Transport and structural properties of Pr[sub 1[minus][ital x]]Ca[sub [ital x]]Ba[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7[minus][delta]] thin films grown by pulsed-laser deposition

Journal Article · Tue Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1994 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.49.4182· OSTI ID:5291734

Norton, D P; Lowndes, D H; Sales, B C; Budai, J D; Jones, E C; Chakoumakos, B C ^[1]

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1. Solid State Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6056 (United States)

We have studied the transport and structural properties of Pr[sub 1[minus][ital x]]Ca[sub [ital x]]Ba[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7[minus][delta]] thin films grown by pulsed-laser deposition, focusing on Ca substitution levels [ital x][ge]0.3 for which the bulk material is metastable. Films with 0.4[le][ital x][le]0.5 exhibit a superconducting transition due to divalent cation doping on the rare-earth site. Pr[sub 0.5]Ca[sub 0.5]Ba[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7[minus][delta]] epitaxial thin films exhibit a superconducting onset temperature as high as 47 K with [ital T][sub [ital c]]([ital R]=0)=35 K. X-ray-diffraction and electrical-transport data suggest that Ca doping levels greater than [ital x]=0.5 are possible, although disorder is introduced as the divalent to trivalent cation ratio becomes large. This work demonstrates that 1:2:3-phase superconductivity can be achieved by substituting Ca for Pr, without the presence in the alloy of Y or any other rare-earth element, [ital R], for which [ital R]Ba[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7[minus][delta]] is superconducting. This result supports the view that hole localization, due to hybridization of the Pr 4[ital f] electronic levels with the O 2[ital p] orbitals, contributes substantially to the suppression of superconductivity by Pr in PrBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7[minus][delta]], and demonstrates that this suppression can be partially compensated by appropriate hole doping with Ca.

• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5291734
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States), Vol. 49:6; ISSN 0163-1829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BARIUM OXIDES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
CALCIUM OXIDES
COPPER
PRASEODYMIUM OXIDES
ABLATION
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
LASER RADIATION
SUPERCONDUCTING FILMS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
FILMS
METALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PRASEODYMIUM COMPOUNDS
RADIATIONS
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
SUPERCONDUCTORS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
360207* - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Superconducting Properties- (1992-)
360202 - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Structure & Phase Studies