June 2012

Journal

Phase stability of cubic pyrochlore rare earth tantalate pinning additives in YBa2Cu3O7-δ superconductor

By:
Wee, Sung Hun ; Cantoni, Claudia ; Zuev, Yuri L; Specht, Eliot D; Goyal, Amit
Journal Name:
Superconductor Science & Technology
Page Number:
1174-1177
Volume:
95
Issue Number:
4
Publication Date:
June 2012
View DOI Listing:
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1551-2916.2012.05084.x

Abstract

Phase stability of cubic-pyrochlore-structured RE3TaO7 (RTO, where RE = rare earth elements) pinning additives in YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) superconductor and the pinning properties influenced by RTO addition into YBCO films were investigated. RTO completely reacts with YBCO and is converted to cubic-double-perovskite-structured Ba2RETaO6 (BRETO), a more thermodynamically stable tantalate phase within YBCO. In RTO-doped YBCO films, BRETO self-assembled nanocolumnns align along the c-axis of the film and play a major role in the improvement of flux pinning and Jc performance over wide magnetic field and angular ranges.