Superconducting current path and flux line shape in NbTiTa obtained by inter-diffusion process.

This investigation presents a comprehensive characterization of magnetic and transport properties of an interesting superconducting wire, Nb-Ti-Ta, obtained through the solid-state diffusion between Nb-12 at.%Ta alloy and pure Ti. The physical properties obtained from magnetic and transport measurements related to the microstructure unambiguously confirmed a previous proposition that the superconducting currents flow in the center of the diffusion layer, which has a steep composition variation. The determination of the critical field also confirmed that the flux line core size is not constant, and in addition it was possible to determine that, in the center of the layer, the flux line core is smaller than at the borders. A possible core shape design is proposed. Among the wires studied, the one that presented the best critical current density was achieved for a diffusion layer with a composition of about Nb-32%Ti-10%Ta, obtained with a heat treatment at 700 °C during 120 h, in agreement with previous studies. It was determined that this wire has the higher upper critical field, indicating that the optimization of the superconducting behavior is related to an intrinsic property of the ternary alloy.