Spatial distribution of structural and superconducting properties in high processing rate melt textured YBCO

In this work, we report on directionally solidified YBCO bars fabricated by the horizontal Bridgman technique based on sample transport in a thermal g radient. We employ a pulling rate in the furnace three orders of magnitude higher than the value of 0.5 mm/h generally used to maximize the critical c urrent densities. We cut the produced sample in several slices perpendicula rly to the pulling direction with the purpose of analysing the spatial dist ribution of superconducting, morphological and structural properties as fun ction of their position along the pulling direction. X-ray diffraction and SEM analyses show that partial texturing occurs even at very high pulling r ates. Each slice has an onset of the critical temperature at similar to 90 K Moreover, the critical current densities at 77 K and at 1 Tesla are estim ated from de magnetisation curves in hundreds of A/cm(2).