Intense vortex pinning enhanced by semicrystalline defect traps in self-aligned nanostructured MgB2

S. Li, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
T. White, Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, Singapore
K. Laursen, Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, Singapore
T. T. Tan, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
C. Q. Sun, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Z. L. Dong, Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, Singapore
Y. Li, Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, Singapore
S. H. Zho, University of Wollongong
J. Horvat, University of Wollongong
S. X. Dou, University of Wollongong

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This article originally appeared as: Li, S, White, T, Laursen, K, Tan TT, Sun, CQ, Dong, ZL, Li, Y, Zho, SH, Horvat, J & Dou, SX, Intense vortex pinning enhanced by semicrystalline defect traps in self-aligned nanostructured MgB2, Applied Physics Letters, 2003, 83(2), 314-316, and may be found here. Copyright 2003 American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics.

Abstract

In this work, we report the discovery of a vortex pinning source: semicrystalline defect wells in self-aligned nanostructured MgB2. It is demonstrated that these aperiodic regions trap numerous crystal defects migrating along nanodomain boundaries during self-alignment and act as intense vortex pinning centers that significantly enhance the high-field performance of MgB2. This suggests that the density of trapped defects in the wells is much greater than that found in other vortex pinning sources.