Sixth International Workshop on the Processing and Application of Bulk Superconductors (PASREG6-2007) Held at University of Cambridge 

October 5, 2007 (H8).  PASREG6-2007 was held at Corpus Christi College and the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, U.K. between 13th and 15th September, 2007, under the joint chairmanship of David Cardwell and Archie Campbell (University of Cambridge) and Mike Strasik (Boeing). It was the sixth of a series of international workshops on the processing and applications of superconducting (RE)BCO large grain and MgB2 materials, the first of which was organized in Cambridge in 1997, and which have been held subsequently in Morioka, Japan (1999), Seattle, U.S.A. (2001), Jena, Germany (2003) and Tokyo, Japan (2005).

The focus of PASREG6 was again on the processing, characterization and applications of bulk superconductors.  The workshop provided an effective forum for extensive discussion and collaboration between its participants. The program consisted of invited lectures, contributed oral presentations and poster presentations within the following categories:

(1) Processing of bulk RE-Ba-Cu-O and MgB2
(2) Microstructural characterization of bulk RE-Ba-Cu-O and MgB2
(3) Critical currents and flux pinning of bulk RE-Ba-Cu-O and MgB2
(4) Applications of bulk RE-Ba-Cu-O and MgB2

More than 60 delegates from 13 countries attended the workshop. In total, 45 papers were presented; 29 in oral form and 16 poster presentations.  The proceedings will be published in a special edition of J. Mat. Eng. B.   Figure 1 shows the group photo of participants.
The International PASREG Board selected the following distinguished researchers as recipients of 2007 PASREG Award of Excellence to acknowledge their contribution to the development of bulk high temperature superconductors:

Dr. Hari Babu                          University of Cambridge
Dr. Michael Eisterer               Atomic Institute of the Austrian Universities
Prof. Mitsuru Izumi                 Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology      

In addition, prizes for the best posters were presented to T. Sano et al. (Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology), H. Ueda et al (Waseda University) and T. Withnell et al (University of Cambridge).                                             

Highlights of the workshop included reports of significant progress in the development of applications of bulk (RE)BCO, such as motors (Tokyo Marine University), energy storage flywheels (Boeing), magnetic separators (Niigata University) and magnetron sputtering systems (Nagoya). Improved techniques for oxygenating, characterizing and magnetizing bulk materials were reported by Grenoble (high temperature oxygenation of porous structures), ATI, Vienna (magnetoscan), Saarbrucken (EBSD), Iwate University and Tokyo Marine University (multi-pulse magnetisation).

Finally, a number of advances in the development of nanoscale flux pinning sites were reported by Cambridge (2411 phase), ISTEC, Japan (RE-211) and CRISMAT, France (Ce-doping).  The complete program of 6th PASREG and the abstracts can be found at: 
http://www.geocities.jp/kaze47392005/PASREG2007.html

The next, 7th PASREG workshop will be held at Whistler, Canada in 2009.  We note that the originally planned venue for the 6th PASREG was Houston, TX, USA.  The venue was changed to hold the meeting back-to-back with the Campbell Conference covered by the Highlight (H7).