Significantly enhanced critical current density and pinning force in nanostructured, (RE)BCO-based, coated conductor.

Goyal, A; Kumar, R; Yuan, H; Hamada, N; Galluzzi, A; Polichetti, M · Nat Commun · 2024

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

High-temperature superconducting wires have many large-scale, niche applications such as commercial nuclear fusion as well as numerous other large-scale applications in the electric power industry and in the defense, medical and transportation industries. However, the price/performance metric of these coated conductor wires is not yet favorable to enable and realize most large-scale applications. Here we report on probing the limits of J<sub>c</sub> (H, T) possible via defect engineering in heteroepitaxially deposited high-temperature superconducting thin-films on coated conductor substrates used for long-length wire fabrication. We report record values of J<sub>c</sub> (H, T) and pinning force, F<sub>p</sub> (H, T) in (RE)BCO films with self-assembled BaZrO<sub>3</sub> nanocolumns deposited on a coated conductor substrate. A J<sub>c</sub> of ~190 MA/cm<sup>2</sup> at 4.2 K, self-field and ~90 MA/cm<sup>2</sup>, at 4.2 K, 7 T was measured. At 20 K, J<sub>c</sub> of over 150 MA/cm<sup>2</sup> at self-field and over 60 MA/cm<sup>2</sup> at 7 T was observed. A very high pinning force, F<sub>p</sub>, of ~6.4 TN/m<sup>3</sup> and ~4.2 TN/m<sup>3</sup> were observed at 7 T, 4.2 K and 7 T, 20 K respectively. We report on the highest values of J<sub>c</sub> and F<sub>p</sub> obtained to date for all fields and operating temperatures from 4.2 K to 77 K. These results demonstrate that significant performance enhancements and hence far more favorable price/performance metrics are possible in commercial high-temperature superconducting wires.