Orientation of Y2BaCuO5precipitates during unidirectional solidification of Y1Ba2Cu3O7- deltaunder a magnetic field

Abstract
The effect of a vertical magnetic field on Y2BaCuO5 (211) precipitates during horizontal unidirectional solidification of YBaCuO has been investigated. EPR shows first that some of the residual 211 particles are not randomly oriented in the 123 matrix when the sample is processed under a magnetic field. Secondly, the analysis of the angular dependency of the EPR spectra shows that these particles tend to be oriented in the 123 crystal with their b211 crystallographic axis parallel to the applied magnetic field and also to the C123 axis. X-ray pole figures on the same sample lead to an identical conclusion. The consequences of this observation regarding Y1Ba2Cu3O7- delta (123) crystallization are discussed.