Self-Organized Nanocomposite Structure Controlled by Elemental Site Occupancy to Improve Vortex Pinning in YBa₂Cu₃O₇ Superconducting Films

To fabricate high performance YBa2Cu3O7 superconducting films and tapes, the critical current density (Jc) should be enhanced and the nanocomposite structure should be very effective in controlling the vortex pinning and Jc. Although the nanoscale morphology has been a basic parameter from the early stages of nanorod control, compositional factors should be discussed to effectively control not only the superconducting order parameter distribution but also the thermodynamic parameter relating to crystal growth. In this study, a double perovskite oxide, Ba2RENbO6 (RE = Yb, Lu), was incorporated in YBa2Cu3O7 films, where the site occupancy of the RE element is focused to control the nanocomposite structure. The elongated nanorods were formed in both the YBa2Cu3O7+Ba2YbNbO6 and YBa2Cu3O7+Ba2LuNbO6 films. While Lu mainly existed in the nanorods, Yb was observed not only in the nanorods but also in the matrix. As a result, at the fixed nanorod content, while the matching field was larger for the YBa2Cu3O7+Ba2YbNbO6 film, the Jc in the high magnetic field was larger for the YBa2Cu3O7+Ba2LuNbO6 film. The angular dependence of Jc depended on the RE due to the pinning contribution from the Y-rich nanoparticles. These are unconventional phenomena that are not observed in the YBa2Cu3O7+BaMO3 (M = Zr, Sn, Hf) films. Thus, the site occupancy of the RE element affects the Jc characteristics. The self-organization and the nanocomposite structure can be designed by considering the site occupancy as a variable parameter.