Strongly enhanced flux pinning in one-step deposition of BaFe(2)(As(0.66)P(0.33))(2) superconductor films with uniformly dispersed BaZrO(3) nanoparticles

The high upper critical field and low anisotropy of the iron-based superconductor BaFe(2)As(2) make it promising for its use in the construction of superconducting magnets. However, its critical current density in high magnetic fields needs to be improved. Here we demonstrate a simple, one-step and industrially scalable means of achieving just this. We show that introducing controlled amounts of uniformly dispersed BaZrO(3) nanoparticles into carrier-doped BaFe(2)As(2) significantly improves its superconducting performance without degrading its structural or superconducting properties. Our BaFe(2)(As(0.66)P(0.33))(2) films also exhibit an increase in both the irreversibility line and critical current density at all magnetic-field orientations. These films exhibit nearly isotropic critical current densities in excess of 1.5 MA cm(−2) at 15 K and 1 T—seven times higher than previously reported for BaFe(2)As(2) films. The vortex-pinning force in these films reaches ~59 GN m(−3) at 5 K and 3–9 T, substantially higher than that of the conventional Nb(3)Sn wire.