Magnetic Alignment of Amorphous Coatings of GD:123

Abstract

ABSTRACTHigh Tc superconducting Gd-Ba-Cu-O materials were synthesized via the acetate precursor process. Aqueous solutions of < 0.6 M of metal cations were applied to substrates of yttria stabilized zirconia. Homogeneous films were applied to the substrates by use of the spin coating technique. The substrates were fired in air at 500°C in between each applied coat. After coating the substrates with 10–30 coats, they were crystallized by heating to 900°C in Ar or O2 with or without a 1 T magnetic field. The applied magnetic field was found to produce c-axis alignment for the thinner coats. Annealing in argon produced alignment but the effect was less pronounced than annealing in oxygen. Substrates with 30 coats were not aligned for either environment.