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An evaluation of phase separated, self-assembled LaMnO3-MgO nanocomposite films directly on IBAD-MgO as buffer layers for flux pinning enhancements in YBa2Cu3O7-δ coated conductors

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Abstract

Technological applications of high temperature superconductors (HTS) require high critical current density, Jc, under operation at high magnetic field strengths. This requires effective flux pinning by introducing artificial defects through creative processing. In this work, we evaluated the feasibility of mixed-phase LaMnO3:MgO (LMO:MgO) films as a potential cap buffer layer for the epitaxial growth and enhanced performance of YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) films. Such composite films were sputter deposited directly on IBAD-MgO templates (with no additional homo-epitaxial MgO layer) and revealed the formation of two phase-separated, but at the same time vertically aligned, self-assembled composite nanostructures that extend throughout the entire thickness of the film. The YBCO coatings deposited on these nanostructured cap layers showed correlated c-axis pinning and improved in-field Jc performance compared to those of YBCO films fabricated on standard LMO buffers. Microstructural characterization revealed additional extended disorder in the YBCO matrix. The present results demonstrate the feasibility of novel and potentially practical approaches in the pursuit of more efficient, economical, and high performance superconducting devices.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831, USA

    Özgür Polat, Tolga Aytug, Parans M. Paranthaman, Keith J. Leonard, Andrew R. Lupini, Steve J. Pennycook, Harry M. Meyer, Kim Kim, Xiaofeng Qiu, Sylvester Cook, James R. Thompson, David K. Christen & Amit Goyal

  2. Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37996, USA

    Özgür Polat & James R. Thompson

  3. SuperPower, Inc., Schenectady, New York, 12304, USA

    Xumin Xiong & Venkat Selvamanickam

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  1. Özgür Polat
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  2. Tolga Aytug
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Correspondence to Tolga Aytug.

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Polat, Ö., Aytug, T., Paranthaman, P.M. et al. An evaluation of phase separated, self-assembled LaMnO3-MgO nanocomposite films directly on IBAD-MgO as buffer layers for flux pinning enhancements in YBa2Cu3O7-δ coated conductors. Journal of Materials Research 25, 437–443 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2010.0073

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