Lightweight, highly tough and durable YBa₂Cu₃O_{7 -x} superconductor.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Superconductivity

Background:

• Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO) superconductors are brittle, limiting their practical applications.
• Achieving mechanical toughness in YBCO without compromising superconductivity is a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a robust YBCO composite superconductor with improved toughness and durability.
• To assess the impact of enhanced mechanical properties on superconducting performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a bulk YBCO composite superconductor utilizing an interlocking dual network construction.
• Characterization of mechanical properties, including fracture energy at 77 K.
• Evaluation of critical current density and durability through cyclic testing at 4 K.

Main Results:

• The YBCO composite achieved a density of 2.15 g cm⁻³ and exhibited high toughness.
• Unit normalized fracture energy at 77 K was 638.6 kN m⁻², approximately 14.8 times higher than TSMTG YBCO.
• Critical current showed no degradation during toughening, and the composite withstood over 10,000 cycles without fracture.

Conclusions:

• The developed interlocking dual network structure effectively enhances YBCO toughness and durability.
• The composite superconductor maintains critical current performance, demonstrating a viable solution for practical YBCO applications.
• This toughened YBCO offers superior mechanical stability compared to traditional methods.