Extraction of misorientation components from the total misorientation at grain boundaries using electron diffraction in a Y_0.9Sm _0.1Ba₂Cu₃O₇ film

Grain boundary (GB) misorientation determines the transport properties of REBa₂Cu₃O₇ (REBCO) superconducting films (rare earth (RE)). In this study, the misorientation angles between the adjacent grains in a Y_0.9Sm_0.1Ba₂Cu₃O ₇ (YSBCO) epitaxial superconducting film on buffers performed via ion-beam-assisted deposition have been characterized using transmission electron microscopy. The in-plane and out-of-plane misorientation at GBs and sub-GBs has been separated from the total misorientation. Most of the GB misorientation angles are smaller than 5°, with the in-plane component γ<3° and out-of-plane components α≤1° and β<2°. This study provided a relatively simplified, practical, and useful method for determination of GB misorientation angles and separation of the in-plane and out-of-plane misorientation from the total misorientation for epitaxial REBCO superconducting films.