Optimum heat treatment to enhance the weak-linkresponse of Y123 nanowires prepared by SolutionBlow Spinning

TL;DR

This study identifies optimal heat treatment conditions, specifically sintering at 925°C for one hour, to enhance the weak-link response of Y123 nanowires produced via Solution Blow Spinning, improving their superconducting properties.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of heat treatment parameters for Y123 nanowires made by Solution Blow Spinning, optimizing their superconducting weak-link response.

Findings

Maximum weak-link critical temperature at 925°C/1h sintering.

Nanowire diameter approximately 350 nm across samples.

Enhanced diamagnetic response at optimal sintering conditions.

Abstract

Although the production of YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{7-\delta}$ (Y123) has been extensively reported, there is still a lack of information on the ideal heat treatment to produce this material in the form of one dimension nanostructures. Thus, by means of the Solution Blow Spinning technique, metals embedded in polymer fibers were prepared. These polymer composite fibers were fired and then investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. The maximum sintering temperatures of heat treatment were chosen in the interval \SI{850}{\celsius}-\SI{925}{\celsius} for one hour under oxygen flux. SEM images allowed us to determine the wire diameter as approximately 350~nm for all samples, as well as to map the evolution of the entangled wire morphology with the sintering temperature. XRD analysis indicated the presence of Y123 and secondary phases in all samples. Ac magnetic susceptibility and dc magnetization measurements demonstrated that the sample sintered at \SI{925}{\celsius}/1h is the one with the highest weak-link critical temperature and the largest diamagnetic response.