Three-dimensional analysis of BaZrO3 pinning centers gives isotropic superconductivity in GdBa2Cu3O7−δ

Abstract

BaZrO 3 doped GdBa2Cu3O7−δ superconductor was prepared by pulsed layer deposition using a KrF excimer laser, which showed isotropic characteristics of critical current density, JC, for magnetic-field orientations, ∼4.0×109 A m−2 at 1.0 T. Microstructural and morphological characterization of resulting artificial pinning centers were conducted by transmission electron microscopy and electron tomography, which confirmed the presence of one-dimensional artificial pinning centers, BaZrO3 nanorods. Since there is noticeable anisotropy from GdBa2Cu3O7−δ superconductor without doping BaZrO3, the pinning observed for all magnetic-field orientations are due to the high density and high dispersion of these BaZrO3 nanorods with very wide angular distributions.