Critical current density of YBa2Cu3O7−δ low-angle grain boundaries in self-field

A study has been perfomed on the superconducting critical current density Jc flowing across low-angle grain boundaries in epitaxial thin films of YBa2Cu3O7−δ. The materials studied were dual grain boundary rings deposited on SrTiO3 and containing 2°, 3°, 5°, and 7° tilt boundaries. The current density in self-field was determined by magnetometric methods at temperatures from 5 K to Tc. We conclude that at the higher temperatures of coated conductor applications, there is limited potential for improving Jc by reducing the grain boundary angle below ∼3°.