Electrical transport properties of Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+δ thin film [001] tilt grain boundaries -: art. no. 052507

Epitaxial thin films of Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+delta have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition on SrTiO3 bicrystal substrates with symmetrical [001] tilt grain boundaries of 8degrees, 16degrees 24degrees, 26degrees, 30degrees, and 36.8degrees misorientation angle. The intergrain and intragrain properties of the critical current density and the current-voltage characteristics have been investigated at various temperatures and in magnetic fields up to 7.5 T. The 8degrees grain boundary exhibits flux creep behavior; it does not constitute a weak link. In contrast, grain boundaries with larger angles exhibit weak link behavior. The critical current density falls exponentially with increasing misorientation angle.