Properties of YBCO on ${\rm LaMnO}_{3}$-Capped IBAD MgO-Templates Without Homo-Epitaxial MgO Layer

Previously, it has been well established that in an IBAD architecture for coated conductors, (1) LaMnO
₃
(LMO) buffer layers are structurally and chemically compatible with an underlying homo-epitaxial MgO layer and (2) high current density YBCO films can be grown on these LMO templates. In the present work, the homo-epi MgO layer has been successfully eliminated and a LMO cap layer was grown directly on the IBAD-MgO template. The performance of the LMO/IBAD-MgO samples has been qualified by depositing 1 mum-thick YBCO coatings by pulsed laser deposition. Electrical transport measurements of YBCO films on the standard (with homo-epi MgO) and simplified (without homo-epi MgO) IBAD architectures were carried out. The angular dependence of critical current density (
J

_c
) is similar for both IBAD architectures. XRD measurements indicate good, c-axis aligned YBCO films. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images reveal that microstructures of YBCO/LMO/IBAD-MgO and YBCO/LMO/homo-epi MgO/IBAD-MgO templates are similar. These results demonstrate the strong potential of using LMO as a single cap layer directly on IBAD-MgO for the development of a simplified IBAD architecture.