Microstructure and superconducting properties of high-rate PLD-derived GdBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ coated conductors with BaSnO 3 and BaZrO 3 pinning centers

The microstructure of GdBa2Cu3O7−δ based on superconducting tapes with BaSnO3 and BaZrO3 artificial pinning centers formed by high-rate pulse laser deposition in SuperOx Japan was studied by scanning/transmission electron microscopy. The artificial pinning centers have adopted columnar morphology with average diameter of about 8 nm (BaSnO3-doped sample) and 6.5 nm (BaZrO3-doped sample) and density of 500 μm−2 for the both samples. The average length of the BaSnO3 nanocolumns is about two times higher than the BaZrO3 nanocolumns. The angular dependences of critical current in magnetic field up to 1 Tesla at 77 and 65 K have been obtained. The critical current and its anisotropy depend on artificial pinning centers presence and their type. The angular dependence of resistivity in the field up to 9 Tesla was also studied and discussed.