Superconductivity

High temperature superconductors (HTS) are a class of ceramics that conduct direct current (DC) electricity with zero resistance when cooled to cryogenic temperatures i.e. 20 – 77 degrees Kelvin. They are called "high" to distinguish them from low temperature superconductors (LTS) that need to be cooled to near absolute zero (~ 4K) before they exhibit superconducting behaviour.

There are two basic building blocks of most HTS devices: HTS wire and a fridge capable of cooling to cryogenic temperatures (a cryocooler). This is where New Zealand has demonstrated its world leading research capability.

HTS wire and cryocoolers
Comparison to other magnetic field technologies
Opportunity for HTS based systems