Crystallite alignment of YBa2Cu3O7-xthrough texture growth

Abstract
Critical current densities of superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-x can be increased by several orders of magnitude by sintering processes that encourage textured growth of microcrystals from the melt. Alignment parallel to the a-b planes maximises the conduction within grains, reduces grain boundary resistivity, facilitates oxygen diffusion through vacancies in the a-b planes, and eliminates microcracking resulting from anisotropic thermal expansion. Measured critical current densities in excess of 2400 A cm-2 at 77 K are limited not by the specimen but by ohmic contact resistance.