Critical Current Density and Fabrication of YBa sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub 7

The discovery of high temperature superconductivity in perovskite- related oxides has generated an enormous amount of research and development activity based on their significant technological potential. However, the progress toward major applications of the bulk YBa sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub 7 type high T sub c superconductors has been hindered by low transport critical current densities and their significant deterioration in weak magnetic fields. In this talk, various successful approaches for creating new microstructures and overcoming these problems will be reviewed and compared. The effect of crystallographic alignment achieved by melt-texturing, magnetic processing, etc., on the superconducting behavior will be discussed. Fabrication and properties of superconducting wires obtained by different methods will also be described.