The Impact of Superconducting Properties of Micron-Scale Masked Proton Irradiation on BaTiO3-Doped YBCO Film

This study investigates the effects of 60 keV proton irradiation on BaTiO3-doped YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) films using masks with micron-scale holes to create controlled defect patterns aimed at enhancing superconducting properties. Contrary to expectations, masked irradiation resulted in a reduction in the critical current density (Jc), while unmasked irradiation demonstrated improvement, consistent with previous studies. Notably, no improvement was observed at 2 T around liquid nitrogen temperature. These observations highlight the challenges of employing micron-scale masks in defect engineering and underscore the need for further refinement to achieve the desired performance enhancement. Insights from this study contribute to advancing defect engineering techniques for improving YBCO’s performance in high-field applications, including fusion energy systems.