Magnetic study of texture in multifilamentary (Bi, Pb)(2)Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+x tapes: Evidence for anisotropic orientation

We present a simple method allowing the determination of the degree of text ure of superconducting grains inside Ag-sheathed (Bi, Pb)(2)Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+x tapes from a set of magnetic measurements. This procedure is based on the c onsiderable anisotropy existing between the in-plane and out-of-plane criti cal current densities of individual crystallites in Bi-based superconductin g compounds. By this method, we have monitored the evolution of the precurs or Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+y grain texturing in unreacted multifilamentary tapes in t he course of the cold rolling deformation process. Evidence for anisotropic texturing, i.e., different longitudinal and transversal angle with respect to the rolling direction, has been observed. The accuracy of the method is discussed and the results compared with the current literature. (C) 2000 A merican Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)01501-1].