High flux pinning efficiency by columnar defects dispersed in three directions in YBCO thin films

Sueyoshi, Tetsuro*; Nishimura, Takahiro*; Fujiyoshi, Takanori*; Mitsugi, Fumiaki*; Ikegami, Tomoaki*; Ishikawa, Norito   

A systematic investigation of flux pinning by widely direction-dispersed columnar defects (CDs) in YBaCuOy thin films was carried out by using heavy-ion irradiation: a parallel configuration of CDs aligned along the -axis, and two trimodal splay configurations composed of crossing CDs; relative to the -axis, where the splay plane defined by the three irradiation angles is perpendicular (trimodal-A) or parallel (trimodal-B) to the transport current direction. The trimodal configurations show high pinning efficiency over a wide range of magnetic field orientations compared to the parallel one at low magnetic field. In particular, trimodal-B shows the higher critical current density of the two trimodal configurations.