Enhanced trapped magnetic field in bulk (Gd, Y, Er) Ba2Cu3O7-y via varied liquid sources in top-seeded infiltration growth process

Abstract

The practical applications of the bulk superconductors are determined by the trapped field (TF) and its overall performance. This study aims to demonstrate the effect of various compositions of liquid sources on the trapped field performance of bulk superconductors fabricated using the Top-Seeded Infiltration Growth process (TSIG) in air. We utilized a combination of different liquid sources, Ba3Cu5O8, Yb2O3: BaCuO2: CuO (1:10:6) and ErBa2Cu3Oy + Ba3Cu5O8 (1:1) to fabricate the ternary bulk (Gd, Y, Er) Ba2Cu3O7-y (Gd, Y, Er)-123. The use of these liquid sources demonstrated a pivotal role in fabricating single-domain bulks, showcasing significant variation in the trapped field performance. Specifically, the bulk fabricated using ErBa2Cu3Oy + Ba3Cu5O8 (1:1) as a liquid source exhibited the best-trapped field performance, showcasing an improvement of 42.92 % compared to the bulk obtained using conventional Ba3Cu5O8 as the liquid source. An enhancement in the critical current density below 77 K was observed in the bulk material produced utilizing Ba3Cu5O8 as the liquid source, with a Jc (3T, 50 K) value reaching 244 kA/cm2. The flux pinning force density (Fp) was analyzed for all samples to understand the pinning mechanisms in ternary (Gd, Y, Er)-123 bulk materials. Furthermore, the maximum trapped field for a 30 mm bulk sample fabricated using a mixture of ErBa2Cu3Oy + Ba3Cu5O8 (1:1) was measured at 0.336T. These results emphasize the potential for enhancing or controlling the trapped field performance of the TSIG-processed RE-123 bulks by optimizing the liquid source according to the intended applications of the bulk.