Flux pinning properties of YBCO added by WO3 nanoparticles

In this work, non-added and tungsten oxide nanoparticles (noted WO3-NPs) added to YBa2Cu3Oy (noted Y-123) samples were produced using solid-state reaction approach. The structure, morphology, electrical and magnetic properties were examined by the help of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and physical properties measurement system (PPMS), respectively. XRD showed that the orthorhombic Y-123 phase was successfully formed. SEM investigations showed the existence of bright nano-entities embedded within the Y-123 matrix for added sample, which are not seen in the non-added one. The measurements of electrical resistivity verified the manifestation of superconductivity in various products. The intragranular and intergranular critical current densities were calculated from the measurements of DC magnetization and AC susceptibility. The strength of pinning centers in the prepared products was evaluated. The obtained findings reveal that WO3-NPs are powerful to improve the flux pinning capacity and superconducting properties of Y-123 material. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.