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Enhancing the critical-current density of YBCO films is essential to gain a deeper understanding of the vortex pinning mechanisms and enable commercial applications of high-temperature superconductivity. Combined BaCeO3 and Y2O3 nanoparticles have been achieved to be co-doped in YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) films by metalorganic deposition using trifluoroacetates (TFA-MOD). The formation of integrated nanoparticles increases the critical current density (Jc) of Y2O3/BaCeO3 doped-YBCO films while keeping the critical transition temperature (Tc) close to that in the pure YBCO films. YBCO film containing BaCeO3 and Y2O3 showed Tc value of 91 K and Jc value of 5 MA/cm2 at self-field (0 T, 77 K). The strongly enhanced flux pinning over a wide range of magnetic field may be attributed to the combined BaCeO3 and Y2O3 created by optimized TFA-MOD conditions.

The surface condition of substrate tape is an important factor to obtain epitaxial buffer layer on biaxially textured Ni tape for YBa2Cu3O7-x coated conductors. We prepare ceria films on Ni single crystal, biaxially textured Ni tape and sulfured Ni substrates by direct current magnetron sputtering. The results show that the ceria films prepared on Ni single crystal and sulfured Ni substrates each have a poor-textured grain structure. However, the ceria film fabricated on rolling assisted biaxially textured substrate (RABiTS) exhibits a good c-axis texture and desirable surface morphology. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction analysis indicates that the c(22) superstructure on the RABiTS Ni surface has a dramatic effect on the heteroepitaxial growth of oxide buffer layer.