Laser drilling: Enhancing superconducting joint of GdBa₂Cu ₃O_7-δ coated conductors

While GdBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (GdBCO) coated conductors (CCs) have been proposed for superconducting applications, they have not been used in devices with persistent current mode (PCM) operation because of a lack of joining techniques. A superconducting joint of CCs, formed via melting diffusion and oxygenation annealing, offers no electrical resistance between the CCs, thus establishing a superconducting closed loop for PCM operation. Because superconductivity degrades with oxygen out-diffusion during melting diffusion, oxygenation annealing allows oxygen diffusion into the GdBCO lattices. As effective oxygenation annealing requires oxygen pathways in the joint, low solubility and diffusivity of oxygen in the buffer and CC substrate hinder full superconductivity recovery. Here we show a laser-drilling technique to produce microholes as conduits on the surfaces of GdBCO CCs' to promote oxygen in-diffusion, which resulted in reduced superconductivity recovery time. Superconductivity was fully recovered after laser drilling, melting diffusion at 850 °C for 1 min, and oxygenation annealing at 500 °C for 350 h.