Project Info


Electrochemical Growth of Superconductors

Serena Eley | serenaeley@mines.edu

Electrodeposition is a low-cost method of growing materials. The senior design student will build a setup for electrochemical growth of superconductors (such as rhenium, iron-based, and cuprates). Success could have a very high impact on research conducted in our laboratory, allowing us to study a wider range of superconductors than can be accessed through collaborations and local deposition systems.

For more information:
1. D. P. Pappas et al., Enhanced superconducting transition temperature in electroplated rhenium, Appl. Phys. Lett. 112, 182601 (2018)
2. P M Shirage, D D Shivagan, R S Kalubarme, V Ganesan and S H Pawar, The nucleation and growth mechanism of the electrodeposition of Tl2Ba2Ca2Cu3O10 superconducting thin films on Al-substrate, Superconductor Science and Technology 21, 6 (2008)

 

Student Preparation


Qualifications

• Be self-motivated, meticulous, and organized
• Take ownership of the project
• Give 10-minute presentations on results and plans at our mandatory weekly group meetings
• Maintain and bring an up-to-date, detailed lab notebook and notebook containing a to-do list to every group meeting
• Conduct regular literature searches
• Regular work hours

Student is required to attend the basic lab safety training offered by Environmental Health and Safety at Mines.

Time Commitment

4 hours/week

Skills/Techniques Gained

• Engineering design and machining
• Materials growth
• Low temperature magnetometry
• Understanding of superconductivity

Mentoring Plan

• The student will attend weekly group meetings (1 hour)
• One-on-one meetings with faculty upon request
• A graduate student or faculty will assist with use of our low temperature magnetometer