Intelligent conductive polymer/superconductor composite systems based on polypyrrole/YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}} bilayer structures

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:215229

McDevitt, J T; Haupt, S G; Jones, C E ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States); and others

The discovery of the high-T{sub c} cuprate superconductors with transition temperatures well above 100 K has led to widespread speculation about the utilization of these materials for a variety of applications. Near their transition temperatures, the superconductors are highly sensitive to the influence of their environments making them suitable for a variety of sensor applications. Recently, we have begun to explore composite conductive polymer/superconductor structures. The preparation of an intelligent hybrid conducting polymer/high-temperature superconductor device consisting of a polypyrrole coated YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{gamma}} microbridge is reported. Electrochemical techniques are exploited to alter the oxidation state of the polymer and, in doing so, it is found that superconductivity can be modulated in a controllable and reproducible fashion by a polymer layer. Whereas the neutral (insulating) polypyrrole only slightly influences the electrical properties of the underlying YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{gamma}} film, the oxidized (conductive) polymer depresses T{sub c} by up to 50 K. In a similar fashion, the oxidation state of the polymer is found to reversibly modulate the magnitude of J{sub c}, the superconducting critical current. Thus, a new type of molecular switch forcontrolling superconductivity is demonstrated.

• OSTI ID: 215229
• Report Number(s): CONF-950801--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BARIUM OXIDES
COPPER OXIDES
CRITICAL CURRENT
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PYRROLES
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
YTTRIUM OXIDES