YBCO single crystal grown by the SRL-CP method under low oxygen partial pressure atmosphere

Abstract

Single crystals of YBa2Cu3O7-x(Y123) were grown by a modified top-seeded crystal pulling method using a BaO-CuO solution with the solid Y2BaCuO5(Y211) as a solute in yttria crucible (so called the Solute Rich Liquid-Crystal Pulling (SRL-CP) method) under a 2 % oxygen partial pressure atmosphere (P(O2)=0.02 atm). The Y123 crystal growth temperature was lower under 0.02 atm oxygen pressure than that under 0.21 atm oxygen pressure. Twin-free tetragonal Y123 single crystals were grown under P(O2)=0.02 atm and cooled under pure nitrogen gas atmosphere after the separation of crystal from a solution.