Effect of decorating NiO nanoparticles on superconducting properties of YBCO

The influence of adding 23 nm NiO nanoparticles on the magnetic hysteresis loops and critical current density of the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7-d has been investigated. The samples were prepared using a fast annealing method that prevents chemical interaction between the components and does not reduce the critical temperature of the superconductor. Compared to the undoped YBCO sample, the critical current density increases in the samples doped with NiO nanoparticles in magnetic fields greater than 6 kOe. The sample containing 0.5 weight percent of NiO nanoparticles exhibits the greatest enhancement in critical current density at 10 kOe (1.36 times greater than the undoped sample).