Influence of Y2Cu2O5 nanoparticles doping on superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3O7-δ

The blue phase of YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) family, Y2Cu2O5 (Y202) nanoparticles were prepared and doped into (YBCO) superconductor and the effect of doping on critical current density and critical temperature was investigated. Y202 nanoparticles with particle sizes of 47, 107 and 206 nm were prepared by a sol-gel combustion method and added into the YBCO superconductor by 0.5-2 wt.%. XRD and scanning electron microscope measurements were used to characterize the samples. The measurement of critical current density at 77 K revealed that the doped superconductors had larger critical current density compared to the undoped superconductors. For a fixed dopant concentration, by increasing the size of nanoparticles, the J(c) was increased. For the samples including 0.5 wt.% of nanoadditives, J(c) was higher. The highest critical current density of 137 A/cm(2) was measured for the superconductors containing 0.5 wt.% of 206 nm Y202 nanoparticles. Also, by increasing the nanoparticles concentration, the T-c was reduced.