(Tsinghua News Center) Applied research in high temperature superconductor (HTS) in China has struck a major accomplishment. A field test using HTS filter system in CDMA base station has successfully been placed in operation in Tangshan, Hebei Province, since 26 March 2003. The field test was conducted by Tsinghua University in collaboration with Tsing-Tech Innovations Company Limited (TTI) and China Unicom and its Tangshan branch. Early basic HTS research in Tsinghua was supported by the National 863 Program from the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Beijing Science and Technology Council.
Starting from the end of March, a HTS filter system has been installed for operation in a selected base station in Tangshan. Regular CDMA mobile phone users are served by the quality service enabled by the HTS technology. This is the first practical use of HTS in the Chinese wireless telecommunication industry, indicating an important milestone of HTS applied research in China.
The discovery of high temperature superconductor materials in 1986 has brought great excitements to the world. Many countries have invested large sum of resources to exploit its promised potential in energy, information, electronics, medicines and the like. In China, the well-known 863 Program and other national research funds have supported key universities, Chinese Academy of Science and major institutes in researching the practical applications of HTS.
There are wide-ranging applications for HTS in the wireless telecommunication industry. Because of its almost-zero surface resistance in the microwave frequency range, HTS filters have superior performance over their conventional counterparts. Adopting HTS filter systems in wireless base stations might dramatically reduce interference, expand coverage, increase station capacity, improve quality of calls, reduce handset transmission power and lower any adverse health hazards.
Professor Bi-song CAO and his research team in Tsinghua University had successfully developed the first HTS filter system for wireless telecommunication in 2001, with system performance verified as matching fore-front international standard. Their research scope was expanded to CDMA network in 2003. Besides basic research in fundamental materials, the team has overcome many problems in applications. Core technologies have been developed. More than ten patents have been filed, forming a system of independent intellectual property rights.
Tsing-Tech Innovations (TTI), sponsor of the field test, is a company aims at promoting commercialization of technology. Professor Otto Lin, TTI’s President/CEO, formerly vice president of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, is well known in the field of technology development and technology commercialization. TTI has entered into a collaboration agreement with Tsinghua University in January 2003 and immediately recognized Tsinghua’s work in the HTS field and its potential. In October 2003, the parties agreed to conduct the field tests, under TTI funding, as a first step toward commercialization.
Professor Bi-song CAO is the leader of the team conducting the field tests. China Unicom Tangshan Branch agreed to join the tests as soon as they realized the potential that HTS filters can bring to their operation. Thus Tsinghua, TTI and China Unicom have successfully formed a R&D platform to promote the process of “Research – Development – Commercialization”. This is a novel model of innovation in China.
Professor CAO stated that the test was consisting of two phases. The Tangshan test was its first which verified the basic performance and the robustness of the HTS filter system. In the second phase, the new system will be applied to a cluster of many base stations covering around a 100 square kilometers area. The benefits of HTS filters in wireless telecommunication can be augmented and clearly defined.
HTS filter systems have important applications in many telecommunication modes. There are already more than 4,000 HTS filter systems operating in the USA. The success of this field test indicates that China has the capability to develop indigenous technology with own intellectual property rights.
The early research in HTS filters was funded also by Tsinghua University, as well as Beijing Towercrest Company. It has also received collaboration and support from Cryoelectra, GmbH (Germany).
