The invention provides an assembly having a cryostat and a flat coil layer of superconducting coils for use with a magnetic levitation and/or acceleration motor system of a lithographic apparatus. The cryostat has two insulation coverings. The coil layer is arranged between the two coverings. The coverings each have an inner plate configured to be cryocooled and an outer plate parallel to the inner plate, and an insulation system with a vacuum layer between the inner and outer plate. The insulation system of said covering has a layers of circular bodies, the central axes of these bodies extending perpendicular to the inner and outer plate, and is configured to provide a layer of point contacts between two layers of circular bodies or between a layer of circular bodies and the inner and/or outer plate.

The invention relates to an electric machine with a stator (1), with a rotor and with multiple machine coils (3). The electrical machine comprises a cooling device, which is suitable for cooling a superconducting material to at least below a transition temperature. Windings (4) of at least two machine coils (3) consist of the superconducting material and are assigned to different winding groups. The windings (4) are operatively connected with the cooling device, in order to cool the windings (4) to below the transition temperature. The electrical machine comprises an open-loop or closed-loop controlled power supply device, electrically conductively connected with the windings (4), for the supply of electrical power and controlling of the machine coils (2). At least two winding groups are each electrically-conductively connected with a separate, open-loop or closed-loop controlled power output stage (6) of the power supply device. The separate, open-loop or closed-loop controlled power output stages (6) are arranged within the thermal insulation area (5) of the electric machine delimited by the thermal insulator.

The invention relates to an electric machine with a stator (1), with a rotor and with multiple machine coils (3). The electrical machine comprises a cooling device, which is suitable for cooling a superconducting material to at least below a transition temperature. Windings (4) of at least two machine coils (3) consist of the superconducting material and are assigned to different winding groups. The windings (4) are operatively connected with the cooling device, in order to cool the windings (4) to below the transition temperature. The electrical machine comprises an open-loop or closed-loop controlled power supply device, electrically conductively connected with the windings (4), for the supply of electrical power and controlling of the machine coils (2). At least two winding groups are each electrically-conductively connected with a separate, open-loop or closed-loop controlled power output stage (6) of the power supply device. The separate, open-loop or closed-loop controlled power output stages (6) are arranged within the thermal insulation area (5) of the electric machine delimited by the thermal insulator.

Various embodiments include a stator for an AC electric machine with a number of magnetic poles comprising: a central axis; and a stator winding with a plurality of conductor turns. The individual conductor turns are grouped into a total of n electrical strands. The individual conductor turns of a respective electrical strand define a first conductor branch and a second conductor branch. The first conductor branch and the second conductor branch are arranged helically around the central axis over at least half of their respective lengths. The helically arranged conductor branches each have a pitch greater than a product of an axial length of the helical conductor branches and the number of magnetic poles.

Various embodiments include a stator for an AC electric machine with a number of magnetic poles comprising: a central axis; and a stator winding with a plurality of conductor turns. The individual conductor turns are grouped into a total of n electrical strands. The individual conductor turns of a respective electrical strand define a first conductor branch and a second conductor branch. The first conductor branch and the second conductor branch are arranged helically around the central axis over at least half of their respective lengths. The helically arranged conductor branches each have a pitch greater than a product of an axial length of the helical conductor branches and the number of magnetic poles.

Various implementations of the invention correspond to an improved vortex flux generator. In some implementations of the invention, the improved vortex flux generator includes a magnetic circuit configured to produce a magnetic field; a quench controller configured to provide a variable current; a vortex material configured to form and subsequently dissipate a vortex in response to the variable current, wherein upon formation of the vortex, a magnetic field density surrounding the vortex is urged to decrease, and wherein upon subsequent dissipation of the vortex, the urging to decrease ceases and the magnetic field density increases prior to a reformation of the vortex, and wherein the decrease of the magnetic field density and the increase of the magnetic field density correspond to a modulation of the magnetic field; an inductor disposed in a vicinity of the vortex such that the modulation of the magnetic field induces an electrical current in the inductor; and a dissipation superconductor electrically disposed in parallel with the vortex material and configured to carry, without quenching, an entirety of the variable current during dissipation of the vortex in the vortex material.

Various implementations of the invention correspond to an improved vortex flux generator. In some implementations of the invention, the improved vortex flux generator includes a magnetic circuit configured to produce a magnetic field; a quench controller configured to provide a variable current; a vortex material configured to form and subsequently dissipate a vortex in response to the variable current, wherein upon formation of the vortex, a magnetic field density surrounding the vortex is urged to decrease, and wherein upon subsequent dissipation of the vortex, the urging to decrease ceases and the magnetic field density increases prior to a reformation of the vortex, and wherein the decrease of the magnetic field density and the increase of the magnetic field density correspond to a modulation of the magnetic field; an inductor disposed in a vicinity of the vortex such that the modulation of the magnetic field induces an electrical current in the inductor; and a dissipation superconductor electrically disposed in parallel with the vortex material and configured to carry, without quenching, an entirety of the variable current during dissipation of the vortex in the vortex material.

A superconducting machine includes at least one superconducting coil and a coil support structure arranged with the at least one superconducting coil. The coil support structure includes at least one composite component affixed to the at least one superconducting coil and an interface component in frictional contact with the at least one composite component so as to reduce a likelihood of quench of the at least one superconducting coil.

A superconducting machine includes at least one superconducting coil and a coil support structure arranged with the at least one superconducting coil. The coil support structure includes at least one composite component affixed to the at least one superconducting coil and an interface component in frictional contact with the at least one composite component so as to reduce a likelihood of quench of the at least one superconducting coil.

A positioning device configured to position an object, the positioning device including: an object table configured to hold the object; an electromagnetic motor configured to displace the object table, the electromagnetic motor including: a coil assembly mounted to the object table, a superconductor assembly configured to co-operate with the coil assembly to generate a driving force on the object table, and a cryogenic enclosure configured to enclose the superconductor assembly and maintain the superconductor assembly in a superconductive state; a support for supporting the electromagnetic motor; and an electromagnetic support configured to suspend the cryogenic enclosure relative to the support, thereby maintaining a gap between the cryogenic enclosure and the support.