Critical currents in vicinal YBa2_2Cu3_3O7−δ_{7-\delta} films

Most measurements of critical current densities in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$ thin films to date have been performed on films where the \textit{c}-axis is grown normal to the film surface. With such films, the analysis of the dependence of $j_c$ on the magnetic field angle is complex. The effects of extrinsic contributions to the angular field dependence of $j_c$, such as the measurement geometry and disposition of pinning centres, are convoluted with those intrinsically due to the anisotropy of the material. As a consequence of this, it is difficult to distinguish between proposed FLL structure models on the basis of angular critical current density measurements on \textit{c}-axis films. Films grown on mis-cut (vicinal) substrates have a reduced measurement symmetry and thus provide a greater insight into the critical current anisotropy. In this paper previous descriptions of the magnetic field angle dependence of $j_c$ in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$ are reviewed. Measurements on YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$ thin films grown on a range of vicinal substrates are presented and the results interpreted in terms of the structure and dimensionality of the FLL in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$. There is strong evidence for a transition in the structure of the flux line lattice depending on magnetic field magnitude, orientation and temperature. As a consequence, a simple scaling law can not, by itself, describe the observed critical current anisotropy in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$. The experimentally obtained $j_c(\theta)$ behaviour of YBCO is successfully described in terms of a kinked vortex structure for fields applied near parallel to the \textit{a-b} planes.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures, Submitted to PR

Assessment of flatness and symmetry of megavoltage x-ray beam with an electronic portal imaging device (EPID)

Copyright © 2002 ACPSEM. All rights reserved. The document attached has been archived with permission from the publisher.The input/output characteristics of the Wellhofer BIS 710 electronic portal imaging device (EPID) have been investigated to establish its efficacy for periodic quality assurance (QA) applications. Calibration curves have been determined for the energy fluence incident on the detector versus the pixel values. The effect of the charge coupled device (CCD) camera sampling time and beam parameters (such as beam field size, dose rate, photon energy) on the calibration have been investigated for a region of interest (ROI) around the central beam axis. The results demonstrate that the pixel output is a linear function of the incident exposure, as expected for a video-based electronic portal imaging system. The field size effects of the BIS 710 are similar to that of an ion chamber for smaller field sizes up to 10 x 10 cm2. However, for larger field sizes the pixel value increases more rapidly. Furthermore, the system is slightly sensitive to dose rate and is also energy dependent. The BIS 710 has been used in the current study to develop a QA procedure for measurements of flatness and symmetry of a linac x-ray beam. As a two-dimensional image of the radiation field is obtained from a single exposure of the BIS 710, a technique has been developed to calculate flatness and symmetry from a defined radiation area. The flatness and symmetry values obtained are different from those calculated conventionally from major axes only (inplane, crossplane). This demonstrates that the technique can pick up the "cold" and "hot" spots in the analysed area, providing thus more information about the radiation beam. When calibrated against the water tank measurements, the BIS 710 can be used as a secondary device to monitor the x-ray beam flatness and symmetry.G. Liu, T. van Doorn and E. Beza

The effect of thickness on the magnetic properties of melt-processed YBCO thick films

Magnetic properties of melt-processed YBa2Cu3O 7-delta thick films have been measured and correlated with features in the microstructure at 4.2 and 77 K for film thicknesses between 50 and 140 mu m. A pronounced peak has been observed in both the measured volume magnetization and calculated length scale over which current flows at a film thickness of approximately 53 mu m and 4.2 K in fields of up to 10 T. An intra 'hub-spoke' (H-S) type grain current dominates the volume magnetization at this film thickness. Measurements at 77 K, on the other hand, exhibit a peak at 80 mu m, the magnitude of which varies significantly with applied field. This correlates well with observed increased connectivity between individual H-S grains and may be accounted for by the flow of inter H-S grain current. The H-S grains transform to a more granular microstructure for films greater than approximately 100 mu m thick which is characterized by the presence of smaller diameter current-carrying loops. This is observed as a decrease in the volume magnetization at 4.2 K and a levelling off of this parameter at 77 K with increasing film thickness. Further evidence for the presence of intra H-S and inter H-S grain critical current densities at 4.2 K in films up to a thickness of 80 mu m has been observed from length-scale analysis as a function of the difference between maximum and applied magnetic field. A qualitative model for the volume magnetization of the films at 4.2 K in terms of individual contributions from intra H-S grain, inter H-S grain and granular Jc components is proposed

Investigation of critical state in melt processed YBa<inf>2</inf>Cu<inf>3</inf>O<inf>7-δ</inf> thick films

The magnetic moment of square planar melt processed YBa2Cu3O7-δ thick films is observed to scale with the cube of the sample width at 4.2 K, suggesting that current flow on the length scale of the film determines its magnetization at this temperature. A well-defined discontinuity in slope in the scaling data at a sample width corresponding to the average grain size (≈2 mm) implies the coexistence of distinct intra- and inter-grain critical current densities of 1.1 × 105Acm-2 and 0.4 × 105Acm-2 at 1 T and 4.2 K. The presence of a critical state in the films at 4.2T is confirmed by removing the central section from a specimen. The observed change in magnetic moment is in excellent agreement with theory for fields greater than ≈2 T. A critical state is not observed at 77 K which suggests that the grains are only weakly coupled at the higher temperature. © 1994

Induction of superconductivity in pulsed laser ablated La2CuO4 thin films by post-deposition fluorination

Pulsed laser ablation has been used to fabricate La2CuO4 thin films. Superconducting properties have been successfully induced in the films by an ex-situ, post-ablation annealing process in F2 gas resulting in a Tc (onset) of 36 K. The presence of two slightly different c-axis expanded phases in the X-ray diffraction data of the fluorinated films implies a degree of inhomogeneity in F2 uptake. Critical current densities (Jc) and the irreversibility line have been established from hysteresis cycles. A Jc of ∼ 106 A cm-2 for a typical film was observed at 10 K in zero field

Correlation of transport and magnetic critical currents in melt-processed YBa<inf>2</inf>Cu<inf>3</inf>O<inf>7-δ</inf> thick films

Transport critical current measurements have been carried out on melt-processed thick films of YBa2Cu3O7-δ on yttria-stabilized zirconia in fields of up to 8 T both within grains and across grain boundaries. These measurements yield Jc values of ∼3000 A cm-2 at 4.2 K and zero magnetic field and 400 A cm -2 at 77 K and zero magnetic field, taking the entire sample width as the definitive dimension. Optical and scanning electron microscopy reveals that the thick-film grains consist typically of a central "hub" region ∼50 μm in diameter, which is well connected to radial subgrains or "spokes" which extend ∼1 mm to define the complete grain structure. Attempts have been made to correlate the transport measurements of inter- and intra-hub-and-spoke (H-S) critical current with values of this parameter derived previously from magnetization measurements. Analysis of the transport measurements indicates that current flow through H-S grains is constrained to paths along the spokes via the grain hub. Taking the size of the hub as the definitive dimension yields an intra-H-S grain Jc of ∼60 000 A cm-2 at 4.2 K and 0 T, which is in reasonable agreement with the magnetization data. Experiments in which the hub is removed from individual grains confirm that this feature determines critically the J c of the film