The electrical characteristics of single-crystal composite superconductors produced by a melting process were studied by neutron irradiation. In order to improve the current characteristics of the YBa2Cu3O7-y superconductor, it is necessary to form an effective flux pinning center inside the superconductor. In this study, an increase in flux pinning was attempted through neutron irradiation onto YBa2Cu3O7-y superconductors. The neutron irradiation was performed at 30 MeV for 500 sec, The electrical properties of the superconductors were measured in a magnetic field of 5 Tesla at 50 K using a magnetic properties measurement system (MPMS). After neutron irradiation, the critical current density of the YBa2Cu3O7-y superconductor in a 1 Tesla magnetic field was 1×105 A/㎠. Once neutrons were irradiated at 30 MeV and 10 μA for 500 sec, the critical current density was observed to increase significantly. When neutrons are irradiated to a superconductor, micro-defects are created in the superconductor, and they act as flux pinning centers that hold the magnetic field generated when an electric current flows.
