High temperature superconducting current leads for cryogenic applications in moderate magnetic fields

Large YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7- delta / ceramic conductors suitable for bulk current applications have been fabricated using a magnetic technique to generate c-axis grain alignment. Critical currents on the order of several hundred amperes in a background field of 0.1 T have been achieved as a result of the aligned microstructure. The unusual dependence of the critical current on temperature and magnetic field is discussed in the context of anisotropy, self-field, and hysteretic effects.