Superconducting wires are electrical wires made of superconductive material. When cooled below their transition temperatures, they have zero electrical resistance. Most commonly, conventional superconductors such as niobium–titanium are used, but high-temperature superconductors such as YBCO are entering the market.
An example of a wire (V3Ga alloy) used in a superconducting magnet
Cross sections of various (Nb,Ti)3Sn composite superconducting cables and wires. (440 to 7,800 A in 8 to 19 tesla fields).
V3Ga superconducting tape (10×0.14 mm cross section). A vanadium core is covered with 15 µm V3Ga layer, then 20 µm bronze (stabilizing layer) and 15 µm insulating layer. Critical current 180 A (19.2 tesla, 4.2 K), critical current density 20 kA/cm2
Nb/Cu-7.5at%Sn-0.4at%Ti tape (9.5×1.8 mm cross section) originally developed for an 18.1 T magnet. Nb core: 361×348 packs of 5 µm dia. filaments. Critical current 1700 A (16 tesla, 4.2 K), critical current density 20 kA/cm2
Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is a ceramic in which the cubic crystal structure of zirconium dioxide is made stable at room temperature by an addition of yttrium oxide. These oxides are commonly called "zirconia" (ZrO2) and "yttria" (Y2O3), hence the name.
Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) crystal structure
Multiple metal-free dental crowns