David Larbalestier
Encyclopedia
David C. Larbalestier is an American scientist who is known for his research in superconducting materials for magnet
s and power applications. He is currently a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Applied Superconductivity Center at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University
. He also holds emeritus status in the Materials Science and Engineering department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
, which was his academic home until 2006. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering
. His materials research interests have led to improvements in the superconducting properties of many materials, including NbTi
, Nb3Sn
, MgB2
, YBCO, and BSCCO.
Magnet
A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, and attracts or repels other magnets.A permanent magnet is an object...
s and power applications. He is currently a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Applied Superconductivity Center at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
. He also holds emeritus status in the Materials Science and Engineering department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, which was his academic home until 2006. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
. His materials research interests have led to improvements in the superconducting properties of many materials, including NbTi
Niobium-titanium
Niobium-titanium is an alloy of niobium and titanium, used industrially as a type II superconductor wire for superconducting magnets...
, Nb3Sn
Niobium-tin
Niobium-tin or triniobium-tin is a metallic chemical compound of niobium and tin , used industrially as a type II superconductor. This intermetallic compoundis a A15 phases superconductor...
, MgB2
Magnesium diboride
Magnesium diboride is a simple ionic binary compound that has proven to be an inexpensive and useful superconducting material.Its superconductivity was announced in the journal Nature in March 2001. Its critical temperature of is the highest amongst conventional superconductors...
, YBCO, and BSCCO.
Academic career
- 1965 BSc (Physical Metallurgy), Imperial College LondonImperial College LondonImperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
, University of LondonUniversity of London-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the... - 1970 PhD (Physical Metallurgy), Imperial College London, University of London (advised by Dr. H.W. King)
- 1970-1972 Scientific Staff, Metallurgy Division, Battelle-Geneva Laboratory (Switzerland)
- 1973-1976 Research Fellow and Senior Scientific Officer, Rutherford High Energy Laboratory-UK
- 1976-2006 Professor, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering (Associate Professor 1978, Professor 1981, Shubnikov Professorship 1990, Grainger Professorship 1996), University of Wisconsin–Madison
- 1981-1992 Associate Chairman, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- 1989-1996 Director, NSF-supported Materials Research Group in High Temperature Superconductivity, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- 1991-2006 Professor, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- 1991–present Director, Applied Superconductivity Center (Associate Director 1982 - 1991), University of Wisconsin–Madison
- 2000 Summer: Visiting Professor, Department of Physics, University of Geneva, Switzerland
- 2000 Fall: Senior Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Fellow, Imperial College London, UK.
- 2006–present Emeritus Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- 2006–present Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Florida State University
- 2006–present Chief Materials Scientist, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University
Awards and honors
- Matthey Prize for best PhD thesis in Metallurgy, Imperial College London, University of London, 1970.
- Industrial Research IR-100 Award, 1979, for the development of the first Nb3Sn NMR (470 MHz) superconducting magnet and spectrometer. (Joint with C.A. Scott, J.E. Magraw, R. Wheatley and P. Hanley.)
- LV Shubnikov Chair - Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Professorship – UW Graduate School Chair (1990)
- Fellow of the American Physical Society (1990)
- Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society) Particle Accelerator Science and Technology Award for the Development of High Current Density Nb-Ti conductors for Accelerator Magnets (jointly with R. M. Scanlan, 1991)
- Grainger Professor of Superconductivity – The College of Engineering (1996)
- Council for Chemical Research, Research Collaboration Award 2000 (Award given to the Wire Development Group, of which DCL was a founding member, for its pioneering work on the materials science of (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox).
- The IEEE award for continuing and significant contributions in the field of applied superconductivity (2000)
- Fellow, Institute of PhysicsInstitute of PhysicsThe Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000....
, United Kingdom (2001) - Member, National Academy of EngineeringNational Academy of EngineeringThe National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
(2003) - The International Cryogenics Materials Conference Lifetime Achievement Award (2007)