Enhanced Flux Pinning and Critical Current Density via Incorporation of Self-Assembled Rare-Earth Barium Tantalate Nanocolumns within YBa2Cu3O7-δ Films

We report rare earth barium tantalates, Ba2RETaO6 (BRETO, RE = rare earth elements) as a new class of additives for superior flux-pinning in YBa2Cu3O7- (YBCO) films. BRETO compounds have excellent chemical inertness to and large lattice mismatch with YBCO. This results in phase separation and strain minimization driven self-assembly of BRETO nanocolumns within YBCO films. YBCO+4 vol% Ba2GdTaO6 films show similar Tc to that of an un-doped film of ~ 88.3 K, a higher self-field Jc of 3.8 MA/cm2 at 77 K, and significantly improved in-field Jc higher by a factor of 1.5-6 over entire magnetic field and angular ranges.