The intrinsic magneto-resistance of cryogenic joints

An intrinsic joint resistance can arise due to circulating Hall currents flowing across the joint interface between dissimilar metal conductors carrying transport current in a magnetic field. Calculations have been performed to determine this resistance for a number of generic joint geometries, including butt, sandwich, and lap, as a function of the magnetic field strength for Cu-Al and Cu-SC pairs. This type of joint resistance may play a role in the coupling loss and stability of filamentary superconductors. The results are discussed in terms of their implication for superconducting coil and conductor design.