Influence of Sm Doping on YBCO Bulks in YBa2Cu3O7-δ/Y2 BaCuO5 System

Sm-doped single-grain YBCO bulk superconductors were fabricated by the Top Seeded Melt Growth process in the system YBa
₂
Cu
₃
O
_7-δ
/Y
₂
BaCuO
₅
with CeO
₂
addition and with added liquid-rich powder at the bottom pellet. According to microstructure analyses, Sm
₂
O
₃
addition led to the refinement of Y-211 particles, which was reflected in higher critical current density, J
_c
, at 77 K and zero field measured for doped sample. Missing of expected secondary peak in J
_c
field dependence for doped sample was related to lowering of Sm concentration in the sample by its diffusion into additional liquid-rich phase pellet. Sm-doped pellet exhibited higher maximum trapped field, B
_c
, measured at 77 K.