Abstract: The invention relates to a high-temperature superconductor lead element including a plurality of lengths of high-temperature superconductor electrically connected in a non-collinear configuration, for example, next to and parallel with each other, to increase the thermal length of the lead element. A proximal end of a first of the lengths is configured for thermal connection to a warm thermal element and a distal end of a last of the lengths is configured for thermal connection to a cold thermal element. Each length of high-temperature superconductor includes a high-temperature superconductor plate having an electrically insulative support and a plurality of high-temperature superconductor tapes mounted, in a linear array, on the support. A plurality of high-temperature superconductor plates are arranged with their longitudinal axis parallel to form a cylindrical lead with "bad" self-fields in each plate being substantially cancelled by self-fields in neighboring plates.