Stability of the superconductive operating mode in high current-density devices

The superconductive operating mode represents a thermal equilibrium that can tolerate a certain amount of disturbance before it is lost. The basin of attraction (BOA), in many ways equivalent to a potential well, is a measure of the size of disturbance needed to lift the device from the superconductive into a resistive operating mode. The BOA for a simple geometry is calculated and discussed. Experimental results are reported, showing how the concept is used to gain information on the disturbances occurring in a superconducting device.