Superconducting oscillator
An oscillator and method for applying a time-varying force to a magnet is provided. The oscillator includes a superconductor material at a temperature. The superconductor material is in a superconducting state in the presence of an external magnetic field below a critical field strength, wherein the critical field strength is a function of the temperature of the superconductor material. The oscillator further includes at least one magnetic field source configured to apply a magnetic field having a time-varying field strength to the superconductor material. The time-varying field strength cycles between at least a first field strength below the critical field strength for the superconductor material at the temperature and at least a second field strength above the critical field strength for the superconductor material at the temperature, such that the superconductor material cycles between a superconducting state and a non-superconducting state.
1. An oscillator for applying a time-varying force to a magnet, the oscillator comprising:
a high-temperature superconductor material at a temperature, wherein the superconductor material is in a superconducting state in the presence of an external magnetic field below a critical field strength, wherein the critical field strength is a function of the temperature of the superconductor material;
a magnet configured to move relative to the material and to have a magnetic field that interacts with the superconductor material;
a first superconducting coil configured to apply a non-zero time-invariant magnetic field strength to the superconductor material; and
a second superconducting coil configured to apply a time-varying magnetic field strength to the superconductor material, wherein a sum of the non-zero time-invariant magnetic field strength and the time-varying magnetic field strength cycles between at least a first field strength below the critical field strength for the superconductor material at the temperature and at least a second field strength above the critical field strength for the superconductor material at the temperature, such that the superconductor material cycles between a superconducting state and a non-superconducting state, wherein a time-varying force is applied to the magnet by an interaction of the magnet's magnetic field with the superconductor material.
2. An oscillator comprising:
a superconductor material at a temperature, wherein the superconductor material is in a superconducting state in the presence of an external magnetic field below a critical field strength, wherein the critical field strength is a function of the temperature of the superconductor material; and
at least one magnetic field source configured to apply a magnetic field having a time-varying field strength to the superconductor material, wherein the time-varying field strength cycles between at least a first field strength below the critical field strength for the superconductor material at the temperature and at least a second field strength above the critical field strength for the superconductor material at the temperature, such that the superconductor material cycles between a superconducting state and a non-superconducting state.
3. The oscillator of claim 2 , wherein the superconductor material comprises YBCO high-temperature superconductor material.
4. The oscillator of claim 2 , wherein the superconductor material is in a non-superconducting state without an external magnetic field strength being applied to the superconductor material when the temperature (T) is above a critical temperature (T c ), and the critical field strength (H c ) is a function of the temperature (T) given by:
H
c
(
T
)
=
H
c
(
0
)
[
1
-
(
T
T
c
)
2
]
,
where H c (0) is a critical field strength of the superconductor material at zero degrees Kelvin.
5. The oscillator of claim 2 , wherein the superconductor material is at a temperature at or below liquid nitrogen temperature.
6. The oscillator of claim 2 , wherein the superconductor material is at a temperature at or below 93 degrees Kelvin.
7. The oscillator of claim 2 , wherein the time-varying field strength comprises a time-invariant portion and a time-varying portion.
8. The oscillator of claim 7 , wherein the at least one magnetic field source comprises:
a first magnetic field source configured to apply the time-invariant portion to the superconductor material; and
a second magnetic field source configured to apply the time-varying portion to the superconductor material.
9. The oscillator of claim 8 , wherein the first magnetic field source comprises a first superconducting wire coil and the second magnetic field source comprises a second superconducting wire coil.
10. The oscillator of claim 7 , wherein the time-varying portion has a square wave, and a zero minimum field strength.
11. The oscillator of claim 7 , wherein the time-invariant portion has a field strength equal to about 36% of a critical field strength of the superconductor material at zero degrees Kelvin.
12. A method of applying a time-varying force to a magnet, the method comprising:
providing a superconductor material at a temperature, wherein the superconductor material is in a superconducting state in the presence of an external magnetic field below a critical field strength, wherein the critical field strength is a function of the temperature of the superconductor material;
providing a magnet having a first magnetic field that interacts with the superconductor material; and
applying a second magnetic field having a time-varying field strength to the superconductor material, wherein the time-varying field strength cycles between at least a first field strength below the critical field strength for the superconductor material at the temperature and at least a second field strength above the critical field strength for the superconductor material at the temperature, such that the superconductor material cycles between a superconducting state and a non-superconducting state, wherein a time-varying force is applied to the magnet by an interaction of the first magnetic field with the superconductor material.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the superconductor material comprises YBCO high-temperature superconductor material.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the superconductor material is in a non-superconducting state without an external magnetic field strength being applied to the superconductor material when the temperature (T) is above a critical temperature (T c ), and the critical field strength (H c ) is a function of the temperature (T) given by:
H
c
(
T
)
=
H
c
(
0
)
[
1
-
(
T
T
c
)
2
]
,
where H c (0) is a critical field strength of the superconductor material at zero degrees Kelvin.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the superconductor material is at a temperature at or below liquid nitrogen temperature.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the time-varying field strength comprises a time-invariant portion and a time-varying portion.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the time-invariant portion is applied to the material by a first magnetic field source and the time-varying portion is applied to the material by a second magnetic field source.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first magnetic field source comprises a first superconducting wire coil and the second magnetic field source comprises a second superconducting wire coil.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the time-varying portion has a square wave, and a zero minimum field strength.