Superconducting ribbon process using laser heating

This patent describes a method of fabricating a ribbon of Bi-based superconducting material. It comprises providing a source of material having an areal cross-section and an overall of composition of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8; placing two substantially parallel platinum wires along sides of the source material; melting a top of the source material so that a liquid film of melted source material is created a the top of the source material; pulling the wires in a direction generally vertical to the source material to pull melted source material supported by the wires into a colder region where the melted source material solidifies to form a solid ribbon of superconducting material