The Magnetic Levitation Properties of YBCO Bulks Induced by a Recycling SmBCO Seed Crystal

YBa
₂
Cu
₃
O
_7−δ
high-temperature superconducting (HTS) bulks possess several electromagnetic advantages, making them promising materials for various industries. However, its cost issue remains an obstacle to application, especially with the requirement of batch preparation. Reliable recycling strategies could be an effective way to cut the cost down. In this study, we proposed a recycling strategy that involves SmBCO seed crystals, which we then used to fabricate several groups of YBCO samples. With this strategy, SmBCO seed crystals can be reliably reused and can successfully induce the growth of several YBCO bulks. The YBCO samples’ levitation force was measured to evaluate their superconducting properties. The results show that samples induced by the same seed under the same fabricating conditions could present highly consistent levitation force and superconducting properties. With the recycling strategy, the number of reuses of seed can be extended further, and it has the potential to extend to other REBCO systems to mitigate the significant cost issue. The similar levitation force properties of YBCO samples can be advantageous to applications requiring batch preparation and quality control.