Extraction of Misorientation Components from the Total Misorientation at Grain Boundaries using Electron Diffraction in a Y_0.9Sm_0.1Ba₂Cu₃O₇Film

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 Y0.9Sm0.1Ba2Cu3O7 (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 degrees, with the in-plane component gamma < 3 degrees and out-of-plane components alpha <= 1 degrees and beta < 2 degrees. 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.