Superconducting Quantum Systems

For over a century cryogenic engineering and material science has been a technological catalyst for innovation and scientific discovery. In this special focus session, we highlight a rapidly developing field garnering global attention for its ability to revolutionize computation, communications, and sensing. Superconducting quantum systems have unique requirements of sustained sub-50mK operation where there exists more than a decade of literature demonstrating substantial non-equilibrium effects as well as dramatic deviations in materials performance at microwave frequencies. Furthermore, device integration is complicated by extremely stringent device architectures requirements that must be fully characterized at sub-50mK temperatures. This session has brought together leading experts in superconducting quantum systems to present and discuss the state of the art in cryogenic materials science, integration, and device development.

Session Organizers: Eric Holland, Quantum R&D Physicist, Keysight Technologies and Dr. Ziad Melhem, Founder and CEO, Oxford Quantum Solutions Ltd.

Click here for detailed information on all Superconducting Quantum Systems sessions.


CEC and ICMC Joint Session: Hydrogen Technologies for Transportation

The development of hydrogen based propulsion is accelerating worldwide for transportation industries including aviation, space, trucking, marine, and railway. The potential benefits of utilizing liquid hydrogen combined with and without superconducting technologies is increasingly being studied for aviation and other aerospace applications. A growing interest worldwide in using liquid-H2 fuels is also generating interest in cryogenic-compatible electric power system devices and technologies.

This session is being is being organized to present about high-level aspects and impacts of cryogenic hydrogen technologies for transportation; including devices, and system-level-integration issues, cryo-cooling and cryo-fuels, and logistics and supporting technologies.

ICMC Session Organizer: Timothy Haugan, U.S. AFRL
CEC Session Organizers: Wesley Johnson, NASA-GRC and Peter Cheetham, Florida State University

Click here for detailed information on all Hydrogen Technologies for Transportation sessions.


Transportation Technologies

The development of electric propulsion is accelerating worldwide for transportation industries including aviation, space, trucking, marine, and railway. And the potential benefits of utilizing cryogenic/superconducting technologies is also increasingly being supported by ARPA-E, Airbus, NASA, and others. This Special Session is being organized to consider subsystems and components needed for transportation, including motors, generators, inverters, transmission cables, connectors, busbars, current protection devices, circuit breakers, energy storage, fuel cells using cryo-fuels, ion propulsion, magnetohydodynamics (MHD), shielding and high-field magnets for aerospace, specialized materials, and misc other.

Session Organizers: Michael Sumption, Ohio State University and Timothy Haugan, U.S. AFRL

Click here for information on all Transportation Technologies sessions.


LTS and HTS Fusion Cables

Fusion energy is a source of unlimited and clean energy. The ITER is set to be completed and new high-field high temperature superconductors (HTS) based compact reactors are being pursued at both private sectors and public institutions. High current superconducting cables are needed for large scale fusion magnet applications to lower coil inductance and ensure that large magnet systems such as TF, CS and PF coils are protected during quench and fast current discharges. This Special Session is being organized to discuss recent advancements and challenging issues in high current LTS and HTS cable development for the design and construction of next step fusion reactors. A particular interest is on the exciting research with HTS cables and cooling methods for DEMO and compact fusion pilot plants beyond ITER.

Session Organizers: Dr. Steve Gourlay, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and Dr. Yuhu Zhai, Princeton Plasma Physics Lab

Click here for information on all LTS and HTS Fusion Cables sessions.


Electromechanical Behaviors of HTS Conductors for Applications

This session is being organized to consider all aspects of mechanical properties of HTS conductors (wires/tapes/cables) relevant for magnet applications. The session will examine effects of stresses and strains, including fatigue, on superconducting properties such as critical currents. The session will cover emerging topics including screening current induced mechanical stress, stress/strain distribution in composite coil structures, edge damages due to mechanical slitting of REBCO coated conductors, emerging round REBCO conductors, and high strength, reinforced Bi-2212 round wires.

Session Organizers: Prof. Hyung-Seop Shin, Andong National University, South Korea and Prof. Satoshi Awaji, Tohoku University, Japan

Click here for information on all Electromechanical Behaviors of HTS Conductors Applications sessions.


REBCO Coated Conductor – Industrial Development

REBa2Cu3Ox (REBCO) coated conductor has the potential to revolutionize power grid and high field superconducting magnets essential for particle accelerators, medical diagnosis, and fusion reactors that offer unlimited clean energy. Industry has been at the forefront of innovating coated conductor manufacturing and building an economic future for it. This session brings together top manufacturers around the world and leading researchers to discuss the recent technological innovations, opportunities in further conductor development and market, as well as challenges and strategies to address them.

Session Organizers: Tengming Shen, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and David Larbalestier, National High Magnetic Field Lab, Florida State University

Click here for session details.


Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) is recognized as a potential technology to design and create complex geometries and a fast track to build prototype components. AM technologies have made inroads in several applications ranging from science to industry. New aspects come into focus regarding specific material behavior, quality control, cost-effectiveness, etc. Cryogenic applications encompassing application areas of magnets, rotating machines, medical, energy, mobility, aeronautics, superconducting circuits, and electronics are transforming the energy, materials, and R&D sectors. Materials used in cryogenic, vacuum, and high energy flux environments have specific functional requirements with respect to design, microstructure, precision, and surface finishing. This special session will highlight AM for different applications drawing attention to the benefits, challenges, and areas that need research to advance this versatile technology.

Session Organizers: Tim Horn, North Carolina State University and Klaus-Peter Weiss, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Click here for detailed information on all Additive Manufacturing sessions.


Latest Development in Flux Pinning and Critical Currents

Pinning of quantized magnetic vortices in superconductors enables high critical current densities by orders of magnitudes at applied magnetic fields up to few to tens of Tesla, which are demanded for practical applications, such as large magnets, rotary machines (motors and generators), devices/systems for power grids (cables, fault current limiters, transformers), to name a few. The recent progress in nanoscience and nanotechnology has prompted tremendous success in enhancing pinning force density and efficiency through various novel approaches in terms of generation of artificial pinning centers (APCs) with precisely controlled dimension, morphology, orientation, concentration and APC/superconductor interface. This focus session of the Latest Developments in Flux Pinning and Critical Currents intends to provide a platform for updates of the recent progress made and the critical issues that still remain; and for stimulating fruitful discussions, generating new ideas, and strengthening and/or establishing existing and/or new collaborations in this important field.

Session Organizers: Judy Wu, University of Kansas and Mary Ann Sebastian, University of Dayton Research Institute

Click here for detailed information on all Flux Pinning and Critical Currents sessions.


Topological Materials for Electronics

A new topic area of Topological Materials is introduced to ICMC 2021, in which some notable experts nationwide are invited to speak on their recent progress in research activities of theoretical, computational, modeling, and experimental exploration of topological phenomena that can be potentially developed into possible applications in electronics. An open panel discussion will be among those sessions, which is aimed at aspects of reflection, insight, and perspective on topological phenomena exhibited/enabled in the space of solid state matters. These sessions will present an update of the overall status of this actively pursued field in both current focuses and likely future direction(s).

ICMC Organizer: Charles Rong, US Army CCDC Army Research Laboratory

Click here for detailed information on all Topological Materials for Electronics sessions.


Low Temperature Electronics and Materials

The special session on cold electronics instrumentation is an emerging topic that will include low temperature Front-End Electronics, Electronic Packaging, Interconnects, cryogenic sensors, and superconducting electronics. The target application is instrumentation of superconducting magnets and integration of semiconductors, superconductors, magnetics and photonic devices working at low temperatures for particle detectors and various other applications including quantum computers.

Session Organizer: Dr. Marcos Turqueti, LBNL

Click here for detailed information on all Low Temperature Electronics and Materials sessions.


Joint-SRF Materials and Systems

Superconducting RF (SRF) cavities are key components of modern particle accelerators such as free-electron lasers (E-XFEL and LCLS-II), electron-ion colliders (e-RHIC and BNL), and electron-positron colliders (ILC). Currently, the material of choice for high-performance SRF applications is pure Nb, with surface doping. The current maturity of SRF Nb has been possible due to the fundamental understanding of surface and bulk properties of this system. The sessions build on some of the recent results, and ongoing research efforts involving a fundamental understanding of Nb, and other potential materials for SRF applications.

ICMC Session Organizer: Shreyas Balachandran, ASC, NHMFL, FSU.
CEC Session Organizer: Sastry Pamidi, CAPS, FSU.
The organizers appreciate the assistance provided by Sam Posen from FNAL in organizing this session.

Click here for detailed information on all SRF Materials and Systems sessions.


Low Temperature Materials Database

An informal workshop consisting of brief presentations and discussions of ongoing and planned worldwide digital library and database efforts related to cryogenic materials has been organized by ICMC. The practicality and synergistic possibilities related to the establishment of an international cryogenic materials library and database are being considered by ICMC. The special workshop is being held to learn of other digital data storage and retrieval activities that include materials at low temperatures. The new European initiative (FuSuMatech) related to applied superconductivity is discussed. Other topics presented include the NIST correlated low-temperature thermophysical properties database, past ICMC conference proceedings digitally stored by SpringerMaterials, the IEEE History Center, CSA’s Cryogenic Treatment Data Center, digital material data-management strategies developed at NIST, database activities in Japan and for high-field superconducting magnet design and development (National High Magnetic Field Laboratory). Current ICMC low-temperature library and database efforts will be presented.

The workshop will be held on Thursday, July 22, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. EDT. Five speakers will provide brief presentations with discussion during and after each. Conference participants are welcome to attend and present questions/comments during the general discussion periods.  Speakers include: R.P. Reed, R.P. Walsh, K.P. Weiss, A. NIshimura (NIFS), and D. Butcher (NHMFL).

Session Organizers: Richard Reed, Cryogenic Materials, Inc., Robert Walsh, FSU/NHMFL, Klaus-Peter Weiss, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Click here for detailed information on all Low Temperature Materials Database sessions.