HIGH-FIELD MAGNETS AND HIGH-FIELD SUPERCONDUCTORS

This paper gives a brief historical review of the development of high magnetic fields and high field superconductors including brief summari es of the early developments of high magnetic fields and the Francis B itter National Magnet Laboratory (FBNML). The stare of the first revol ution (when large critical currents in Nb3Sn were observed in high mag netic fields) and the development of practical superconductors are out lined in parallel with selected applications developed at Lincoln Labo ratory, FBNML, and other departments at MIT, Many large scale supercon ductor applications, supported by governments, are reviewed briefly; a lthough many models and preliminary designs were completed, a number o f US initiatives for large superconducting systems were discontinued, This summary of high-field superconducting applications is followed by an outline of the development of the highest field superconducting ma terials, comments on the false reports of high T-c superconductors whi ch appeared throughout the 1970's, and the start of the second revolut ion (when the high T-c oxides were reported), Throughout the text I di scuss the involvement of a few of the many personalities involved.