High critical currents in heavily doped (Gd,Y)Ba{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} superconductor tapes

Journal Article · Mon Jan 19 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4906205· OSTI ID:22415151

Gharahcheshmeh, M. Heydari; Xu, A.; Galstyan, E.; Delgado, L. ^[1]; Cantoni, C. ^[2]

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1. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Rd., Houston, Texas 77204-4006 (United States)
2. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37381 (United States)

REBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} ((REBCO), RE = rare earth) superconductor tapes with moderate levels of dopants have been optimized for high critical current density in low magnetic fields at 77 K, but they do not exhibit exemplary performance in conditions of interest for practical applications, i.e., temperatures less than 50 K and fields of 2–30 T. Heavy doping of REBCO tapes has been avoided by researchers thus far due to deterioration in properties. Here, we report achievement of critical current densities (J{sub c}) above 20 MA/cm{sup 2} at 30 K, 3 T in heavily doped (25 mol. % Zr-added) (Gd,Y)Ba{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} superconductor tapes, which is more than three times higher than the J{sub c} typically obtained in moderately doped tapes. Pinning force levels above 1000 GN/m{sup 3} have also been attained at 20 K. A composition map of lift factor in J{sub c} (ratio of J{sub c} at 30 K, 3 T to the J{sub c} at 77 K, 0 T) has been developed which reveals the optimum film composition to obtain lift factors above six, which is thrice the typical value. A highly c-axis aligned BaZrO{sub 3} (BZO) nanocolumn defect density of nearly 7 × 10{sup 11 }cm{sup −2} as well as 2–3 nm sized particles rich in Cu and Zr have been found in the high J{sub c} films.

• OSTI ID: 22415151
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 3; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
CRITICAL CURRENT
CUPRATES
CURRENT DENSITY
DOPED MATERIALS
FILMS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC FLUX
RARE EARTHS
SUPERCONDUCTORS
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0013-0065 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K
YTTRIUM
ZIRCONATES