Laura Lain Rodriguez

My research focuses on a relatively new class of superconducting materials: iron-based superconductors (IBS). IBS materials could be a candidate for the next generation of fusion energy reactors and particle accelerators since they can be produced in a cost-effective manner and show promising properties such as a very high Jc in single crystal form. However, in the cost-effective polycrystalline form, their Jc is still below 1x105 A cm-2 at 10 T, which is considered the limit for industrial applications. To understand this difference, a characterisation technique with high resolution capabilities at the nanoscale giving both compositional and structural information is needed- this is where Atom Probe Tomography (APT) comes in! The main aim of my project is to find and study the link between the nanoscale structure and chemistry of this material, and its superconducting properties. This could provide insight into how its manufacture could be improved, to help develop its viability industrially. 

This is a project in collaboration with Florida State University, which manufactures samples of K-doped BaFe2As2 and measures their Jc. Other complimentary techniques which I am using for this project include FIB-milling to produce APT samples, as well as SEM, EDX and TEM for characterisation at larger scales.