Magnetic properties of electrospun non-woven superconducting fabrics

Non-woven superconducting fabrics were prepared by the electrospinning technique, consisting of Bi₂Sr₂CaCuO₈ (Bi-2212) nanowires. The individual nanowires have a diameter of ∼150-200 nm and lengths of up to 100 μm. A non-woven fabric forming a network with a large number of interconnects results, which enables the flow of transport currents through the entire network. We present here magnetization data [M(T) and M(H)-loops] of this new class of superconducting material. The magnetic properties of these nanowire networks are discussed including the irreversibility line and effects of different field sweep rates, regarding the microstructure of the nanowire networks investigated by electron microscopy.