H. Wakana

International Superconductivity Technology Center

Papers

Total Citations

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About

H. Wakana is a leading figure in applied superconductivity, with a primary focus on high-temperature superconducting (HTS) quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) and their integration into advanced non-destructive evaluation (NDE) systems. Their most impactful contribution is the development of a robot-based NDE system that employs a novel 3D-mobile HTS-SQUID gradiometer. This system, detailed in their 2009 paper (10 citations), represents a significant engineering achievement by combining a sensitive magnetic sensor with robotic mobility for practical material inspection. A key technical innovation in this work is the use of ramp-edge Josephson junctions (JJs) fabricated from SmBa₂Cu₃O₇, a material system that enables stable, high-performance operation. This research bridges the gap between fundamental HTS device physics and real-world industrial applications, offering a non-contact method for detecting flaws in conductive materials. By demonstrating a functional, mobile SQUID-based NDE platform, Wakana has contributed to making HTS technology more accessible for quality control and infrastructure monitoring, showcasing how advanced superconducting sensors can be deployed beyond the laboratory.