Revolutionized 3D Printing: Boost in Superconductor Efficiency - Scientists employ specially formulated 3D printing ink and heat application to produce unprecedented superconductor surface area records
In a significant breakthrough, a team of researchers at Cornell University, led by Professor Ulrich Wiesner, the Spencer T. Olin Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, have developed a new 3D printing method aimed at improving the performance of superconductors.
The team's innovation begins with a unique ink made from block copolymers and inorganic nanoparticles. This ink is 3D printed onto a surface, forming a structure that, when heated, transforms into a porous crystalline superconductor.
At the smallest scale, heating the ink causes the atoms to align into a crystalline lattice structure. These structures are reinforced by larger macroshapes that are 3D printed by the ink before the heat process begins. The result is a record-breaking crystalline formation, providing the most surface area yet for a compound superconductor.
The process demonstrated in the project journal is currently limited to crystalline nitride. However, the team suggests that the process can be used for metal compounds like titanium nitride. While the team has not yet tested the process with titanium nitride, it could potentially offer alternatives for manufacturing compound superconductors with different material properties.
The use of titanium nitride could provide a similar level of surface area, but with a different material property. This could have implications for the development of quantum computing and other resource-demanding fields.
The manufacturing process isn't exclusively handled by 3D printing, but 3D printing is a core component of the workflow. The new method could change the way we develop other technologies, such as quantum hardware, by offering more options for compound superconductor manufacturing.
However, it's important to note that the process is still in the early stages of development, and further testing is needed. If successful with metal compounds, the new process could offer alternatives for manufacturing compound superconductors with different material properties, potentially expanding the application of the process to various metal compounds.
The research could have far-reaching implications, particularly for the development of quantum computing and other resource-demanding fields. By improving the performance of superconductors, this new 3D printing method could aid in fields that are particularly demanding, resource-wise, such as quantum computing.
