Enhancement of critical current density of YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films by nanoscale CeO2 pretreatment of substrate surfaces

• Published in: Physica. C, Superconductivity Superconductivity, 2007-11, Vol.466 (1-2), p.1-4
• Main Authors: CUI, X. M, LIU, G. Q, WANG, J, HUANG, Z. C, ZHAO, Y. T, TAO, B. W, LI, Y. R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Critical currents; Exact sciences and technology; High-tc films; Physics; Properties of type I and type II superconductors; Superconducting films and low-dimensional structures; Superconductivity; Vortex lattices ,flux pinning, flux creep
• ISSN: 0921-4534; 1873-2143
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physc.2007.04.223

YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) films were prepared on single-crystal SrTiO3 substrates with metal-organic deposition using trifluoroacetates (TFA-MOD). Positive results have been acquired in controlled study to investigate the effects of substrate surface modification on the growth-induced flux-pinning nanostructures in YBCO films. Nanoscale CeO2 particles were applied to single-crystal SrTiO3 substrate surfaces using pulsed laser deposition before YBCO precursors coating. Superconducting properties of the YBCO films grown on the controlled CeO2-modified substrates have shown substantial improvement in the critical current densities (Jc) at 77K over those grown on untreated substrates in almost all the field (78% increment at 1T,77K). We think the reason is that the CeO2 nanoparticles act as pinning centers.