Quick screening for new flux pinning materials in YBCO films with the combinatorial-PLD method

An effective way to improve the superconducting properties in REBa₂Cu₃O_y (REBCO) films under a magnetic field is to dope artificial pinning centers (APC). The pinning performance depends on the content of the APC materials. Usually, the optimal APC content is explored by preparing films one at a time from the REBCO target using different APC material content, which is an extremely time-consuming process.The combinatorial-PLD (C-PLD) method allowed us to prepare films that continuously changed in composition across a single substrate. In this study, we used the C-PLD method to prepare BaSnO₃ (BSO)-doped YBCO films. The films were deposited on SrTiO₃ substrate using a fourth-harmonic Nd:YAG laser. From the results of the J_c–B curves at 77 K and B//c, the film that contained 3.2 vol.% of BSO exhibited the best pinning performance in this study. We showed that the C-PLD method was efficient for quick screening of the optimal APC content with only one deposition. We also used the C-PLD method to explore new APC materials, and proved that it can quickly evaluate the new APC materials Ba₃Cu₃In₄O₁₂ and BaTbO₃.