Recent Development of Bulk High-Tc Superconductors

Recent development in the field of RE-Ba-Cu-O (REBCO, RE: Y or rare earth elements) bulk high-Tc superconductors (HTS) is reviewed in the present paper. After the fatal weak link problem of sintered REBCO superconductors has been overcome by melt processing, this field has been greatly advanced during last ten years. The critical current density $J_c$ at 77 K has been enhanced by introducing effective flux pinning sites into the $REBa_2Cu_3O_y$ (RE123) superconducting matrix. Large melt-textured REBCO bulk crystals have been fabricated with the TSMG(top-seeded melt growth) technique. Mechanical properties of REBCO bulks have been improved by using the Ag additive or epoxy resin. Real bulk applications such as current lead, fault current limiter, flywheel energy storage system, magnetic field source, magnetic separation system, and etc., surely come true near future.