Optimum heat treatment to enhance the weak-link response of Y123 nanowires prepared by Solution Blow Spinning

Abstract

Although the production of YBa2Cu3O7-δ (Y123) has been extensively reported, there is still a lack of information on the ideal heat treatment to produce this material in the form of one dimension nanostructures. Thus, by means of the Solution Blow Spinning technique, metals embedded in polymer fibers were prepared. These polymer composite fibers were fired and then investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. The maximum sintering temperatures of heat treatment were chosen in the interval 850 °C–925 °C for 1 h under oxygen flux. SEM images allowed us to determine the wire diameter as approximately 350 nm for all samples, as well as to map the evolution of the entangled wire morphology with the sintering temperature. XRD analysis indicated the presence of Y123 and secondary phases in all samples. Ac magnetic susceptibility and dc magnetization measurements demonstrated that the sample sintered at 925 °C/1 h is the one with the highest weak-link critical temperature and the largest diamagnetic response.

Magnetic field induced weak-to-strong-link transformation in patterned superconducting films

“…Particularly, the overall critical current density (J c ) of HTSC is affected by an angulardependent deterioration of J c along grain boundaries [33,34], motivating the development of specialized fabrication techniques [35][36][37][38]. Improving critical currents in HTSC and low-critical-temperature materials remains an active research topic [39][40][41][42][43][44].…”

Superconducting Properties and Electron Scattering Mechanisms in a Nb Film with a Single Weak-Link Excavated by Focused Ion Beam

“…Many superconducting materials are inherently comprised by arrangements of two distinctive regions: grains, which present bulky superconductivity, and WLs, at which the superconducting properties are partially or completely suppressed. For instance, these weak-link regions can be junctions of conducting, insulating, or weaker superconducting materials between neighboring grains [ 38 , 39 ], misaligned grain boundaries in polycrystalline samples [ 40 ], areas penetrated by magnetic fields [ 41 ], and nonstoichiometric material among the grains – a prominent feature in ceramic specimens [ 42 ]. Although WLs are essential to some superconducting devices, most notably SQUIDs that take advantage of the Josephson Effect to measure magnetic fields with unmatched accuracy [ 43 ], their presence deteriorates the overall connectivity of the grains as a result of different inter- and intragrain critical current densities [ 42 ].…”