Fabrication and superconducting properties of ternary REBa sub(2)Cu sub(3)O sub(y) thin films

Thin films of ternary REBa sub(2)Cu sub(3)O sub(y) (RE = Y sub(0.33)R sub(0.33)Nd sub(0.33 ), R = Ho, Gd, and Eu) were grown by pulsed laser deposition technique. The films showed an onset of T sub(c) around 90 K and a sharp transition with a width of [similar to]1.5 K. Microstructural investigations using AFM revealed that the morphology of the grain growth is mainly controlled by step growth mechanism. The individual grains are observed to merge to form elongated grains. X-ray diffraction pattern showed the grains to be oriented along c-axis. Magnetisation measurements using SQUID magnetometer displayed highest J sub(c), 3.5 x 10 super(7) A/cm super(2) at 77 K, 0 T field in (Y sub(0.33)Ho sub(0.33 )Nd sub(0.33))Ba sub(2) Cu sub(3)O sub(y) films, where the difference in ionic radii between the RE atoms is maximum. copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.