Article abstract
Nature Materials 6, 367 - 373 (2007)
Published online: 22 April 2007 | doi:10.1038/nmat1893
Subject Categories: Sensors and biosensors | Nanoscale materials
Strong isotropic flux pinning in solution-derived YBa2Cu3O7-x nanocomposite superconductor films
J. Gutiérrez1,2, A. Llordés1,2, J. Gázquez1, M. Gibert1, N. Romà1, S. Ricart1, A. Pomar1, F. Sandiumenge, N. Mestres1, T. Puig1 & X. Obradors1
Abstract
Power applications of superconductors will be tremendously boosted if an effective method for magnetic flux immobilization is discovered. Here, we report the most efficient vortex-pinning mechanism reported so far which, in addition, is based on a low-cost chemical solution deposition technique. A dense array of defects in the superconducting matrix is induced in YBa2Cu3O7-x–BaZrO3 nanocomposites where BaZrO3 nanodots are randomly oriented. Non-coherent interfaces are the driving force for generating a new type of nanostructured superconductor. Angle-dependent critical-current measurements demonstrate that a strong and isotropic flux-pinning mechanism is extremely effective at high temperatures and high magnetic fields leading to high-temperature superconductors with record values of pinning force. The maximum vortex-pinning force achieved at 65 K, 78 GN m-3, is 500% higher than that of the best low-temperature NbTi superconductors at 4.2 K and so a great wealth of high-field applications will be possible at high temperatures.
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, C.S.I.C., Campus U.A. Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
- These authors equally contributed to this work
Correspondence to: X. Obradors1 e-mail: xavier.obradors@icmab.es
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