Persistent Current Density and Flux Creep in Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O/Ag Tapes with Splayed Columnar Defects from 0.8 GeV Proton Irradiation

Composite Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2O8/Ag tapes were irradiated with 0.8 GeV protons to create splayed columnar defects in the superconductor. The resultant effective pinning of vortices leads to an enhanced persistent current density in the CuO planes, displacement of the irreversibility line to higher temperatures and magnetic fields, and a major reduction in the logarithmic time decay rate of the supercurrent density. © 1995 IEEE