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Title: Effects of 1-MeV proton irradiation in Hg-based cuprate thin films

Journal Article · · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [2]; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045 (United States)
  2. Texas Center for Superconductivity at University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-5932 (United States)

We have studied the effects of 1-Mev proton irradiation on both superconducting properties and normal state resistivity of high-quality HgBa{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 6+{delta}} (Hg-1212) and HgBa{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 8+{delta}} (Hg-1223) thin films. At low proton doses, we observed a linear decrease of the superconducting transition temperature T{sub c} and a linear increase of the extrapolated residual resistivity as proton dose is increased. This is consistent with observations of other high-T{sub c} superconductors while a lower dose threshold for suppressing the superconductivity is found in Hg-1212 and Hg-1223 films. To explain the linear dose dependence of T{sub c}, we propose a model based on the proximity effect. An enhancement of up to 90{percent} in the critical current density at low fields has also been observed in these films at low proton fluences that do not significantly degrade T{sub c}. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

OSTI ID:
531832
Journal Information:
Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Vol. 56, Issue 2; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1997
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English