AC losses in YBCO coated conductors carrying AC transport currents in perpendicular AC external magnetic field

The paper reports an experimental study on AC loss characteristics of a YBCO coated tape conductor carrying AC transport current in AC external magnetic field. In the experiment we electrically measured total losses that were transport current losses plus magnetization losses in AC external magnetic fields perpendicular to the tape surfaces. The transport current losses were measured by a four terminal method and the magnetization losses by a method using a pick-up coil. To measure the total losses electrically we need to pay proper attentions to prevent electromagnetic coupling between the sample currents and the external magnetic fields and to suppress inductive voltage in signals from the pick-up coil and voltage taps. The total losses were purely hysteretic for the amplitude of the external field up to 20 mT and the peak transport current up to the critical current. The loss characteristics can be explained by a theory based on the Bean model if the dependence of the critical current on the external magnetic field is taken into consideration.