A large grain YBCO bulk superconductor is fabricated by the top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) method. In the TSMG process, the seed crystal is placed on the top surface of a partially melted compact and therefore the seed crystal is frequently tilted duri...
A large grain YBCO bulk superconductor is fabricated by the top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) method. In the TSMG process, the seed crystal is placed on the top surface of a partially melted compact and therefore the seed crystal is frequently tilted during the melt process due to intrinsic unstable nature of Y211 particle +liquid phase mixture. In this work, we report the successful growth of single-domain YBCO bulk superconductors by a bottom-seeded melt growth (BSMG) method. Investigations on the trapped magnetic field and the microstructures of the synthesized specimens show that a bottom-seeded melt growth method has hardly affected on the crystal growth behavior, the microstructure development and the magnetic properties of the large grain YBCO bulk superconductors. The bottom-seeded melt growth method is clearly beneficial for the stable control of seed orientation through the melt process for the fabrication of a large grain YBCO bulk superconductor.