Drastic improvement of surface structure and current-carrying ability in YBa2Cu3O7 films by introducing multilayered structure

Much smoother surfaces and significantly improved superconducting properties of relatively thick YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) films have been achieved by introducing a multilayered structure with alternating main YBCO and additional NdBCO layers. The surface of thick (1μm) multilayers has almost no holes compared to YBCO films. Critical current density (Jc) has been drastically increased up to a factor >3 in 1μm multilayered structures compared to YBCO films over entire temperature and applied magnetic field range. Moreover, Jc values measured in thick multilayers are even larger than in much thinner YBCO films. The Jc and surface improvement have been analyzed and attributed to growth conditions and corresponding structural peculiarities.