Effect of Y2Ba4CuNbOy Additions on the Levitation Force of Single Domain YBCO Bulk Superconductor by the Top-Seeded Infiltration and Growth Process

The top-seeded infiltration and growth process (TSIG) is an important method for the preparation of YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) bulk superconductors. In this paper, single domain YBCO bulk superconductors with different content of nanoscale Y2Ba4CuNbOy (YNb2411) inclusions have been fabricated by TSIG process. The growth morphology, microstructure and levitation force of the YBCO bulks have been investigated. It is found that the levitation force is increasing from 16.2 N to 20.9 N with the increasing of YNb2411 additions from 0 wt% to 2 wt%, and decreasing from 20.9 N to 14.0 N with the increasing of YNb2411 additions from 2 wt% to 5 wt%. The largest levitation force is obtained in the sample with 2 wt% YNb2411 addition. This is closely related with the addition content of YNb2411 nanoparticles and its distribution in the samples.