THE INFLUENCE OF COMPRESSIVE AND TENSILE AXIAL STRAIN ON THE CRITICALPROPERTIES OF NB3SN CONDUCTORS

Various Nb3Sn conductors are investigated in an axial strain experimen t. The superconducting samples are soldered to a substrate that is ben t to generate a compressive or tensile axil strain. Especially in the compressive strain range the critical current reduction is smaller tha n predicted by the well-known scaling law. The influence of the transv erse strain components Is investigated in a tape conductor by changing the thermal strain. It is found that the axial strain experiments can be described by an upper-critical field that depends on the dean viat oric component of the strain tenser only. Finally a comparison of the critical temperature and the critical current as a function of axial s train is made.