An industrial R&D programme is ongoing at SuperOx, aimed at improving 2G HTS wire performance in magnetic field. We introduce perovskite artificial pinning centres (APC) into the HTS layer matrix. In contrast to most studies described in the literature, we use the high rate production processing parameters and PLD equipment at SuperOx. This paper reports the results of Phase I of this programme. We fabricated 2G HTS wires by pulsed laser deposition of GdBCO films doped with 6%, 12% and 18% (molar) of BaSnO3 and 6% (molar) of BaZrO3, and compared their performance with an undoped reference sample. The depositions were carried out at production growth rates of 375, 560 and 750 nm min−1 by varying laser pulse frequency. BaZrO3 and BaSnO3 formed columnar semi-coherent nanoinclusions in the GdBCO film matrix. The average transverse size of the nanocolumns was about 5 nm, and their volume density correlated with the dopant concentration. All doped samples exhibited much lower angular anisotropy of in-field critical current and higher lift-factors than the undoped sample. Samples containing 6% BaSnO3 and deposited at the lower growth rates, had higher Ic than the undoped sample in the entire temperature range, in a wide range of magnetic field (B//c). The sample containing 6% BaZrO3 had higher Ic than the undoped sample at 20 and 4.2 K. These results are an encouraging start of our programme, as they show a positive impact of APC introduced into 2G HTS wires fabricated at production throughput. Phase II work will be focussed on maximising the improvements in specific temperature and field conditions, as well as on the verification of reproducibility of the improvements in production wires.

Stacks of high temperature superconducting tape have proved to trap in laboratory conditions levels of magnetic flux density one order of magnitude above actual state-of-the-art permanent magnets. Their simple manufacturing, high mechanical properties and intrinsic resistance to sudden quench greatly facilitate their utilization in industrial applications, amongst them, as source of magnetic flux density in the rotor of electrical machines. For this to happen, the currents induced in the superconducting layers of the stack must not be disturbed during operation. This work studies in experimental conditions the demagnetization of a stack rotating in the airgap of an electrical motor under slot and winding induced crossfield components, whose values are estimated via conventional 2-D finite element analysis. The results are congruent with previous laboratory studies and show small long-term demagnetization rates that may allow operation for time spans longer than initially established.

We have studied the influence of BaZrO3 nanoinclusions on the local structure and critical current density of second-generation high temperature superconducting tapes based on YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) films. The films were made by metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The crystal and local structure of the materials under study were analysed by x-ray diffraction and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (EXAFS + XANES). We have found that, being added at MOCVD process, Zr forms BaZrO3 nanoinclusions in YBCO matrix. The distance between Zr and the neighboring atoms is shorter than that one in a bulk crystalline BaZrO3, so we conclude that the nanoinclusions are in compressed state. The incorporation of 5 mol% BaZrO3 minimizes the static disorder of Cu–O bonds and maximizes their stiffness in YBCO. We show that the local structure peculiarities correlate well with the observed critical current behavior and consider this to be additional evidence in favor of small amounts of BaZrO3 nanoinclusions as efficient pinning centers.

The trapped field strength of HTSC stacks were measured in the temperature range T=4-80 K and dc magnetic fields up to 8 Т. A single 12 mm by 12 mm square samples were cut from commercial (RE)BCO tape 12 mm wide and then stacked together. The number of layers in the stacks was varied from n=5 to n=250. Trapped field strength was measured by means of Hall probe which was placed directly on the stacks surface. The dependences of remnant field strength B rem on number of layers in the stacks at different temperature B rem (n) as well as on temperature dependences B rem (T) at various n were obtained. It was found that B rem (n) dependences have a nonlinear character with a tendency to saturation for n > 60. The maximum remnant (trapped) field was found to be more than 2.5 Т at T=4 К. The relaxation of trapped field was studied also and it was determined that the rate of relaxation processes tends to decrease with the increase in a number of tapes in the stack. The correlation between dependency B rem (n) and dependency of magnetic levitation force measured at T=77 K at zero field cooling were found.

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