Nuclear microprobe local characterization of YBaCuO superconductors

Stoichiometric local characterizations of YBaCuO oxides have been performed using a 1.4 MeV deuteron microbeam. A beam with a size of 10 × 15 μ m 2 allows the observation of variations of x = 0.2 in sintered YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−x . Local variations of oxygen stoichiometry in a melt-textured sample, correlated with the microstructure, have been observed. In spite of the degradation of the sample under the beam, oxygen measurements seem to remain significant for doses above 10 18 ions/cm 2 .