Additively-manufactured monocrystalline YBCO superconductor.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Superconductivity
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Single-crystal superconductors like YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) offer high performance but are limited to simple shapes due to brittleness.
• Additive manufacturing allows complex shapes but typically results in polycrystalline microstructures, compromising superconducting properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for fabricating complex-shaped, single-crystal YBCO superconductors using additive manufacturing.
• To achieve high critical current density and critical temperature in 3D-printed, single-crystal YBCO.

Main Methods:

• 3D ink-printing of precursor powders (Y2O3, BaCO3, CuO) into complex geometries.
• Reaction-sintering to form polycrystalline YBCO + Y211.
• Melt growth using a seed to convert the polycrystalline structure to a single crystal, preserving intricate details.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated complex-architectured YBCO objects with single-crystal microstructures.
• Achieved high critical current density (Jc = 2.1 × 10^4 A·cm^-2 at 77 K) and critical temperature (Tc = 88-89.5 K).
• Demonstrated preservation of geometric details during the melt growth process, enabling origami-like structures.

Conclusions:

• Additive manufacturing combined with melt growth is a viable route to produce complex-shaped, single-crystal cuprate superconductors.
• This approach facilitates the fabrication of advanced superconducting devices for applications in synchrotron radiation and dark matter detection.
• Opens possibilities for additive manufacturing of other single-crystal functional materials.