Influence of BaSnO3 nanoparticle dispersions on the flux-pinning properties of GdBa2Cu3O7−δ thin films

Abstract

The flux-pinning properties of pulsed-laser-deposited GdBa2Cu3O7−δ (GdBCO) thin films with the addition of BaSnO3 (BSO) nanoparticles were investigated. BSO nanoparticles were created on 50-nm-thick GdBCO buffer layers; then, GdBCO superconducting layers were deposited on top of the nanoparticles to produce ∼ 300-nm-thick films. The number of laser pulses was varied from 10 to 120 pulses in order to control the density and the size of the BSO nanoparticles. Magnetization data measured at 77 K showed that the critical current density (Jc) was enhanced in the GdBCO films with diluted BSO additions and that the maximum Jc enhancement was achieved using 40 pulses of a BSO deposition. The Jc enhancements were attributed to creations of pinning centers through BSO nanoparticle dispersions inside GdBCO matrix