Entrapment of elongated and crystallographically aligned pores in YBa2Cu3O7-y melt-textured with BaCeO3 addition

Abstract

Compared to entrapped spherical pores in YBa2Cu3O7-y (123) crystals melt-textured without additives, the pores entrapped within 123 crystals melt-textured with 5 wt% BaCeO3 are elongated and aligned parallel to (100), (010), and (001) growth planes of the 123 crystals. The front side of the pores that meets first the growth front of the 123 crystal is faceted but the backside is wavy. Many BaCeO3 particles are segregated at the wavy surface. The crystallographic alignment of the elongated pores and the segregation of BaCeO3 particles are discussed in terms of the contact angle of the pores on the growth front and interfacial energy relationships between the related phases.