Effect of high-intensity ultrasound on superconducting properties of polycrystalline YBCO

TL;DR

This study investigates how high-intensity ultrasound affects the grain structure and superconducting transition temperature of polycrystalline YBCO, revealing potential for enhanced superconductor performance.

Contribution

It introduces a novel sonication method to modify YBCO's grain morphology and incorporate magnetic nanoparticles, improving flux pinning properties.

Findings

Sonication modifies grain morphology and increases transition temperature with oxygen flow.

Fe(CO)$_5$ addition deposits magnetic nanoparticles on YBCO surfaces.

Nanocomposites with nanoparticles could serve as high-pinning superconducting materials.

Abstract

High intensity ultrasonic irradiation (sonication) of alkane slurries of polycrystalline \ybco leads to a significant modification of the grain morphology and, if performed with enforced oxygen flow, results in the increase of the superconducting transition temperature. Sonication with added Fe(CO)$_5$ produces magnetic \fe2o3 nanoparticles deposited on the surface of \ybco (YBCO) granules. Upon sintering these nanoparticles should act as efficient pinning centers utilizing both condensation and magnetic contributions to the free energy. The developed method could become a major technique to produce practically useful high-pinning nanocomposite materials based on \ybco superconductor.