art microscopy and spectroscopy techniques.\n\nBio: Susie Speller is a P rofessor of Materials Science at the University of Oxford where she leads the Superconducting Materials research group and co-directs the Oxford Cen tre for Applied Superconductivity. Over the last 20 years\, she has worked on a wide variety of superconducting materials\, ranging from superconduc ting solders for persistent mode joints to high temperature superconductin g cuprates and iron-based materials. Her research focuses on correlating p rocessing with microstructure and superconducting properties using advance d microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. She is currently undertaking a 5 year EPSRC Fellowship to study irradiation damage of coated conductors fo r compact fusion applications. Her group has carried out pioneering in sit u experiments to measure the effects of cryogenic irradiation on supercond ucting properties\, as well as investigating the nature of irradiation-ind uced defects using the combination of atomic-resolution electron microscop y\, synchrotron x-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theor y. She enjoys working closely with industrial collaborators and national l aboratories\, including Tokamak Energy\, United Kingdom Atomic Energy Auth ority (UKAEA)\, Oxford Instruments and Siemens Healthineers\, on industria lly-relevant projects. Susie is currently the Letters Editor for Supercond uctor Science and Technology and has published a book for the general audi ence: “A materials science guide to superconductors: and how to make the m super”. LOCATION:MXF 1 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==MXF%201 STATUS:CONFIRMED END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR