Speaker
Description
Additive manufacturing of metals holds significant potential to drive breakthroughs in various technological fields. For example, Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) presents a pathway for fabricating topology-optimized superconducting cavities without weld seams or constraints imposed by traditional machining processes. These cavities are critical components in one of the most advanced quantum computer architectures currently under development based on superconducting qbits. For this particular application, the refractory metal niobium (Nb) emerges as the material of choice due to its exceptional superconducting properties, including the highest critical temperature of all elemental metals. Despite its unique characteristics, the PBF-LB processing of Nb has received limited attention from the scientific community, as its applications remain relatively niche. This study focuses on the parameter optimization for laser-based additive manufacturing of this rather exotic material, starting from single-line experiments. The effects of energy input and novel non-Gaussian laser beam intensity profiles on material density, microstructure, and superconducting properties are investigated. Preliminary data suggest higher‑than‑anticipated microwave quality factors in PBF‑LB–fabricated cavities. To further enhance the superconducting performance by addressing the inherent challenges of elevated oxygen and nitrogen levels in PBF-LB produced components, the study explores the addition of yttrium (Y), a potent oxygen getter. Although Nb, unlike other refractory metals such as tungsten or molybdenum, exhibits a certain solubility for oxygen and, as a result, does not exhibit comparably weak grain boundaries and high susceptibility to cracking, the presence of oxygen is nevertheless undesirable as it impairs the conductivity of the material. By binding interstitial impurities, Y aims to purify the Nb matrix and enhance the material's superconducting performance. The findings contribute to advancing the understanding of the additive manufacturing of Nb for next-generation superconducting technologies.
| Speaker Country | Austria |
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| Would you like to publish your paper in the special issue of BHM "Berg- und Hüttenmännische Monatshefte" | No |