Flux pinning in hot isostatically pressed Bi₂Sr ₂CaCu₂O_x

Magnetic hysteresis data were taken from 4.2 to 35 K on Bi ₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_x samples that were hot isostatically pressed at 105 MPa in an inert atmosphere at 825°C. One set of samples was pressed for only 15 min while the other was pressed for 120 min. The samples pressed for 15 min contained a high density of dislocations and planar faults, while the samples pressed for 120 min contained fewer dislocations and faults, with most dislocations present within subgrain boundaries. The samples with the complex dislocation/planar fault structures exhibited substantially larger hysteresis loops, suggesting enhanced flux pinning.