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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011
Superconductivity in high-Tc materials is often modeled as a percolation problem in which grain boundaries are classified as strong or weak-links for current transmission based on their disorientation angle. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we have explored the topology and percolation thresholds for grain boundary networks in orthorhombic and tetragonal polycrystals where the grain boundary disorientations are assigned in a crystallographically consistent manner. We find that the networks are highly nonrandom, and that the percolation thresholds differ from those found with standard percolation theory. For biaxially textured materials, we have also developed an analytical model that illustrates the role of local crystallographic constraint on the observed nonrandom behavior.