Corrosion of superconductors - Especially of YBa2Cu3O7-delta cuprate

Electronic properties of superconductors deteriorate with time by oxidation or other chemical attack enforced by thermal cycling. Despite being oxides , cuprate superconductors deteriorate in lab atmosphere. The corrosion of, e.g., YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) is mainly caused by H2O, and CO2 which react t o Ba-hydroxide and to Ba-carbonate. As reaction paths the CuO-chain-BaO-lay ers are the fastest ones, whereas the out-of-plane paths are slower. There grain and twin boundaries or strain have been identified as paths for O-dif fusion or reaction with H2O and CO2.