An investigation of the effect of self-assembled 3-dimensional BaZrO₃ nanostructures on the critical current density of second-generation superconducting coated conductors.

This study investigates the GdBa₂Cu₃O_7–x (Gd123) films with several types of self-assembled BaZrO₃ (BZO) nanostructure on the ion-beam-assisted deposited MgO (I-BAD) buffered with LaSrMnO₃ substrate by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The sample with additionally In-situ annealing between the BZO-doped-Gd123/BZO multilayer, the BZO-doped Gd123, and the BZO bilayer, reveals a three-dimensional (3D) BZO nanostructure network in the Gd123 matrix system, Which tremendously boosted the flux pinning force (F_p) and critical current density (J_C) under high magnetic fields along the ab-plane and c-axis. The studies on the resistance variation near transition temperature and the flux dynamic show that the flux pinning in the coated conductor with a 3D BZO nanostructure network is more 3D-like. This 3D BZO nanostructure network helps to coated conductor’s performance in J_C (extracted from transport and magnetic data) and angular dependence at the high magnetic field is superior to the current reported results, it could be further enhanced by optimizing BZO nanostructure conditions.