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Bruker Biospin |
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Superconducting Wires for High Field NMR Applications
The world-wide family of Bruker companies sells different kinds of analytical instruments covering a wide range from X-Ray, infrared or mass spectroscopy to magnetic resonance imaging or electron paramagnetic resonance. Being the largest of the Bruker companies, Bruker BioSpin AG in Fällanden, ZH, produces Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) systems as they have been used for chemical and molecular structure analysis for over forty years. Recently, NMR systems became powerful enough for the investigation of biomolecules with hundreds or even thousands of atoms. This opened NMR methods to Life Science applications and it was a great pleasure for us to see that this year’s Nobel Prize winner for chemistry, Prof. Kurt Wüthrich, was awarded “for his development of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for determining the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules in solution”.
In order to achieve the enormous sensitivity of NMR experiments, the various parts of the spectrometer have to meet the highest standards. Not only the electronic components, e.g., RF amplifiers, receivers and digital filters must be carefully designed but also the high performance superconducting magnet is a key part of the NMR system. These magnets produce a magnetic field with excellent spatial homogeneity and ultra high stability. Such extreme performance can only be reached using high quality superconducting wires in combination with an advanced magnet design.
Currently, the maximum achieved field is mainly limited by material factors as, for instance, the critical current. Therefore, the development of a new generation of high field superconducting magnets depends strongly on the availability of new wires with improved superconducting and mechanical properties.
Read the scientific article published in MaNEP Newsletter No. 5 (PDF, 60 Ko)
Read a basic introduction to magnetic fields produced with superconductors
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