| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1818035 | Physica C: Superconductivity and its Applications | 2014 | 7 Pages |
•Results of high resolution electron microscope studies of YBa2Cu3O7−δ are reported.•Nm-sized structural inhomogeneity has been revealed.•We relate nanostructural inhomogeneity with local cation nonstoichiometry.•Influence of nanoinhomogeneity on the properties of YBa2Cu3O7−δ is discussed.
Analytical and high resolution electron microscopic studies of YBa2Cu3O7−δ samples with the tetragonal and orthorhombic structure have revealed a deviation of cation composition from the stoichiometric ratio Y:Ba:Cu = 1:2:3 (1 2 3) and a structural inhomogeneity on a scale of a few nm. Nanostructural inhomogeneity has been related with local cation nonstoichiometry in the form of coherently intergrown nanodomains of oxides of the homologous series YnBamCum+nOy having cation composition different from the 123 ratio.
