Strongly enhanced irreversibility field and flux pinning force density in SmBa₂Cu₃O_y-coated conductors with well-aligned BaHfO₃ nanorods

A high flux pinning performance was obtained for a 3.8 vol% BaHfO₃-doped SmBa₂Cu₃O_y superconducting film on a metallic substrate. At a temperature of 77.3 K, an irreversibility field of 16.8 T and the maximum flux pinning force density of 32.5GN/m³ in fields applied parallel to the c-axis of the film were achieved, which are the highest values reported thus far for REBa₂Cu₃O_y films, to our knowledge. The introduction of wellaligned BaHfO₃ nanorods with a high number density into REBa₂Cu₃O_y films with little or no degradation of the critical temperature is an effective method for improving the flux pinning performance.