A method and apparatus passivates a cuprate body. The cuprate body revealing an unprotected surface is placed in a vessel. The unprotected surface of the cuprate body is exposed to gaseous Xenon Difluoride admitted through a valve into the vessel. During a duration of the exposure, atoms of Fluorine from the gaseous Xenon Difluoride displace atoms of Oxygen in the cuprate body near the unprotected surface. A timer controls a duration of exposing the unprotected surface of the cuprate body to the gaseous Xenon Difluoride admitted into the vessel.

A superconducting composition of matter including overlapping first and second regions. The regions comprise unit cells of a solid, the first region comprises an electrical insulator or semiconductor, and the second region comprises a metallic electrical conductor. The second region extends through the solid and a subset of said second region comprise surface metal unit cells that are adjacent to at least one unit cell from the first region. The ratio of the number of said surface metal unit cells to the total number of unit cells in the second region being at least 20 percent.

A method of in-situ transfer during fabrication of a component comprising a 2-dimensional crystalline thin film on a substrate is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a layered structure comprising a polymer, a 2-dimensional crystalline thin film, a metal catalyst, and a substrate. The metal catalyst, being a growth medium for the two-dimensional crystalline thin film, is etched and removed by infiltrating liquid to enable the in-situ transfer of the two-dimensional crystalline thin film directly onto the underlying substrate.

A system and method for fabricating accelerator cavities comprises forming at least two half cavities and joining the half cavities with a longitudinal seal. The half cavities can comprise at least one of aluminum, copper, tin, and copper alloys. The half cavities can be coated with a superconductor or combination of materials configured to form a superconductor coating.

A superconducting composition of matter including overlapping first and second regions. The regions comprise unit cells of a solid, the first region comprises an electrical insulator or semiconductor, and the second region comprises a metallic electrical conductor. The second region extends through the solid and a subset of said second region comprise surface metal unit cells that are adjacent to at least one unit cell from the first region. The ratio of the number of said surface metal unit cells to the total number of unit cells in the second region being at least 20 percent.

A method of in-situ transfer during fabrication of a component comprising a 2-dimensional crystalline thin film on a substrate is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a layered structure comprising a polymer, a 2-dimensional crystalline thin film, a metal catalyst, and a substrate. The metal catalyst, being a growth medium for the two-dimensional crystalline thin film, is etched and removed by infiltrating liquid to enable the in-situ transfer of the two-dimensional crystalline thin film directly onto the underlying substrate.

The disclosure relates to a phase change thermal storage ceramic having high service temperature and improved utilization rate and utilization efficiency of heat. It is prepared at a low cost with a simple, easy-to-industrially-realized method. A mixture is obtained by mixing and stirring evenly 50-85 wt % of fused mullite powder, 10-45 wt % of pretreated aluminum-silicon alloy powder, and 3-8 wt % of ball clay. A ceramic body is formed by press molding the mixture at 80-150 MPa. The ceramic body is cured at 25-28 C. and a relative humidity of 70-75 RH for 24-36 h, dried at 80-120 C. for 24-36 h, and held at 1,100-1,300 C. for 3-5 h to prepare the phase change thermal storage ceramic. The pretreated aluminum-silicon alloy powder is prepared by holding aluminum-silicon alloy powder in water vapor at 0.02-0.20 MPa for 0.5-3 h to impregnate in an alkaline silica sol and drying the impregnated powder.

Operational characteristics of an high temperature superconducting (HTS) film comprised of an HTS material may be improved by depositing a modifying material onto appropriate surfaces of the HTS film to create a modified HTS film. In some implementations of the invention, the HTS film may be in the form of a c-film. In some implementations of the invention, the HTS film may be in the form of an a-b film, an a-film or a b-film. The modified HTS film has improved operational characteristics over the HTS film alone or without the modifying material. Such operational characteristics may include operating in a superconducting state at increased temperatures, carrying additional electrical charge, operating with improved magnetic properties, operating with improved mechanic properties or other improved operational characteristics. In some implementations of the invention, the HTS material is a mixed-valence copper-oxide perovskite, such as, but not limited to YBCO. In some implementations of the invention, the modifying material is a conductive material that bonds easily to oxygen, such as, but not limited to, chromium.

Operational characteristics of an high temperature superconducting (HTS) film comprised of an HTS material may be improved by depositing a modifying material onto appropriate surfaces of the HTS film to create a modified HTS film. In some implementations of the invention, the HTS film may be in the form of a c-film. In some implementations of the invention, the HTS film may be in the form of an a-b film, an a-film or a b-film. The modified HTS film has improved operational characteristics over the HTS film alone or without the modifying material. Such operational characteristics may include operating in a superconducting state at increased temperatures, carrying additional electrical charge, operating with improved magnetic properties, operating with improved mechanic properties or other improved operational characteristics. In some implementations of the invention, the HTS material is a mixed-valence copper-oxide perovskite, such as, but not limited to YBCO. In some implementations of the invention, the modifying material is a conductive material that bonds easily to oxygen, such as, but not limited to, chromium.

A superconductor tape and method for manufacturing, measuring, monitoring, and controlling same are disclosed. Embodiments are directed to a superconductor tape which includes a superconductor film overlying a buffer layer which overlies a substrate. In one embodiment, the superconductor film is defined as having a c-axis lattice constant higher than 11.74 Angstroms. In another embodiment, the superconductor film comprises BaMO.sub.3, where M=Zr, Sn, Ta, Nb, Hf, or Ce, and which has a (101) peak of BaMO.sub.3 elongated along an axis that is between 60 to 90 from an axis of the (001) peaks of the superconductor film. These and other embodiments achieve well-aligned nanocolumnar defects and thus a high lift factor, which can result in superior critical current performance of the tape in, for example, high magnetic fields.