According to an embodiment, a superconductor includes a base member, and a superconducting layer provided on the base member. The superconducting Layer has a first surface on the base member side, and a second surface on the side opposite to the first surface. The lattice constant of the base member substantially matches the lattice constant of the superconducting layer. The superconducting layer includes REA.sub.1-xREB.sub.xBa.sub.2Cu.sub.3O.sub.7-z. The x is not less than 0.01 and not more than 0.40. The z is not less than 0.02 and not more than 0.20. The REA includes at least one of Y, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, or Lu. The REB includes at least one of Nd or Sm. The superconducting layer includes a first surface-side region including a portion of the first surface. The first surface-side region includes a first region having an orientation property, and a second region.

An oxide superconductor includes: REBa.sub.2Cu.sub.3O.sub.7-x (RE being one element selected from a “RE element group” of Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Y, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu). The RE includes at least three, types of metallic elements (M1, M2, and M3), and the three types of metallic elements are any element of the RE element group selected in order. In an oxide system satisfying R(1)≦20 mol % and R(M2)≧60 mol % and R(M3)≦20 mol %, R(M1) being an average metallic element ratio of M1 in M1+M2+M3, SD(Ms)>0.15 is satisfied at a position at 50% of an average film thickness of a cross section including the c-axis, Ms being the metallic element of not larger of R(M1) and R(M3), SD(Ms) being a standard deviation/average value of a concentration of Ms.

A BÏ2212 article may be formed by mixing metallic precursor powders including bismuth, strontium, calcium and copper in an oxygen-free atmosphere, mechanically alloying the metallic precursor powders in an oxygen-free atmosphere, and heating the metallic precursor alloy according to a temperature profile. The profile may include a ramp-up stage during which the alloy is heated to a peak temperature in an oxygen-free atmosphere, a dwell stage during which the alloy is held at the peak temperature for a dwell time, and a ramp-down stage during which the alloy is cooled from the peak temperature. During at least a portion of the dwell stage, the oxygen-free atmosphere is switched to an oxygen-inclusive atmosphere, wherein the alloy is oxidized to form a superconducting oxide, which may be sintered during or after oxidation. The alloy may be formed into a shape, such as a wire, prior to oxidizing.

The present invention relates to a precursor (1) for production of a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) in ribbon form, comprising a metallic substrate (10) in ribbon form having a first ribbon side (11) and a second ribbon side (12), wherein, on the first ribbon side (11), (a) the substrate (10) has a defined texture as template for crystallographically aligned growth of a buffer layer or an HTS layer and (b) an exposed surface of the substrate (10) is present or one or more layers (20,30) are present that are selected from the group consisting of: buffer precursor layer, pyrolyzed buffer precursor layer, buffer layer, HTS precursor layer, pyrolyzed HTS buffer precursor layer and pyrolyzed and further consolidated HTS buffer precursor layer, and, on the second ribbon side (12), at least one ceramic barrier layer (40) that protects the substrate (10) against oxidation or a precursor which is converted to such a layer during the HTS crystallization annealing or the pyrolysis is present, wherein, when one or more layers (20, 30) are present on the first ribbon side (11), the ceramic barrier layer (40) or the precursor thereof has a different chemical composition and/or a different texture than the layer (20) arranged on the first ribbon side (11) and directly adjoining the substrate (10). In this precursor, the barrier layer (40) is a layer that delays or prevents ingress of oxygen to the second ribbon side (12) and is composed of conductive ceramic material or a precursor which is converted to such a precursor during the HTS crystallization annealing or the pyrolysis, and the ceramic material is an electrically conductive metal oxide or an electrically conductive mixture of metal oxides, wherein the conductive metal oxide or one or more metal oxides in the conductive mixture is/are preferably metal oxide(s) doped with an extraneous metal.

According to an embodiment, a superconductor includes a base member, and a superconducting layer provided on the base member. The superconducting layer has a first surface on the base member side, and a second surface on the side opposite to the first surface. The lattice constant of the base member substantially matches the lattice constant of the superconducting layer. The superconducting layer includes REA.sub.1-xREB.sub.xBa.sub.2Cu.sub.3O.sub.7-z. The x is not less than 0.01 and not more than 0.40. The z is not less than 0.02 and not more than 0.20. The REA includes at least one of Y, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, or Lu. The REB includes at least one of Nd or Sm. The superconducting layer includes a first surface-side region including a portion of the first surface. The first surface-side region includes a first region having an orientation property, and a second region.

Techniques regarding parallel gradiometric SQUIDs and the manufacturing thereof are provided. For example, one or more embodiments described herein can comprise an apparatus, which can comprise a first pattern of superconducting material located on a substrate. Also, the apparatus can comprise a second pattern of superconducting material that can extend across the first pattern of superconducting material at a position. Further, the apparatus can comprise a Josephson junction located at the position, which can comprise an insulating barrier that can connect the first pattern of superconductor material and the second pattern of superconductor material.

An oxide superconductor includes: REBa.sub.2Cu.sub.3O.sub.7-x (RE being one element selected from a “RE element group” of Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Y, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu). The RE includes at least three types of metallic elements (M1, M2, and M3), and the three types of metallic elements are any element of the RE element group selected in order. In an oxide system satisfying R(M1)≤20 mol % and R(M2)≥60 mol % and R(M3)≤20 mol %, R(M1) being an average metallic element ratio of M1 in M1+M2+M3, SD(Ms)>0.15 is satisfied at a position at 50% of an average film thickness of a cross section including the c-axis, Ms being the metallic element of not larger of R(M1) and R(M3), SD(Ms) being a standard deviation/average value of a concentration of Ms.

The present invention is in the field of processes for the production of high temperature super-conductor wires. In particular, the present invention relates to a process for the production of high temperature superconductor wires comprising heating a film comprising yttrium or a rare earth metal, an alkaline earth metal, and a transition metal to a temperature of at least 700 C. and cooling the film to a temperature below 300 C., wherein the heating and cooling is per-formed at least twice.

An oxide superconductor includes: REBa.sub.2Cu.sub.3O.sub.7-x (RE being one element selected from a RE element group of Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Y, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu). The RE includes at least three types of metallic elements (M1, M2, and M3), and the three types of metallic elements are any element of the RE element group selected in order. In an oxide system satisfying R(M1)20 mol % and R(M2)60 mol % and R(M3)20 mol %, R(M1) being an average metallic element ratio of M1 in M1+M2+M3, SD(Ms)>0.15 is satisfied at a position at 50% of an average film thickness of a cross section including the c-axis, Ms being the metallic element of not larger of R(M1) and R(M3), SD(Ms) being a standard deviation/average value of a concentration of Ms.

Provided is a method of forming a superconducting wire, the method including forming a superconducting precursor film on a substrate, the super conducting precursor film containing Re, Ba, and Cu having a composition in which Ba is poor and Cu is rich compared to stoichiometric ReBCO(Gd.sub.1Ba.sub.2Cu.sub.3O.sub.7y, 0y6, Re: Rare earth element), heating the substrate to melt the superconducting precursor film, providing an oxygen gas having an oxygen partial pressure of about 10 mTorr to about 200 mTorr on the molten superconducting precursor film to form a superconducting layer including an epitaxial superconductor biaxially aligned only in the c-axis direction perpendicular to the substrate, and cooling the substrate.