Intrinsic Thermal Stability of Anisotropic Thin-Film Superconductors

Intrinsic thermal stability denotes a situation where a superconductor can carry the operating current without resistance at all times after the occurrence of a localized release of thermal energy. This novel stability criterion is different from the cryogenic stability criteria for magnets and has particular relevance to thin-film superconductors. Crystals of ceramic high-temperature superconductors are likely to exhibit anisotropic thermal conductivity. The resultant anisotropy of highly oriented films of superconductors greatly influences their thermal stability. This work presents an analysis for the maximum operating current density that ensures intrinsic stability. The stability criterion depends on the amount of released energy, the Biot number, the aspect ratio, and the ratio of the thermal conductivities in the plane of the film and normal to it.