Highly-textured bulk Cu3Ba2(Y0.6Ho0.4)Oy superconductors were prepared by using a powder-melting process. Microstructural observations showed that there were many collective stair-like stacking faults in the samples, which were quite different to other melt-processed Cu3Ba2YOy. It was found that the density of stacking faults was markedly reduced when the sample was annealed at high temperatures. After annealing, the critical current density and irreversibility line were significantly decreased at various temperatures. These results clearly indicated that the stacking faults were very effective pinning centres, in the powder-melted superconductors, over wide ranges of temperature and applied field. The effect of stacking faults upon flux pinning was sensitive to the temperature and magnetic field.

Collective Stacking Faults and their Effect on Flux Pinning in Powder Melting Processed (Y,Ho)Ba2Cu3Oy Superconductors. Y.Feng, J.C.Wen, A.K.Pradhan, N.Koshizuka, L.Zhou: Journal of Physics - Condensed Matter, 2000, 12[27], 5843-55