YBCO Films Prepared by PLD Using Nanocrystalline Targets Doped With<tex>$hboxBaZrO_3$</tex>or Y211

Abstract

YBCO thin films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition from a pure nanocrystalline YBCO target and similar targets doped with BaZrO/sub 3/ or Y/sub 2/BaCuO/sub 5/ (Y211 phase) in order to investigate the effect of these impurities on magnetic flux pinning. The doped targets were pressed from nanopowders prepared by a sol-gel method from starting solutions whose nominal molar ratios corresponded to compositions YBCO+2.2 and 6.5 wt% BaZrO/sub 3/ and YBCO+3.0 wt% Y211 phase. The biggest changes in the superconducting properties relative to the films prepared from the pure target were observed in the films ablated from the BaZrO/sub 3/-doped targets. Although the doping reduces the critical temperature, the critical current density calculated from the hysteresis loops is significantly increased in external magnetic fields above 0.15 T. Addition of Y211 to the target is found not to be as effective for improving the flux pinning of the films in high magnetic fields as addition of the BaZrO/sub 3/. J/sub c/'s in zero field and 77 K were 1.2 MA/cm/sup 2/ in the pure YBCO film, 1.1 MA/cm/sup 2/ in the 2.2 wt% BaZrO/sub 3/ doped film and 3.2 MA/cm/sup 2/ in the 3.0 wt% Y211 doped film.