Abstract
We have investigated the superconductive transport properties of YBa2Cu3O7 films containing
self-assembled columnar arrays of second phase SrZrO3 or BaSnO3 precipitates. A matching
condition between columnar pinning sites (aligned at or near the c axis) and external magnetic
flux, tilted with respect to them, is identified in the critical current JC.H/ data. The results for
the material containing SrZrO3-based pins are analyzed within a simple intuitive model. At
matching, the critical current is enhanced above the model prediction. In complementary
contact-free investigations of BaSnO3-doped material, matching effects are observed over a
wide range of temperatures in the field dependence of JC.H/. The deduced matching fields
agree reasonably well with the densities of columnar pins directly observed by scanning
electron microscopy.