Ending Project

Superconductors from a 3D printer? A pioneering project draws to a close

The Additive Manufacturing of Superconductors for Gravitational Wave Research (AMoS) project, part of the ERS Open Seed Fund 2023, aimed to develop new superconducting technologies using additive manufacturing.

Superconductors are materials that exhibit zero electrical resistance at low temperatures, enabling them to conduct electrical currents without any loss. This unique property makes them extremely valuable for use in gravitational wave detectors such as the Einstein telescope. When operated at low temperatures, superconductors can significantly reduce thermal noise, greatly increasing the sensitivity of these detectors – a potential game-changer for precise gravitational wave measurements.

AMoS, a collaboration between the Chair of Digital Additive Production (DAP) and the Institute of Physics III B at RWTH Aachen University, aimed to explore the use of yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) as a high-temperature superconductor for gravitational wave detectors.

The project investigated the use of laser-based powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) technology to efficiently 3D print YBCO structures. It also explored the potential of silver infiltration to further enhance the mechanical and electrical properties of these superconductors.

As part of the AMoS project, the first cube samples of YBCO have been successfully manufactured using the PBF-LB technology, with measurements showing promising results. The critical temperature at which YBCO becomes superconducting – around 92 Kelvin – has been confirmed. Beyond this temperature, the material exhibits zero electrical resistance, validating its suitability as a superconductor.

These findings have laid the groundwork for a new area of research: the 3D printing of coil structures. Such structures could be used in future gravitational wave detectors such as the Einstein telescope. The ability to additively manufacture complex coil shapes would open up new possibilities for designing and optimising superconductors in highly sensitive instruments.

The AMoS project has laid important foundations for the future use of superconductors in gravitational wave research. The knowledge gained from additive manufacturing and the positive test results of the YBCO samples are promising and pave the way for innovative applications in precision metrology.

This project was funded by the ERS Open Seed Fund 2023.