Superconducting current density enhancement by heavy ion irradiation of Bi-2223 silver-clad tapes

Silver-clad composite tapes of Bi(Pb)SrCaCuO-2223 were irradiated with 1 GeV Au23+ ions perpendicular to the tape plane, creating columnar tracks with 10 nm diameter. Magnetic hysteresis measurements show substantial enhancement of the superconducting current density at all temperatures and fields, indicating the potential for further performance improvement in the high-temperature superconducting wire technology. © 1993.