Comparison of the superconducting properties in GdBCO bulk superconductors fabricated with two different solid phases

• Published in: Superconductor science & technology Vol. 28; no. 3; pp. 35004 - 8
• Main Authors: Wang, Miao, Yang, Wan-Min, Li, Jia-Wei, Feng, Zhong-Ling, Yang, Peng-Tao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 01.03.2015
• Subjects: Bulk sampling; GdBCO bulk superconductor; Infiltration; Microstructure; Morphology; new solid phase; Raw materials; Solid phases; Stability; Superconductivity; Superconductors; TSIG process
• ISSN: 0953-2048; 1361-6668
• DOI: 10.1088/0953-2048/28/3/035004

In this paper, we investigated the two fabrication processes of single-domain GdBCO bulk superconductors with new solid phase sources (NSPs) and conventional solid phase sources (CSPs) by the modified top-seeded infiltration and growth (TSIG) technique. The CSPs is Gd2BaCuO5 powder, and the NSPs is made of a mixture of powders of Gd2O3 and BaCuO2. The reaction of the solid phase, morphology, microstructure and superconducting properties of the GdBCO samples were investigated. The properties of the sample with the NSPs have been improved compared with those of the sample fabricated by the CSPs. It is found that the improvement method cannot only increase the stability of the sample to complete the growth of the whole bulk during the TSIG process at a high temperature but also economize the raw material and experimental time. The results are helpful to us for the fabrication of large-grain single-domain GdBCO bulk superconductors using the improvement process method.