Structural analysis of a Σ5 grain boundary in YBa2Cu3O7δ

Abstract

One outstanding problem in YBa2Cu3O7−δ superconductors is the weak link behavior of grain boundaries, especially boundaries with a large-angle misorientation. Increasing evidence shows that lattice mismatch at the boundaries contributes to variations in oxygen and cation concentrations at the boundaries, while the strain field surrounding a dislocation core at the boundary suppresses the superconducting order parameter. Thus, understanding the structure of the grain boundary and the grain boundary dislocations (which describe the topology of the boundary) is essential in elucidating the superconducting characteristics of boundaries. Here, we discuss our study of the structure of a Σ5 grain boundary by transmission electron microscopy. The characterization of the structure of the boundary was based on the coincidence site lattice (CSL) model.Fig.l shows two-beam images of the grain boundary near the projection. An array of grain boundary dislocations, with spacings of about 30nm, is clearly visible in Fig. 1(a), but invisible in Fig. 1(b).