Keynote: Modeling Low-Temperature Superconducting Devices in COMSOL Multiphysics^®

In this keynote talk from the COMSOL Conference 2024 Boston, Anil Erol of Northrop Grumman shares how his team uses multiphysics simulation for thermal management of the heat-dissipating electronics required to control superconducting devices. These devices, he explains, operate at extremely low temperatures, where nanoscale transport mechanisms that are not fully understood yet affect performance.

In the talk, Erol details the setup of the multiphysics model his team created in the COMSOL Multiphysics^® software to realistically characterize the thermal environment of Northrop Grumman’s superconducting devices. He describes the methodology and functionality the team used to incorporate unique nanoscale physics, nonlinear material properties, and coupled behaviors into comprehensive, informative simulation of low-temperature phenomena. Erol then goes over his team's simulation results, showing how low-temperature modeling is sensitive to thermal boundary resistances and electron–phonon coupling.

Anil Erol joined Northrop Grumman in 2022 and currently works as a cryogenic thermal scientist. He previously worked at the Air Force Research Laboratory and holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from Pennsylvania State University.