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Title: Experimental study of partial substitution of copper with 3d elements in 123 superconductors

Miscellaneous ·
OSTI ID:5576819

About forty superconducting samples of Y and Sm, doped with different concentrations of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Zn, were prepared. These samples were characterized by x-ray diffractometry, microprobe analysis, resistance measurements, and SQUID susceptometry. Emphasis was given to the magnetic aspects of the specimens. Two standard procedures were followed with each sample. Mainly, the zero field cooling procedure (ZFC) and the field cooling procedure (FC). In both cases, the magnetic moment was measured at different temperatures after the sample was thermalized. Paramagnetic behavior above T, was observed in all the cases. The experimental results were fitted to the Curie-Weiss law, by using SAS (Statistical Analysis System) programs. From this analysis, a range for the effective magnetic moments of the dopant ions was calculated. Also, the density of states at the Fermi level per Cu ion and the Sommerfeld constants were found for each case. In general, lower transition temperatures and higher density of states D({var epsilon}{sub b}F) for Sm doped specimens were observed. The variation of the density of states or {gamma} with the doping has also been analyzed as a function of N. The author notices {gamma} to be linear in N about N{sub max}. Samarium doped samples showed a larger {gamma}, but the slope {alpha} = (d{gamma}/dN) was generally not rare earth dependent. {alpha} did not correlate with {beta} = (dt{sub c}/dN). It was found that {beta}(Zn) {approximately} {beta}(Mn). This decrease in y at N{sub max} was not anticipated in the Matthias' rule.

Research Organization:
South Carolina Univ., Columbia, SC (United States)
OSTI ID:
5576819
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English