抄録
Recent advancement in materials processing enabled us to grow large single-grain bulk RE-Ba-Cu-O superconductors (RE: rare earth elements) with high critical current densities. These superconductors can exhibit a large electromagnetic force with the interaction of external magnetic fields. Various devices have been developed by utilizing such a force: magnetic bearings, flywheels for energy storage, load transport, hysteresis motors, and several levitation devices. A large magnetic field can also be trapped by bulk superconductors, which can function as a quasipermanent magnet. Trapped field values have already reached 10T, thus leading to many novel applications of high trapped field magnets. The final target will be a second-generation Maglev train.
