Enhanced flux pinning by combined atomic substitution and phase decomposition in cuprate superconductors

Journal Article · Mon Sep 02 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Applied Physics Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.105515· OSTI ID:5470753

Tallon, J L; Pooke, D M; Buckley, R G; Presland, M R; Flower, N E; Gibson, S; Gilberd, P W ^[1]

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1. DSIR Physical Sciences, P.O. Box 31313, Lower Hutt (New Zealand)

The use of combined atomic substitution and phase decomposition is shown to achieve substantial enhancement of flux pinning in Y--Ba-Cu--O ceramics. The substituent is chosen to provide a high density of nucleation sites for decomposition and at the same time enhancing {ital T}{sub {ital c}} in the resulting composite superconductor. Bulk YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 4}O{sub 8} (124) with 2.5% La substituted for Ba is decomposed by a short anneal beyond the stability boundary for YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} (123) at low oxygen pressure. The product, principally La-substituted 123 {lt}m1;37p{gt}with stacking faults and precipitates of CuO in the grain boundaries, exhibits a 17-fold enhancement in intragrain {ital J}{sub {ital c}} at 77 K and 0.75 Tesla over unprocessed 123, rising to 50-fold at 85 K. Magnetization {ital J}{sub {ital c}} exceeds 10{sup 4} A/cm{sup 2} at 0.75 Tesla for temperatures up to 87 K, the highest so far observed for a superconductor.

• OSTI ID: 5470753
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters; (United States), Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters; (United States) Vol. 59:10; ISSN APPLA; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360204* -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Physical Properties
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
BARIUM OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER OXIDES
CRITICAL CURRENT
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CURRENTS
DATA
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
INFORMATION
MAGNETIC FLUX
MAGNETIZATION
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
STACKING FAULTS
SUPERCONDUCTORS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
YTTRIUM COMPOUNDS
YTTRIUM OXIDES