Abstract
Mechanical properties of the bulk YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) single crystal superconductor, prepared by using the Top Seeded Melt Growth (TSMG) method, were determined. Property measurements were conducted by the nanoindentation method under various loads and the micro indentation method at different temperatures. Hardness (H) and reduced elastic modulus (Er) values were calculated by using the Oliver–Pharr method. According to hf/h max values found from load- displacement curves, there is a sink in behavior around outer rim of the indents that was confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis. Nanoindentation analyses conducted on upper section, middle section and subsection revealed that all three regions exhibited similar mechanical characteristics. As a result of the microhardness tests, the thermal activation energy of the samples was calculated as 0.0796 eV. It is expected that the results of the mechanical properties obtained in the study will be useful for practical applications of TSMG YBCO superconductors such as flux-trapped magnets exposed to various mechanical stresses.
Recommended Citation
U. Kolemen et al., "Micro/nanomechanical Properties of Top-seeded Melt Grown YBCO Single Crystals Determined using Depth Sensing Indentation," Materials Today Communications, vol. 49, article no. 114068, Elsevier, Dec 2025.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.114068
Department(s)
Materials Science and Engineering
Publication Status
Full Text Access
Keywords and Phrases
AFM; Microindentation; Nanoindentation; TSMG; YBCO
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2352-4928
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2025 Elsevier, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Dec 2025
