Project Info


Electrochemical Growth of Superconductors

Serena Eley | serenaeley@mines.edu

Electrodeposition is a low cost method of growing materials. The undergraduate researcher would introduce this growth technique to our laboratory for low temperature physics by establishing a setup targeted at growing 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 superconductors than can be accessed through collaborations and local deposition systems.

More Information

D. P. Pappas et al., Enhanced superconducting transition temperature in electroplated rhenium, Appl. Phys. Lett. 112, 182601 (2018)

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)

Grand Engineering Challenge: Engineer the tools of scientific discovery

Student Preparation


Qualifications

Be highly motivated to learn and take ownership of the project.
Good researcher (ability to gather information through reading research papers and communicating with appropriate specialists).

Time Commitment

25-30 hours/month

Skills/Techniques Gained

Material Deposition
Microstructural analysis of materials (techniques such as x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy)
Low temperature magnetometry

Mentoring Plan

1. Weekly group meeting during which the student is expected to present specific plans and show progress in building the setup
2. One-on-one meetings once every 2 weeks or upon request