Je(4.2 K, 31.2 T) beyond 1 kA/mm2 of a ~3.2 μm thick, 20 mol% Zr-added MOCVD REBCO coated conductor

• Published in: Scientific reports 2017-07, Vol.7 (1)
• Main Authors: Xu, A., Zhang, Y., Gharahcheshmeh, M. Heydari, Yao, Y., Galstyan, E., Abraimov, D., Kametani, F., Polyanskii, A., Jaroszynski, J., Griffin, V., Majkic, G., Larbalestier, D. C., Selvamanickam, V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 639/301; 639/925; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06881-x

A main challenge that significantly impedes REBa 2 Cu 3 O x (RE = rare earth) coated conductor applications is the low engineering critical current density J e because of the low superconductor fill factor in a complicated layered structure that is crucial for REBa 2 Cu 3 O x to carry supercurrent. Recently, we have successfully achieved engineering critical current density beyond 2.0 kA/mm 2 at 4.2 K and 16 T, by growing thick REBa 2 Cu 3 O x layer, from ∼1.0 μm up to ∼3.2 μm, as well as controlling the pinning microstructure. Such high engineering critical current density, the highest value ever observed so far, establishes the essential role of REBa 2 Cu 3 O x coated conductors for very high field magnet applications. We attribute such excellent performance to the dense c -axis self-assembled BaZrO 3 nanorods, the elimination of large misoriented grains, and the suppression of big second phase particles in this ~3.2 μm thick REBa 2 Cu 3 O x film.