La pulvérisation cathodique magnétron est un procédé plasma très répandu dans l'industrie pour le dépôt de couches minces. Néanmoins, les exigences des nouvelles applications nécessitent de mieux comprendre, contrôler et maîtriser les processus fondamentaux gouvernant le transport de la matière pour optimiser le procédé. Ce travail de thèse porte sur l'étude du transport des atomes pulvérisés de tungstène (W) en décharge magnétron continu (DC direct current) et pulsée haute puissance (HiPIMS_high power impulse magnétron sputtering). La fluorescence induite par diode laser (TD-LIF) a été mise au point afin de mesurer les fonctions de distribution en vitesse des atomes W pulvérisés. Les mesures ont été calibrées par absorption laser et validées en corrélant avec les vitesses de dépôt. En procédé DC, l'étude de l’influence des paramètres de la décharge (puissance, tension, mélange gazeux Ar/He, distance par rapport à la cible, etc.) a mis en évidence l'évolution spatiale des régimes de transport balistique (atomes énergétiques), diffusif (atomes thermalisés), et mixte (balistique+diffusif). Pour l'étude du procédé HiPIMS, le plasma pulsé a nécessité de développer la TD-LIF résolue en temps (TR-TDLIF). Le degré de liberté supplémentaire qu'offre la dimension temporelle du plasma HiPIMS a permis de mieux comprendre le transport mixte qui représente le cas le plus compliqué. En effet, cela a permis de mesurer la cinétique du transport des atomes pulvérisés en ayant la possibilité de séparer les temps caractéristiques des différents processus / Magnetron sputter deposition is an established and widely used method for the growth of thin films. Nevertheless, the high level of expectations regarding new applications require a better understanding, controlling, mastering of basic processes governing atoms transport in the view of process optimization. This work consist in the study of transport of sputtered W atoms in direct current and high power impulse magnetron discharges (DC and HiPIMS). A tunable diode laser induced fluorescence technique (TD-LIF) has been developed, in order to measure W sputtered atom velocity distribution function. Measurements were calibrated using laser absorption and were corroborated by deposition rate. In DC, the study of the influence of discharge parameters (power, voltage, Ar/He gas mixture, and distance from target, etc.) highlighted spatial evolution of different regimes of transport: ballistic (energetic atoms), diffusive (thermalized atoms), and mixed (ballistic + diffusive). In HiPIMS, pulsed plasma required to develop a time resolved TD-LIF technique (TR-TDLIF). The additional degree of freedom, given by time dimension allowed for a better understanding of mixed transport which represents the most complicated situation. This technique allowed to measure the kinetic of sputtered W atoms while at the same time providing the possibility to separate characteristic time scales of different processes

Ces travaux de thèse concernent le développement de combineur de puissance faibles pertes et compact selon une architecture planaire pour des applications amplificateur de forte puissance à état solide en bande X. La conception du combineur de puissance s’appuie sur l’étude de structures multicouches faibles pertes et compactes en triplaque à air suspendu. Une étude électromagnétique et thermique est proposée pour déterminer les performances de ces structures de transmission dans la bande X. Un système de refroidissement est également mis en place pour permettre aux structures de transmission de tenir des puissances moyenne de l’ordre de 50 W. La réalisation et la caractérisation de ces structures triplaques à air ont permis de démontrer les caractéristiques de faibles pertes et de compacité de ces circuits imprimés. Cette technologie triplaque à air suspendue est alors compatible pour des applications de forte puissance comme les émetteurs à état solide. / This PhD thesis deals with planar architecture design development of low loss and compact power combiner for solid-state high power amplification in X-band. The design is based on the study of innovative multilayer air dielectric stripline transmission structures. A reliable printed circuit process allows to obtain low loss, compact and replicable stripline structures. Electromagnetic FEM and thermal studies are proposed to evaluate transmission structures performances in X-band. Two compact and scalable structures were developed and may be integrated into complex multilayer systems. Finally a cooling system with periodic ceramic contacts is developed to improve the power handling capability of these stripline structures up to 50 W. The study, development and benchmark of these stripline structures demonstrated their compactness and low loss behaviour. Ultimately, these attributes make them excellent candidates for high power solid-state emitters.

The Martin Aircraft Company Limited has been developing the Martin Jetpack for over 25 years. The recent worldwide launch of the Jetpack has enabled the company to step up its research and development programme. The goal of this project was to determine the feasibility of an electrically powered version of the Martin Jetpack. The feasibility of the Electric Jetpack was determined by researching energy storage technologies, researching power cable technologies, simulations of flight times, surveys of electric motors, and the development of a simulation program which was used to optimise some preliminary custom motor designs. The overall conclusion of this project was that the Electric Jetpack was feasible only when it was powered through a tethered power cable, and on-board energy storage was not used. An investigation into current energy storage technologies showed that the Electric Jetpack is not considered feasible when using on-board energy storage, however it is possible to obtain flight for a very short time. The energy storage technologies studied were batteries, fuel cells, and ultra-capacitors. It was found that the best performing technology was the lithium iron nano-phosphate battery. A simulation of flight time showed that this battery type would be able to provide flight for approximately 3.6 minutes. Future trends indicated that the Electric Jetpack with on-board energy storage may eventually be feasible when using a lithium-ion based battery due to improvements being made in energy density and power density. By using a tethered power cable, the weight of the on-board energy storage could be eliminated. This was shown to be a feasible method for powering the Electric Jetpack for applications where the Jetpack needs to only be operated in a small area. The best cable type to use was a multi-stranded flexible cable operating at a high DC bus voltage. The weight of a 5 meter power cable using a 1000 V bus voltage was shown to be 4.9 kg. Potential applications for this kind of Jetpack could include thrill rides and rescue operations from multi-storied buildings. A cable made from carbon nanotubes was shown to be a future technology that could offer a lighter cable. A survey of currently available electric motors showed that none met both the power density and speed required by the Electric Jetpack, even when using a tethered power cable to eliminate the energy storage weight. Because of this, a custom motor design was needed. Research into motor technologies showed that the permanent magnet brushless DC (PMBLDC) motor was the most suited type for the Electric Jetpack. The permanent magnet brushless AC (PMBLAC) motor was also suitable. A PMBLDC motor simulation program was developed using MATLAB which could be used to optimise preliminary custom designs. A characterisation of allowable motor time constants for the PMBLDC motor type was made in order to speed up the simulation time. The optimisation results showed that a power density of 5.41 kW/kg was achievable for the motor when it was located inside the ducted fan tubes, and a power density of 6.56 kW/kg was achievable when the motor was located outside the ducted fans and operated at a higher speed. The motor designs were shown to be within the expected torque per unit rotor volume (TRV) range for aerospace machines. The best power density figures would leave between 37 kg and 42 kg of weight for the motor driver/controller, cable weight, and miscellaneous motor parts. This was considered to be feasible. An FEM simulation was made on one of the optimised motor designs. The FEM results agreed with the parametric results within reasonable accuracy. The parametric back-EMF waveform over-estimated the effects of slotting.

The work presented in this thesis deals with experimental and theoretical studies related to alumina thin films. Alumina, Al2O3, is a polymorphic material utilized in a variety of applications, e.g., in the form of thin films. However, controlling thin film growth of this material, in particular at low substrate temperatures, is not straightforward. The aim of this work is to increase the understanding of the basic mechanisms governing alumina growth and to investigate novel ways of synthesizing alumina coatings. The thesis can be divided into two main parts, where the first part deals with fundamental studies of mechanisms affecting alumina growth and the second part with more application-oriented studies of high power impulse magnetron sputter (HiPIMS) deposition of the material. In the first part, it was shown that the thermodynamically stable α phase, which normally is synthesized at substrate temperatures of around 1000 °C, can be grown using reactive sputtering at a substrate temperature of merely 500 °C by controlling the nucleation surface. This was done by predepositing a Cr2O3 nucleation layer. Moreover, it was found that an additional requirement for the formation of the α phase is that the depositions are carried out at low enough total pressure and high enough oxygen partial pressure. Based on these observations, it was concluded that energetic bombardment, plausibly originating from energetic oxygen, is necessary for the formation of α-alumina (in addition to the effect of the chromia nucleation layer). Moreover, the effects of residual water on the growth of crystalline films were investigated by varying the partial pressure of water in the ultra high vacuum (UHV) chamber. Films deposited onto chromia nucleation layers exhibited a columnar structure and consisted of crystalline α-alumina if deposited under UHV conditions. However, as water to a partial pressure of 1*10-5 Torr was introduced, the columnar α-alumina growth was disrupted. Instead, a microstructure consisting of small, equiaxed grains was formed, and the γ-alumina content was found to increase with increasing film thickness. To gain a better understanding of the atomistic processes occurring on the surface, density functional theory based computational studies of adsorption and diffusion of Al, O, AlO, and O2 on different α-alumina (0001) surfaces were also performed. The results give possible reasons for the difficulties in growing the α phase at low temperatures through the identification of several metastable adsorption sites and also show how adsorbed hydrogen might inhibit further growth of α-alumina crystallites. In addition, it was shown that the Al surface diffusion activation energies are unexpectedly low, suggesting that limited surface diffusivity is not the main obstacle for low-temperature α-alumina growth. Instead, it is suggested to be more important to find ways of reducing the amount of impurities, especially hydrogen, in the process and to facilitate α-alumina nucleation when designing new processes for low-temperature deposition of α-alumina. In the second part of the thesis, reactive HiPIMS deposition of alumina was studied. In HiPIMS, a high-density plasma is created by applying very high power to the sputtering magnetron at a low duty cycle. It was found, both from experiments and modeling, that the use of HiPIMS drastically influences the characteristics of the reactive sputtering process, causing reduced target poisoning and thereby reduced or eliminated hysteresis effects and relatively high deposition rates of stoichiometric alumina films. This is not only of importance for alumina growth, but for reactive sputter deposition in general, where hysteresis effects and loss of deposition rate pose a substantial problem. Moreover, it was found that the energetic and ionized deposition flux in the HiPIMS discharge can be used to lower the deposition temperature of α-alumina. Coatings predominantly consisting of the α phase were grown at temperatures as low as 650 °C directly onto cemented carbide substrates without the use of nucleation layers. Such coatings were also deposited onto cutting inserts and were tested in a steel turning application. The coatings were found to increase the crater wear resistance compared to a benchmark TiAlN coating, and the process consequently shows great potential for further development towards industrial applications.

Para a espectroscopia de alta resolução e metrologia óptica em geral, é desejável um laser com linha espectral estável e de alta potência de saída para bombear diferentes tipos de ressonadores, como osciladores paramétricos óticos (OPO Optical Parametric Oscillator). Os lasers de frequência única disponíveis estão no alcance de potência de saída de 10 Watts, enquanto que, dependendo da aplicação e do tipo de OPO, é desejável uma maior potência (> 20 W). Neste trabalho foi desenvolvido um laser de frequência única e alta potência com base em módulos de bombeio por diodos e tendo como meio ativo o granada de alumínio de ítrio dopado com neodímio (Nd:YAG). Dois bastões de Nd:YAG bombeados transversalmente por diodo, foram utilizadas em uma configuração de ressonador em anel com saída polarizada de onda continua (CW continuous-wave), qualidade de feixe modo transversal eletromagnético (TEM00) e potência de saída de 105,2 W. A potência de saída alcançada é, a nosso entender, a mais alta para lasers em anel no modo fundamental transversal polarizado contínuo usando módulos Nd:YAG comuns com bombeamento lateral. O ressonador permitiu a sintonização de potência em uma grande faixa dinâmica e obteve excelente qualidade de feixe, usando uma placa de meia onda entre os dois bastões para compensação de birrefringência. A operação de frequência única foi alcançada usando cristal de granada de térbio-gálio (TGG-Terbium Gallium Garnet), dois imãs e um etalon, com uma potência de saída de 51,60 W e uma largura a meia altura da curva (FWHM) espectral de aproximadamente 17 MHz. / For high resolution spectroscopy, a high power, stable line output laser is desirable for pumping different types of optical parametric oscillator resonators (OPO). Single-frequency lasers are in the range of 10 watts of output power, while, depending on the application and the OPO type, higher power (> 20 W) is desirable. In this work a single frequency high power laser based on diode pumping modules with Nd:YAG as the active medium was developed. Two Nd:YAG bars transversally pumped by diodes were used in a configuration of a CW polarized ring resonator with beam quality TEM00 and output power of 105,2 W. The output power achieved is, to our knowledge, the highest for continuous polarized fundamental mode ring lasers using standard Nd:YAG modules with side pumping. The resonator allowed the tuning power in a large dynamic range and obtained excellent beam quality using a half-wave plate between the two rods for birefringence compensation. The single frequency operation was achieved using a TGG (Terbium Gallium Garnet) crystal, two magnets and an etalon, with an output power of 51.60 W and a 17 MHz full width at half maximum (FWHM) spectral width.

Halbleiterlaser stellen mit über 70% Wirkungsgrad einzigartig effiziente Lichtquellen dar. Dennoch ist ihre zuverlässige Nutzung, insbesondere im Bereich hoher Leistungsdichten, von thermischen Limitierungen geprägt. Einen grundlegenden Beitrag zu deren physikalischen Verständnis leistet die Analyse der thermischen Eigenschaften und Degradationsprozesse solcher Bauelemente. In dieser Arbeit wird hierzu die Thermographie als innovative Analysemethode untersucht. Das Plancksche Strahlungsgesetz erlaubt die radiometrische Ermittlung der Temperatur. Die wichtige physikalische Kenngröße Emissivität wird in dieser Arbeit für Halbleiter und Halbleiterlaserstrukturen spektral gemessen und auf fundamentale physikalische Eigenschaften zurückgeführt. Auf dieser Grundlage werden methodische Aspekte der Thermographie diskutiert, welche durch den thermischen Hintergrund und die teilweise Transparenz der Halbleitermaterialien geprägt sind. Die daraus folgenden analytischen Fähigkeiten erlauben unter anderem die orts- und zeitaufgelöste Bestimmung der thermischen Eigenschaften von komplexen Hochleistungslasern unterschiedlichster Bauart. Darüber hinaus ermöglicht die Kenntnis der beteiligten thermischen Zeitkonstanten die Extraktion von lokalen Überhöhungen in der Infrarotemission, deren Zusammenhang zur Degradation der Bauelemente untersucht wird. Eine grundsätzliche Begrenzung der Ausgangsleistung ist durch einen abrupten Degradationsprozess gegeben, welcher maßgeblich durch eine Reabsorption der Laserstrahlung an der Frontfacette verursacht wird. Mithilfe einer kombinierten Thermographie-Nahfeld-Messung wird dieser Prozess orts- und zeitaufgelöst analysiert. Die Erweiterung des Messfensters zu kürzeren Wellenlängen hin erlaubt die Detektion strahlender Übergänge unter Einbeziehung von Defektzentren welche als strahlende Signaturen von graduellen Degradationsprozessen aufzufassen sind. / Semiconductor lasers are unequaled efficient light sources, reaching efficiencies of more than 70%. Nevertheless, thermal limits govern their reliable application, in particular in the field of high power densities. The analysis of thermal properties and degradation processes in such devices contributes essentially to the understanding of these limits. This work exploits thermography as an innovative analytical technique for such purpose. Planck''s law allows for a radiometric detection of temperatures. In this work, the important physical parameter emissivity is measured spectrally resolved for both semiconductors and semiconductor laser structures and is related to fundamental physical properties. Based on that, methodological aspects are discussed, which are affected on the one hand by the omnipresent thermal radiation and on the other hand by the partial transparency of the semiconductor materials. The resulting analytical capacities allow, for instance, for the determination of the thermal properties of complex high-power lasers of a wide range of different designs in a spatio-temporally resolved fashion. Furthermore, does the knowledge of the involved thermal time constants allow for an extraction of localized peaks of the infrared emission that is analyzed for its relationship with device degradation. The output power of high-power devices is fundamentally limited by the catastrophic optical damage, an abrupt degradation process that is induced significantly by reabsorption of laser radiation at the front facet. This process is analyzed spatio-temporally resolved with help of a combined thermography and optical near-field technique. Extending the detection range down to shorter wavelengths allows for imaging of radiative transitions that are related to defect centers, which are interpreted as radiative signatures of gradual device degradation processes.

Neste trabalho realizamos o estudo da cinética e formação de agregados em cristais iônicos halogenetos alcalinos dopados com impurezas divalentes, através da técnica de espectroscopia de absorção de dois fótons (ADF). Analisamos a formação dos agregados em cristais envelhecidos a temperaturas fixas (50 e 250&#176C), através de medidas de ADF das transições 4f7 &#8594 4f7 do Eu2+, proibidas por um fóton. A evolução do espectro de ADF em função do tempo, mostrou a existência de três fases distintas de agregação. A primeira fase consiste na formação de dímeros e é observada no espectro de ADF através de três absorções muito próximas às absorções do dipolo isolada. As outras duas fases (II e III) evoluem a partir dos dímeros, dependendo do tratamento térmico a que a amostra é submetida. Estas fases são observadas no espectro de ADF através de absorções relativamente afastadas das absorções do dipolo isolado. Todo sistema experimental foi montado em nosso laboratório, consistindo de um sistema de aquisição de dados controlado por um micro-computador; laser de corante bombeado por um YAG:Nd3+; motores de passos para a varredura do comprimento de onda do laser de corante; sistema de detecção; etc. / In this work we realize the study of the Kinetic and formation of precipitates in ionic crystals doped with divalent impurities by the TPA (two photon absorption) spectroscopy technique. We analyze the formation of the aggregates in crystals annealed at temperatures of 50 and 250&#176C. We measured the TPA of the transition 4f7 &#8594 4f7 of the Eu2+, which is forbidden by one photon. The evolution of the TPA spectra at the time showed us three phases of the precipitates. The dimmers formation was observed in the first phase, by three absorptions bands near the one of the impurity vacancy dipole. The others phases (II and III) involve from the dimmers, depending on the annealing temperature that the samples were submitted. Those phases are observed in the TPA spectra through absorptions which are relatively far from the absorptions due to the isolated (I-V) dipole. All experimental system employed is home made. It consists of a data acquisition system controlled by a micro-computer; a Dye laser pumped by a YAG:Nd3+ laser; step motors to scan the wavelength of the Dye laser; detection system and others devices.

Le travail présenté dans cette thèse repose sur l'expertise du groupe VeCSEL du l'Institut d'Électronique de Sud (IES) dans la conception, la réalisation et l'étude des VeCSEL dans le proche et le moyen infrarouge. Avant de s'engager dans le travail présenté ici, les VeCSELs développés au sein de notre laboratoire concernaient l'habituel fonctionnement monofréquence avec un faisceau TEM00, mais repoussé à forte puissance et à haute cohérence. L'objectif de cette thèse est d'aller au delà de cet état conventionnel, et explore d'autres états cohérents du photon, inhabituels dans le domaine de l'émission laser. Ces nouveaux états concernent aussi bien l'aspect transverse (spatial) que longitudinal (temporel) de l'onde. Plus particulièrement, l'émission laser de haute cohérence et de forte puissance sur les modes d'ordre supérieur Laguerre-Gauss dégénérés et non-dégénérés (vortex optiques), et les lasers large bande cohérents appelé aussi «~laser sans mode~». / The work presented in this thesis is based on the expertise of the VECSEL group of the Institut d'Électronique de Sud (IES) in the design, implementation and study of VECSEL in the near and mid infrared. Before engaging in the work presented here, the VeCSELs developed in our laboratory involved the usual single-frequency operation with a TEM 00 beam, but pushed to high power and high coherence. The objective of this thesis is to go beyond this conventional state and to explore other coherent states of the photon, unusual in the field of laser emission. These new states apply to both the transverse appearance (spatial) and longitudinal (time) of the wave. More specifically, the laser emission of high power and high coherence on the Laguerre-Gauss higher order modes degenerate and non-degenerate (optical vortex), and the wide band coherent lasers also called "modeless lasers".

The objective of this study was to develop a new method for co-crystal preparation which adhered to green chemistry principles, and provided advantages over conventional methods. A novel, solvent-free, high-power ultrasound (US) technique, for preparing co-crystals from binary systems, was chosen as the technology which could fulfil these aims. The application of this technology for solid state co-crystal preparation was explored for ibuprofen-nicotinamide (IBU-NIC), carbamazepine-nicotinamide (CBZ-NIC) and carbamazepine-saccharin (CBZ-SAC) co-crystals. The effect of different additives and processing parameters such as power level, temperature and sonication time on co-crystallisation was investigated. Characterisation was carried out using DSC, PXRD, FTIR, Raman and HPLC. In addition, an NIR prediction model was developed and combined with multivariate analysis (PLS) and chemometric pre-treatments. It was found to be a robust, reliable and rapid method for the determination of co-crystal purity for the IBU-NIC and CBZ-NIC pairs. Co-crystal quantification of US samples helped to optimise the US method. Finally, a model formulation of paracetamol containing 5% and 10% PEG 8000 was ultrasonicated at maximum power with different exposure times. A comparison of technological and physicochemical properties of the resulting tablets with those of the tablets obtained using the pressing method evidenced significant differences. This suggested that US energy dissipation (mechanical and thermal effects) was the main mechanism which caused the PAR form I tabletability to improve. It was found that the ultrasound–compacted tablets released the drug at a slower rate compared to pure PAR. This technique was shown to be useful for improving tabletability for low-compressible drugs without the need to use a conventional tabletting machine.

In Geräten und Anlagen des Stromnetzes werden Steckverbinder mit hoher Stromtragfähigkeit eingesetzt, wenn bewegliche Teile kontaktiert werden oder Betriebsmittel mit geringem Aufwand montier- und demontierbar sein müssen. Die elektrische Verbindung der Leiter wird dabei oft mit federnden Kontaktelementen realisiert. Die Kontaktelemente müssen als Teil der Strombahn während der Lebensdauer des Geräts den Betriebsstrom im Kiloampere-Bereich und im Fehlerfall bis zu einige Sekunden lang den eine Größenordnung höheren Kurzschlussstrom tragen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden Rechenmodelle für die innere Erwärmung von Hochstrom-Kontaktsystemen im stationären Dauerbetrieb und im transienten Kurzschlussfall entwickelt. Das elektrische und mechanische Langzeitverhalten im Temperaturbereich (105…180) °C wurde experimentell mit stromdurchflossenen, fettgeschmierten Modellsteckverbindern, die regelmäßig getrennt und neu gesteckt wurden, untersucht. Modellerstellung, Rechnungen und Versuche wurden beispielhaft mit Kontaktelementen vom Typ Multilam durchgeführt. Kontaktelemente und Leiter bestanden aus versilbertem Kupfer. Für das stationäre Betriebsverhalten wurden die mit der analytischen Spannungs-Temperatur-Beziehung nach Kohlrausch berechneten Ergebnisse mit einem Erwärmungsversuch verifiziert. Die Temperaturdifferenz zwischen Kontaktelement und Leiter ist bei Standardanwendungen, wie in Schaltanlagen, mit ≤ 3 K sehr klein. Deshalb ist die Leitertemperatur als Zielgröße beim Dimensionieren der Dauerstrombelastbarkeit ausreichend. Bei Kurzschlussstrombelastung wurde im Kontaktsystem eine schnelle, räumlich unterschiedlich ausgeprägte Erwärmung numerisch berechnet. Leiter und Kontaktelement erwärmen sich kontinuierlich, wobei die mittlere Endübertemperatur im Kontaktelement aufgrund des kleineren stromtragenden Querschnitts eine Größenordnung höher ist. Die Kontakte führen bei 50 Hz-Wechselstrom aufgrund ihrer vernachlässigbaren Wärmekapazität 100 Hz-Temperaturzyklen aus. Dabei können die Maximaltemperaturen noch deutlich größer als die mittlere Temperatur der Kontaktelemente sein. Im Langzeitversuch waren nach 16 000 h Betriebszeit bei 180 °C und regelmäßigen simulierten Steckvorgängen die Verbindungskräfte noch genügend groß, um die elektrischen Anforderungen eines neuen Kontaktsystems zu erfüllen. Allerdings führte bei einer Betriebstemperatur von 105 °C ein thermisch instabiles Schmierfett zum vorzeitigen elektrischen Ausfall eines Teils der Steckverbinder. / Switchgear and devices for the power grid use high-power connectors if moving parts have to be contacted or equipment shall be easily mountable and dismountable. The electrical connection of the conductors is often realized by spring-loaded contact elements. As part of the main circuit, contact elements must carry the full operating current in the kiloampere-range for the entire service life of the device. In case of a fault, the short-circuit current, which is one order of magnitude larger, has to be carried for up to several seconds. In this thesis, calculation models for the inner temperature rise of high-power contact systems in steady-state continuous operation, as well as for the transient short-circuit load case were developed. Electrical and mechanical long-term performance in the temperature range from 105 to 180 °C was experimentally investigated with current carrying, grease-lubricated model connectors which were regularly unplugged and replugged. Modelling, calculations and experiments were exemplarily carried out with Multilam contact elements. Conductors and contact element consisted of silver-plated copper. The analytical voltage-temperature relation was used to calculate the steady-state performance; calculations were verified with a temperature-rise test. The temperature difference from contact element to conductors is very small (≤ 3 K) for standard applications like switchgear. Thus, it is sufficient to use the conductor temperature as a criterion for the design of the continuous ampacity of high-power contact systems. At short-time load, a fast spatially inhomogeneous temperature rise was numerically calculated. Conductor and contact element continuously heat up; due to the smaller current carrying cross section, median final temperature rise in the contact element is one order of magnitude larger than in the conductors. Because of their negligible thermal capacity, contacts perform 100 Hz temperature cycles at 50 Hz AC load; the maximum contact temperatures may be significantly higher than the median temperature of the contact elements. In the long-term test, after 16 000 h operating time at 180 °C and regular plugging operations, contact elements maintained enough joint force to meet the requirements of a new contact system. At 105 °C however, a thermally instable grease led to electrical failure of part of the connectors.