Enhanced critical current density of YBa2Cu3Ox films grown on Nd1/3Eu1/3Gd1/3Ba2Cu3Ox with nano-undulated surface morphology

We report a simple and easily controllable method where a nano-undulated surface morphology of superconducting Nd1/3Eu1/3Gd1/3Ba2Cu3Ox (NEG) films leads to a substantial increase in the critical current density in superconducting YBa2Cu3Ox (YBCO) films deposited by pulsed laser deposition on such NEG layers. The enhancement is observed over a wide range of fields and temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy shows that such YBCO films possess a high density of localized areas, typically 20 x 20 nm(2) in size, where distortion of atomic planes give rotational (2-5 degrees) moire patterns. Their distribution is random and uniform, and expected to be the origin of the enhanced flux pinning. Magneto-optical imaging shows that these films have excellent macroscopic magnetic uniformity. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved