CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 39Superconducting Materials and ApplicationsFusion materials and technologiesPhysics of Superconductivity and Magnetism

Understanding irradiation damage in high-temperature superconductors for fusion reactors using high resolution X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Open access
Nicholls, Rebecca J., Diaz-Moreno, Sofia, Iliffe, William, Linden, Yatir, Mousavi, Tayebeh, Aramini, Matteo, Danaie, Mohsen, Grovenor, Chris R. M. +1 more·2022·Communications Materials
DOI 10.1038/s43246-022-00272-0
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

Understanding the effects of fast neutrons on high-temperature superconductors is of growing importance as new compact fusion reactors rely on these materials to generate the high magnetic fields needed to confine the plasma. The critical temperature of the most promising candidate material for small-scale fusion devices, rare-earth barium cuprate, is known to decrease monotonically with radiation dose, indicating the generation of lattice defects everywhere in the material. Here, we use high-energy-resolution X-ray absorption spectroscopy to probe how the local environment around the copper atoms is influenced by point defects induced by He + ion irradiation in the oxygen sublattice. Density functional theory calculations are used to interpret spectral features and we find clear evidence that ion irradiation significantly disrupts the bonding environment around the copper atoms in the copper-oxygen planes responsible for superconductivity in this compound. We propose the generation of a specific Frenkel defect that is consistent with our experimental results. Our results challenge previous assumptions in the literature that irradiation produces point defects only in the chain sites. In addition, we show that partial recovery is possible by annealing at modest temperatures, which may have implications for the operation of superconducting fusion magnets.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1038/s43246-022-00272-0

Cites

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Over time, neutron bombardment degrades fusion magnets' ability to generate the confinement field efficiently, setting the operational lifetime of the FPP and its return on investment.

    “Over time, neutron bombardment degrades these magnets' ability to generate the confinement field efficiently, setting the operational lifetime of the FPP itself and its ultimate return on investment [1, 2].”

    From A facility for thermo-mechanical characterization of fusion magnet materials during cryogenic ion irradiation (2025) · cites this paper as [1]

    The section discussing neutron exposure (page unavailable) says fusion magnet windings encounter high-energy neutrons and that high fluences severely degrade superconducting properties, although low fluences typically improve critical current density. The paper does not establish that this damage sets a fusion power plant’s operational lifetime or return on investment. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Fusion magnets are typically considered lifetime components due to their prohibitive cost.

    “Due to their prohibitive cost, fusion magnets are typically considered lifetime components, i.e., intended to be non-replaceable.”

    From A facility for thermo-mechanical characterization of fusion magnet materials during cryogenic ion irradiation (2025) · cites this paper as [1]

    The paper’s Abstract discusses superconducting fusion magnets and irradiation damage, and its Conclusions discuss recovery of the magnet material. Neither section says magnets are typically intended to last the reactor’s lifetime or be non-replaceable because of cost. Searches for lifetime, replacement, and prohibitive cost found no passage addressing that claim. (LLM, conf=0.74)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

The citation lists haven’t been fetched yet

References 82 · Cited by 39

Research works printed but not linked: 41

  1. Braccini, V. et al. Properties of recent IBAD-MOCVD coated conductors relevant to their high field, low temperature magnet use. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 24, 035001 (2010).
  2. Eisterer, M., Fuger, R., Chudy, M., Hengstberger, F. & Weber, H. W. Neutron irradiation of coated conductors. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 23, 014009 (2009).
  3. Prokopec, R., Fischer, D. X., Weber, H. W. & Eisterer, M. Suitability of coated conductors for fusion magnets in view of their radiation response. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 28, 014005 (2014).
  4. Jirsa, M. et al. Electric currents in REBaCuO superconducting tapes. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 30, 045010 (2017).
  5. Fischer, D. X., Prokopec, R., Emhofer, J. & Eisterer, M. The effect of fast neutron irradiation on the superconducting properties of REBCO coated conductors with and without artificial pinning centers. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 31, 044006 (2018).
  6. Muller, B. et al. Josephson junctions and squids created by focused helium- ion-beam irradiation of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 . Phys. Rev. Appl. 11, 044082 (2019).
  7. Cybart, S. et al. Nano josephson superconducting tunnel junctions in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ directly patterned with a focused helium ion beam. Nat. Nano 10, 598 (2015).
  8. Cho, E. et al. YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ superconducting quantum interference devices with metal-lic to insulating barriers written with a focused helium ion beam. Appl. Phys. Lett. 106, 252601 (2015).
  9. Sefrioui, Z. et al. Vortex liquid entanglement in irradiated YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 thin films. Phys. Rev. B 63, 064503 (2001).
  10. Menushenkov, A. et al. Polarized XAS spectroscopy of HTSC thin films. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. Sect. A 359, 236-239 (1995). Proceedings of the 10th National Synchrotron Radiation Conference.
  11. Giapintzakis, J., Ginsberg, D., Kirk, M. & Ockers, S. Testing models of the symmetry of the superconducting pairing state by low-temperature electron irradiation of an untwinned single crystal of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 . Phys. Rev. B 50, 15967 (1994).
  12. Zhang, Y., Rupich, M., Solovyov, V., Qiang, L. & Goyal, A. Dynamic behavior of reversible oxygen migration in irradiated-annealed high temperature superconducting wires. Sci. Rep. 10, 14848 (2020).
  13. Cui, Y.-T. et al. Wetting induced oxidation of pt-based nano catalysts revealed by in situ high energy resolution x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Sci. Rep. 7, 1482 (2017).
  14. Butorin, S. M., Kvashnina, K. O., Vegelius, J. R., Meyer, D. & Shuh, D. K. High-resolution X-ray absorption spectroscopy as a probe of crystal-field and covalency effects in actinide compounds. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. 113, 8093-8097 (2016).
  15. Cutsail, G. E. et al. High-resolution iron X-ray absorption spectroscopic and computational studies of non-heme diiron peroxo intermediates. J. Inorg. Biochem. 203, 110877 (2020).
  16. Arias-Egido, E. et al. Dimensionality-driven metal-insulator transition in spin- orbit-coupled IrO 2 . Nanoscale https://doi.org/10.1039/D1NR04207F (2021). · DOI
  17. Sundaram, A. et al. 2G HTS wires made on 30 μm thick hastelloy substrate. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 29, 104007 (2016).
  18. Wen, S., Song, X. & Feng, J. Some microstructure features in RBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x ceramics. Mater. Lett. 6, 385 (1988).
  19. Ferrando, V. et al. Systematic study of disorder induced by neutron irradiation in MgB 2 thin films. J. Appl. Phys. 101, 043903 (2007).
  20. Benzi, P., Bottizzo, E. & Rizzia, N. Oxygen determination from cell dimensions in YBCO superconductors. J. Cryst. Growth 269, 625 (2004).
  21. Nord, M., Vullum, P., MacLaren, I., Tybell, T. & Holmestad, R. Atomap: a new software tool for the automated analysis of atomic resolution images using two-dimensional gaussian fitting. Adv. Struct. Chem. Imag. 3, 9 (2017).
  22. Singh, B. N. & Zinkle, S. J. Defect accumulation in pure FCC metals in the transient regime: a review. J. Nucl. Mater. 206, 212 (1993).
  23. Nordlund, K. Historical review of computer simulation of radiation effects in materials. J. Nucl. Mater. 520, 273 (2019).
  24. Stoneham, A. & Smith, L. Defect phenomena in superconducting oxides and analogous ceramic oxides. J. Phys. Condens. Matter 3, 225 (1991).
  25. MacFarlane, R. & Kahler, A. Methods for processing ENDF/B-VII with NJOY. Nucl. Data Sheets 111, 2739 (2010).
  26. Legris, A., Rullier-Albenque, F., Radeva, E. & P., L. Effects of electron irradiation on YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 . J. Phys. I. France 3, 1605 (1993).
  27. Tolpygo, S., Lin, J.-Y., Gurvitch, M., Hou, S. & Phillips, J. Displacement energy for plane and chain oxygen and implications for irradiation-induced resistivity and T c suppression. Phys. Rev. B 53, 12462 (1996).
  28. Islam, M. Computer simulation study of oxygen migration in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 . Supercond. Sci. Technol. 3, 531636 (1990).
  29. Murphy, S. A point defect model for YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 from density functional theory. J. Phys. Commun. 4, 115003 (2020).
  30. Horide, T. & Matsumoto, K. Anisotropic strain dependence of oxygen vacancy formation in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ : first principle study. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 27, 115013 (2014).
  31. Gray, R. L., Rushton, M. J. D. & Murphy, S. T. Molecular dynamics simulations of radiation damage in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 . Supercond. Sci. Technol. 35, 035010 (2022).
  32. Brittles, G. D., Mousavi, T., Grovenor, C. R. M., Aksoy, C. & Speller, S. C. Persistent current joints between technological superconductors. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 28, 093001 (2015).
  33. Eley, S. et al. Decoupling and tuning competing effects of different types of defects on flux creep in irradiated YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ coated conductors. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 30, 015010 (2017).
  34. Ziegler, F., Ziegler, M. & Biersack, J. Srim -the stopping and range of ions in matter. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. Sect. B 268, 1818 (2010).
  35. Suryanarayana, C. & Grant Norton, M. X-ray diffraction: a practical approach (Springer, 1998).
  36. Hayama, S. et al. Photon-in/photon-out spectroscopy at the I20-scanning beamline at diamond light source. J. Phys. Condens. Matter 33, 284003 (2021).
  37. Konigsberger, D. & Prins, R. Xray absorption: principles, applications, techniques of EXAFS, SEXAFS, and XANES (John Wiley and Sons, 1988).
  38. Stern, E., Heald, S. & Koch, E. Principles and applications of EXAFS, Chapter 10. In Handbook of synchrotron radiation (North-Holland, 1983).
  39. Penner-Hahn, J. X-ray absorption spectroscopy. In Comprehensive Coordination Chemistry II, 159-286 (Elsevier, 2003).
  40. Bartók, A. & Yates, J. Regularized SCAN functional. J. Chem. Phys. 150, 161101 (2019).
  41. Mizoguchi, T., Tanaka, I., Gao, S.-P. & Pickard, C. J. First-principles calculation of spectral features, chemical shift and absolute threshold of ELNES and XANES using a plane wave pseudopotential method. J. Phys. Condens. Matter. 21, 104204 (2009).

Authors
Nicholls, R. J., Diaz-Moreno, S., Iliffe, W., Linden, Y., Mousavi, T., Aramini, M., Danaie, M., Grovenor, C. R. M., & Speller, S. C.
Affiliations
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • Diamond Light Source (GB)
Corresponding author
Nicholls, Rebecca J.
ORCID
Venue
Communications Materials
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2022-08-05
Volume
3
Issue
1
ISSN
2662-4443 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s43246-022-00272-0
OpenAlex
W4289886840
Cited by
39
References
82
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 5
FWCI
1.96
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Communications Materials (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • RCUK | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/L022907/1)
  • Diamond Light Source (SP27236, SP23408, SP28846)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Superconducting Materials and Applications
  • Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Fusion materials and technologies
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Condensed Matter Physics › Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism
Keywords
radiation damage, high-temperature superconductors, rare-earth barium cuprates, fast neutrons, fusion reactor, point defects, Frenkel defects, copper-oxygen planes, oxygen sublattice, helium ion irradiation, annealing recovery, superconducting magnets, X-ray absorption spectroscopy

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review