Inducing self-assembly of Y2BaCuO5 nanoparticles via Ca-doping for improved pinning in YBa2Cu3O7−x

Different mechanisms may exists as a means to provide additional or specialized enhancement of existing nanoparticulate pinning in YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) thin films. In the particular case of Y2BaCuO5 (Y211) nanoparticles, Ca-doping of these nanoparticles via addition to the Y211 target material provides an additional increase to the Jc(H). YBCO + Y211 samples were created by pulsed laser deposition with alternating targets of YBCO with Y211 and Y211 doped with Ca. Initial indications suggest that this improvement in pinning results from some scattered short-ranged self-assembly of the nanoparticles into short nanocolumns.