Editing Niobium (section)

===Superconducting magnets===
[[File:Modern 3T MRI.JPG|right|thumb|A 3-[[Tesla (unit)|tesla]] clinical [[MRI|magnetic resonance imaging]] scanner using niobium superconducting alloy|alt=Room-high yellow-grey medical machine with a man-size hole in the middle and a stretcher directly in front of it]]

[[Niobium-germanium]] ({{chem|Nb|3|Ge}}), [[niobium–tin]] ({{chem|Nb|3|Sn}}), as well as the [[niobium–titanium]] [[alloy]]s are used as a [[type II superconductor]] wire for [[superconducting magnet]]s.<ref>{{cite journal|doi = 10.1109/77.828394|title = Powder-in-tube (PIT) Nb/sub 3/Sn conductors for high-field magnets|date = 2000|author = Lindenhovius, J.L.H.|journal = IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity|volume = 10|issue = 1|pages = 975–978|display-authors = 4|last2 = Hornsveld|first2 = E. M.|last3 = Den Ouden|first3 = A.|last4 = Wessel|first4 = W. A. J.|last5 = Ten Kate|first5 = H. H. J.|bibcode = 2000ITAS...10..975L|s2cid = 26260700|url = https://ris.utwente.nl/ws/files/176419956/00828394.pdf|archive-date = 17 September 2023|access-date = 29 August 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230917220838/https://ris.utwente.nl/ws/files/176419956/00828394.pdf|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/solids/scmag.html|title = Superconducting Magnets|first = Carl R.|last = Nave|publisher = Georgia State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy|access-date = 25 November 2008|archive-date = 5 December 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081205013800/http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/solids/scmag.html|url-status = live}}</ref> These superconducting magnets are used in [[magnetic resonance imaging]] and [[nuclear magnetic resonance]] instruments as well as in [[particle accelerator]]s.<ref>{{cite journal|journal = Physica C: Superconductivity|volume= 372–376|issue = 3|date = 2002|pages = 1315–1320|doi = 10.1016/S0921-4534(02)01018-3|title = Niobium based intermetallics as a source of high-current/high magnetic field superconductors|first=B. A.|last = Glowacki|author2=Yan, X. -Y. |author3=Fray, D. |author4=Chen, G. |author5=Majoros, M. |author6= Shi, Y. |arxiv = cond-mat/0109088 |bibcode = 2002PhyC..372.1315G |s2cid= 118990555}}</ref> For example, the [[Large Hadron Collider]] uses 600 tons of superconducting strands, while the [[International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor]] uses an estimated 600 tonnes of Nb<sub>3</sub>Sn strands and 250 tonnes of NbTi strands.<ref name="alstrom">{{cite journal|journal = Fusion Engineering and Design (Proceedings of the 23rd Symposium of Fusion Technology)|volume= 75–79|issue= 2|date = 2005|pages = 3516|title = A success story: LHC cable production at ALSTOM-MSA|author=Grunblatt, G.|author2=Mocaer, P.|author3=Verwaerde Ch.|author4=Kohler, C.| doi = 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2005.06.216|bibcode= 2005ITAS...15.3516M|s2cid= 41810761}}</ref> In 1992 alone, more than US$1&nbsp;billion worth of clinical magnetic resonance imaging systems were constructed with niobium-titanium wire.<ref name="geballe" />

====Other superconductors====
[[File:A 1.3 GHz nine-cell superconducting radio frequency.JPG|thumb|A 1.3&nbsp;GHz 9-cell [[superconducting radio frequency]] cavity made from niobium is on display at [[Fermilab]]]]

The [[superconducting radio frequency]] (SRF) cavities used in the [[free-electron laser]]s [[FLASH]] (result of the cancelled TESLA linear accelerator project) and [[European x-ray free electron laser|XFEL]] are made from pure niobium.<ref>{{cite journal|journal = Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment|volume = 524|date = 2004|pages = 1–12|doi = 10.1016/j.nima.2004.01.045|title = Achievement of 35 MV/m in the superconducting nine-cell cavities for TESLA|author=Lilje, L.|display-authors=4|author2=Kako, E.|author3=Kostin, D.|author4=Matheisen, A.|author5=Möller, W.-D.|author6=Proch, D.|author7=Reschke, D.|author8=Saito, K.|author9=Schmüser, P.|author10=Simrock, S.|author11=Suzuki T.|author12=Twarowski, K.|issue = 1–3|arxiv = physics/0401141 |bibcode = 2004NIMPA.524....1L |s2cid = 2141809}}</ref> A [[cryomodule]] team at [[Fermilab]] used the same SRF technology from the FLASH project to develop 1.3&nbsp;GHz nine-cell SRF cavities made from pure niobium. The cavities will be used in the {{Convert|30|km|adj=on}} [[linear particle accelerator]] of the [[International Linear Collider]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The International Linear Collider Technical Design Report 2013|date=2013|publisher=International Linear Collider|url=http://edmsdirect.desy.de/edmsdirect/file.jsp?edmsid=D00000001021265&fileClass=native|access-date=15 August 2015|archive-date=30 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930150054/http://edmsdirect.desy.de/edmsdirect/file.jsp?edmsid=D00000001021265&fileClass=native|url-status=live}}</ref> The same technology will be used in [[LCLS-II]] at [[SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory]] and [[PIP-II]] at Fermilab.<ref>{{cite news|title=ILC-type cryomodule makes the grade|url=http://cerncourier.com/cws/article/cern/59319|access-date=15 August 2015|work=CERN Courier|publisher=IOP Publishing|date=27 November 2014|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305131621/http://cerncourier.com/cws/article/cern/59319|url-status=live}}</ref>

The high sensitivity of superconducting [[niobium nitride]] [[bolometer]]s make them an ideal detector for [[electromagnetic radiation]] in the THz frequency band. These detectors were tested at the [[Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope|Submillimeter Telescope]], the [[South Pole Telescope]], the Receiver Lab Telescope, and at [[Atacama Pathfinder Experiment|APEX]], and are now used in the HIFI instrument on board the [[Herschel Space Observatory]].<ref>{{cite journal|journal = Review of Scientific Instruments|volume = 79|date = 2008|pages = 0345011–03451010|doi = 10.1063/1.2890099|title = A Hot-electron bolometer terahertz mixers for the Herschel Space Observatory|author=Cherednichenko, Sergey|display-authors=4|author2=Drakinskiy, Vladimir|author3=Berg, Therese|author4=Khosropanah, Pourya|author5=Kollberg, Erik|pmid = 18377032|issue = 3|bibcode = 2008RScI...79c4501C }}</ref>