Fabrication and characterization of melt-processed YBCO

Large domain YBCO are fabricated by using a melt processing technique for magnetic levitation applications. A Nd/sub 1+x/Ba/sub 2-x/Cu/sub 3/O/sub y/, seed is used to initiate grain growth and to control the orientation of YBCO grains. Samples as large as 50 mm diameter have been fabricated by utilizing this method. Microstructural studies reveals two distinct regions in these levitators due to different growth mechanisms along the a/b and c axes. Some initial result on the mass production of these; levitators are also reported.