Processing of bulk Sm–Ba–Cu–O nano-composite superconductors

Nano-scale Sm2Ba4CuMOy (Sm-2411) phase inclusions have been introduced into the Sm-123 single grain using a top seeded melt growth technique. Microstructural features of SmBa2Cu3O7 containing Sm2Ba4CuMOy phase inclusions and their influence on the Jc(B) performance of single grain composites have been presented in this paper. The presence of Sm-2411 nano-scale inclusions is observed generally to improve both Jc over a wide range of magnetic fields and the irreversibility field of bulk Sm–Ba–Cu–O superconductors.