Critical current densities of high pressure oxygen sputtered thin films of YBa2Cu3O7−x by non-resonant rf absorption method

The critical current densities (J _c) have been measured at 77K in high pressure oxygen sputtered thin films of YBa₂Cu₃O_7−x superconductor using the non-resonant rf absorption technique. High values ofJ _c (∼ 10⁵ A/cm²) are observed in these relatively large area (∼ 1·2 cm²) films.     

Critical current in Ag/BPSCCO tapes using low purity materials

Silver-clad Bi_1·7Pb_0·4Sr_1·8Ca₂Cu_3·5O _x (BPSCCO) tapes have been fabricated using low purity (98–99%) starting materials and following the powder-in-tube technique. MaximumJ _c values of 6·14 × 10³ A·cm⁻² at 77 K and 1·4 × 10⁵ A·cm⁻² at 4·2 K have been obtained in tapes subjected to the process of intermediate rolling and sintering. The bulk superconducting material used for the tape-fabrication contains both 2223 and 2212 phases in the ratio 60:40. A pure phase material and the optimization of the sintering parameters are expected to yield much higherJ _c values at 77 K. It is possible that the copper-rich phase(s) and/or a small amount of iron impurity (60 ppm) present in CuO might be acting as flux pinning sites and could be responsible for highJ _c values.     

Role of processing in improving the critical current of Ag/BPSCCO tapes

Silver-clad tapes of highT _c Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductors have been fabricated through the powder-in-tube method. The critical current density, J _c , of a thick tape was 534 A.cm⁻² (77 K, 0 T). Subsequent rolling and sintering of the tapes led to a gradual decrease inJ _c, instead of the expected increase. This was caused by the microcracks developed in the core material by a rather drastic reduction during the rolling of the tapes. A modified and well controlled rolling technique, on the other hand, resulted in much improvedJ _c values. Repeated rolling and sintering resulted in a good grain alignment and no microcracks were observed. In the present studies, maximumJ _c of 1846 A.cm⁻² (77 K, 0 T) and 2.43 × 10⁴ A.cm⁻² (4.2 K, 0 T) have been obtained Optimization of the processing and sintering parameters are expected to lead to still higherJ _c values.     

准分子激光扫描消融淀积大尺寸超导薄膜

利用我们设计的一套光学变换传输系统实现了激光束在超导靶上一定范围内扫描消融来淀积高T_c超导薄膜。实验表明用这种激光扫描消融方法可使大尺寸超导薄膜的厚度均匀性得到较大的改善。我们采用激光扫描半径为9mm在12mm×33mm的Y-ZrO₂基片上淀积出零电阻温度T_c≥90K,临界电流密度J_c(零磁场,77K)≥1×10⁶A/cm²,薄膜c轴择优取向,厚度均匀性较好的YBa _关键词：     

钛离子辐照对MgB2超导薄膜的载流能力和磁通钉扎能力的影响

利用混合物理化学气相沉积法(hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition, HPCVD)可以制备出高性能的MgB₂超导薄膜, 再对薄膜进行钛(Ti)离子辐照处理.经过辐照处理后的样品被掺入了Ti元素, 与未处理的干净MgB₂样品相比,其超导转变温度没有出现大幅度的下降, 而在外加磁场下的临界电流密度得到了明显的提高,同时样品的上临界磁场也得到了提高. 在温度5 K, 外加垂直磁场为4 T的情况下, Ti离子辐照剂量为1× 10¹³/cm²的样品的临界电流密度达到了1.72× 10⁵ A/cm², 比干净的MgB₂要高出许多,而其超导转变温度仍能维持在39.9 K的较高水平.     

Preparation of high J c YBa2Cu3O7−δ superconducting thin films by ion beam sputtering deposition

Preparation of high T _c and high J _c YBa₂Cu₃O_7– superconducting thin films by ion beam sputtering deposition is reported. The main factors affecting the composition of the films and the orientation of the crystal grains have been examined. Experimental results show that the Y, Ba and Cu composition of as-deposited films can be conveniently and accurately adjusted by a combined sputtering target which consists of a large sintered target of YBa₂Cu₃O_7– and a small one that is Ba and Cu rich (YBa_2.5Cu_3.3O_x). Fabrication conditions of highly oriented superconducting thin films are described. YBa₂Cu₃O_7– superconducting films with zero resistance at 88–90.5K and critical current density J _c (at 77K) of 1.5×10⁵ A/cm² are obtained.     

多层膜外退火方法制备MgB2超导薄膜

报道了利用电子束蒸发的Mg/B多层膜作为前驱体，然后退火制备MgB₂薄膜的工作. 实验中发现，采用翻转膜面的退火处理方式可以有效地避免降温过程中Mg蒸气在薄膜表面形成的颗粒凝结，由此稳定地实现了面积为10 mm×10 mm，均匀、平整的超导薄膜的制备，T_c达35 K，转变宽度为0.8 K，在5 μm×5 μm的区域内薄膜的平均粗糙度小于10 nm. 为了便于后续器件制作过程中的微加工工艺，研究了膜厚小于1000 ?时薄膜的成相规律，发现当样品厚度减薄后，T_c会有明显降低. 通过调整前驱薄膜中的不同分层厚度，仍可实现转变温度达30 K以上、厚度约600 ?的MgB₂薄膜，在20 K时的临界电流密度为2.4×10⁶ A/cm².     

Transport properties of long monofilamentary Bi(2223) tapes

Summary Monofilamentary Bi(2223) tapes withJ _c(77 K, 0 tesla) up to 30 000 A/cm² have been prepared by cold rolling using the powder-in-tube method. An optimization of the precursor powders has led to a higher phase purity after the reaction heat treatment. The deformation process has been optimized in order to increase the oxide density and to reduce sausaging effects on the oxide thickness. The transport properties of these tapes have been studied in a wide range of temperature (4.2K-T _c) and magnetic fields (up to 28 tesla). The critical-current values at 77 K fields of 0.5 T and 1 T parallel to the tape surface are 10 000 A/cm² and 5400 A/cm², respectively. At 4.2 K theJ _c value decreases from 1.6·10⁵ A/cm² at 0 T to 6·10⁴ A/cm² at 15 T. At fields higher than 15 tesla a very low field dependence ofJ _c has been found, regardless of the tape orientation. Transport properties have also been studied by cutting small sections of the tape in order to investigate the local critical-current distribution. It has been found that, even in rolled tapes of good quality (J _c (77 K, 0 T)>20000 A/cm²), theJ _c distribution is homogeneous: the critical current density increases gradually from the centre of the tape to the sides, the latter exhibiting much higherJ _c (46000 A/cm²) than in the centre (18000 A/cm²). Paper presented at the ?VII Congresso SATT?, Torino, 4–7 October 1994.     

High-quality YBCO d.c. SQUIDs based on bicrystal substrates

Summary An analysis of superconducting transport properties and magnetic behaviour of d.c. SQUIDs employing YBCO bicrystal grain boundary junctions (GBJs) has been performed. GBJs have been obtained by deposition of ac-axis-oriented YBCO film on a SrTiO₃ bicrystal substrate by ICM sputtering technique. Experimental measurements on a YBCO d.c. SQUID with a misorientation angle θ=20° are reported. The SQUID shows a critical temperatureT _c∼89 K and a high critical current densityJ _c∼3·10⁶ A/cm² atT=4.2 K. Current-voltage characteristics are close to the behaviour predicted by the resistively shunted junction (RSJ) model and the temperature dependenceJ _c(T) shows a linear behaviour at small reduced temperatures and a depressedJ _c value close toT _c. High-quality flux-voltage curves have been found upT=87 K over a large range of magnetic field. The high reproducibility and the good control of transport properties by the variation of θ make YBCO bicrystal GBJs very useful for applications in electronics. Paper presented at the ?VII Congresso SATT?, Torino, 4–7 October 1994.     

Synthesis and superconducting properties of Nd0.33Eu0.08Gd0.58Ba2Cu3O z materials

We have studied the effect of the ratio of different rare-earth element on the superconducting properties and phase formation of (Nd_0.33Eu_0.08Gd_0.58)Ba₂Cu₃O _z ceramic. Bulk NEG samples were prepared using the solid-state reaction process. The superconducting transition for Nd_0.33Eu_0.08Gd_0.58Ba₂Cu₃O _z is T _c ≈90 K and the value of the critical current density (J _c ) is 13.9 A/cm² at 77 K under zero magnetic fields. This value is twice as high when compared with the (J _c ) value of YBCO systems (J _c = 7.31 A/cm²). The obtained bulk sample was used for the production of superconducting Ag-sheathed tapes by OPIT method including hot rolling. The critical current density of the obtained tape (337 A/cm²) is one order higher than the one of the bulk sample.      

Contribution of superconducting grains and grain boundaries to the magnetoresistance of ceramic YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>7 − δ</Subscript> high-temperature superconductors in weak magnetic fields

The current-voltage characteristics of granular YBa₂Cu₃O_6.95 high-temperature superconductor samples have been measured at a temperature of 77.3 K in external transverse magnetic fields H _ext with a strength of up to H _ext ≈ 500 Oe for low transport current densities (0.1 A/cm² ≤ j ≤ 0.6 A/cm²). The current-voltage characteristics obtained have been used to construct dependences of the magnetoresistance ρ on the quantities j (ρ(j) _Hext=const) and H _ext(ρ(H _ext) _{j = const}). It has been revealed that the current and field dependences of the magnetoresistance exhibit anomalies at H _ext ≥ H _c1g , where H _c1g is the lower critical field of superconducting grains. A comparative analysis of the dependences ρ(j)H _{ext = const} and ρ(H _ext) _{j = const} has made it possible to develop concepts regarding the influence of the processes of redistribution of the magnetic field between grain boundaries and superconducting grains on the transport and galvanomagnetic properties of granular high-temperature superconductors. It has been established that the field dependences of the magnetoresistance exhibit specific features associated with the beginning of penetration of Josephson vortices into grain boundaries in the magnetic field H _c1J and with the breaking of a continuous chain of Josephson junctions in the magnetic field H _c2J .     

MgB2 coated conductors directly grown on flexible metallic Hastelloy tapes by hybrid physical–chemical vapor deposition

MgB₂ coated conductors (CCs), which can avoid the low packing density problem of powder-in-tube (PIT) processed wires, can be a realistic solution for practical engineering applications. Here we report on the superior superconducting properties of MgB₂ CCs grown directly on the flexible metallic Hastelloy tapes without any buffer layer at various deposition temperatures from 520 to 600 °C by using hybrid physical–chemical vapor deposition (HPCVD) technique. The superconducting transition temperatures (T_c) are in the range of 38.5–39.4 K, comparable to bulk samples and high quality thin films. Clear (101) and (002) reflection peaks of MgB₂ are observed in the X-ray diffraction patterns without any indication of chemical reaction between MgB₂ and Hastelloy tapes. From scanning electron microscopy, it was found that connection between MgB₂ grains and voids strongly depend on the growth temperature. A systematic increase in the flux pinning force density and thereby the critical current density with decreasing growth temperature was observed for the MgB₂ CCs. The critical current density (J_c) of J_c(5 K, 0 T) ～10⁷ A/cm² and J_c(5 K, 2.5 T) ～10⁵ A/cm² has been obtained for the sample fabricated at a low growth temperature of 520 °C. The enhanced J_c (H) behavior can be understood on the basis of the variation in the microstructure of MgB₂ CCs with growth temperature.     

Further studies on Ag/BPSCCO tapes using low purity materials

Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) studies are reported on Ag-clad Bi_1.7 Pb_0.4Sr_1.8Ca₂Cu_3.5O _x tapes prepared by using low purity (98–99%) commercial grade materials. The self-fieldJ _c values of these tapes viz. 6.14 × 10³ A.cm⁻² at 77 K and 1.4 × 10⁵ A.cm⁻² at 4.2 K, reported in an earlier publication, were significantly higher than the correspondingJ _c values in tapes prepared with high purity (99.99%) materials. The TEM pictures on the low purity core material of the tapes reveal the presence of stacking faults and the intergrowth of the 2212 and 2223 phases which could be acting as flux pinning sites and responsible for enhancedJ _c values. These defects can perhaps be traced back to the presence of 60 ppm iron in the low purity CuO as revealed by atomic absorption analysis reported earlier.     

SUPERCONDUCTING PROPERTIES AND STRUCTURAL PERFECTION OF EPITAXIAL YBa2Cu3O7-x THIN FILMS

High quality epitaxial YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x thin films have been succcessfully prepared by dc magnetron sputtering deposition, on (100) and (110) aligned SrTiO₃, LaAlO₃ and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates. The films showed zero resistance around 90 K and had a J_c (at 77 K, H=0) over 10⁶A/cm². It was found that superconducting properties and structures of the films were strongly dependent on oxygen pressure and substrate temperature. The epitaxial structure of the films have been studied by X-ray diffraction. Rutherford backscattering and channeling spectroscopy, X-ray double-crystal diffraction and transmission election microscopy. The experimental results demonstrated that the epitaxial YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x films had excellent superconducting properties and quite perfect structure.     

MgB2 coated superconducting tapes with high critical current densities fabricated by hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition

The MgB₂ coated superconducting tapes have been fabricated on textured Cu (0 0 1) and polycrystalline Hastelloy tapes using coated conductor technique, which has been developed for the second generation high temperature superconducting wires. The MgB₂/Cu tapes were fabricated over a wide temperature range of 460-520 °C by using hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition (HPCVD) technique. The tapes exhibited the critical temperatures (T_c) ranging between 36 and 38 K with superconducting transition width (ΔT_c) of about 0.3-0.6 K. The highest critical current density (J_c) of 1.34 × 10⁵ A/cm² at 5 K under 3 T is obtained for the MgB₂/Cu tape grown at 460 °C. To further improve the flux pinning property of MgB₂ tapes, SiC is coated as an impurity layer on the Cu tape. In contrast to pure MgB₂/Cu tapes, the MgB₂ on SiC-coated Cu tapes exhibited opposite trend in the dependence of J_c with growth temperature. The improved flux pinning by the additional defects created by SiC-impurity layer along with the MgB₂ grain boundaries lead to strong improvement in J_c for the MgB₂/SiC/Cu tapes. The MgB₂/Hastelloy superconducting tapes fabricated at a temperature of 520 °C showed the critical temperatures ranging between 38.5 and 39.6 K. We obtained much higher J_c values over the wide field range for MgB₂/Hastelloy tapes than the previously reported data on other metallic substrates, such as Cu, SS, and Nb. The J_c values of J_c(20 K, 0 T) ∼5.8 × 10⁶ A/cm² and J_c(20 K, 1.5 T) ∼2.4 × 10⁵ A/cm² is obtained for the 2-μm-thick MgB₂/Hastelloy tape. This paper will review the merits of coated conductor approach along with the HPCVD technique to fabricate MgB₂ conductors with high T_c and J_c values which are useful for large scale applications.     

Correlation betweenJ c and screw dislocation density in sputtered YBa2Cu3O7-δ films

Electric transport properties of sputtered YBa₂Cu₃O_7– films were studied as a function of screw dislocation density, ranging from 5·10⁷ cm^–2 to 1.3·10⁹ cm^–2 as determined at the film surface. A correlation was found between the number of screw dislocations and the critical current density (J _c ). Films with higher screw dislocation densities have higher critical current densities and a slower drop ofJ _c as a function of applied magnetic fieldH.     

Physical property characterization of bulk MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript> superconductor

We report synthesis, structure/micro-structure, resistivity under magnetic field [ρ(T)H], Raman spectra, thermoelectric power S(T), thermal conductivity κ(T), and magnetization of ambient pressure argon annealed polycrystalline bulk samples of MgB₂, processed under identical conditions. The compound crystallizes in hexagonal structure with space group P6/mmm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals electron micrographs showing various types of defect features along with the presence of 3–4 nm thick amorphous layers forming the grain boundaries of otherwise crystalline MgB₂. Raman spectra of the compound at room temperature exhibited characteristic phonon peak at 600 cm^-1. Superconductivity is observed at 37.2 K by magnetic susceptibility χ(T), resistivity ρ(T), thermoelectric power S(T), and thermal conductivity κ(T) measurements. The power law fitting of ρ(T) give rise to Debye temperature (Θ_D) at 1400 K which is found consistent with the theoretical fitting of S(T), exhibiting Θ _D of 1410 K and carrier density of 3.81 × 10²⁸/m³. Thermal conductivity κ(T) shows a jump at 38 K, i.e., at T_c, which was missing in some earlier reports. Critical current density (J_c) of up to 10⁵ A/cm² in 1–2 T (Tesla) fields at temperatures (T) of up to 10 K is seen from magnetization measurements. The irreversibility field, defined as the field related to merging of M(H) loops is found to be 78, 68 and 42 kOe at 4, 10 and 20 K respectively. The superconducting performance parameters viz. irreversibility field (H_irr) and critical current density J_c(H) of the studied MgB₂ are improved profoundly with addition of nano-SiC and nano-diamond. The physical property parameters measured for polycrystalline MgB₂ are compared with earlier reports and a consolidated insight of various physical properties is presented.     

High current densities at 20T in long (20m) tapes of CVD-prepared Nb3Ge

Critical current densities J_c as a function of magnetic field have been measured on tapes of chemically vapor deposited (CVD) Nb₃Ge that are up to 20m long. Values of J_c exceed 5 × 10⁴ A/cm² at 20T. Such high critical current densities are encouraging for use of this material in producing a 20T superconducting magnet.     

Spin susceptibility of neutron-irradiation-disordered YBa2Cu3O6.9 in the normal and superconducting states

The spin-spin relaxation rate ⁶³ T ₂ ⁻¹ of ⁶³Cu nuclei in CuO₂ layers is measured in the normal and superconducting states of the compound YBa₂Cu₃O_6.9 (T _c ^onset =94 K) subjected to radiation-induced disordering by a fast-neutron flux Φ to T _c ^onset =68 K (Φ=7×10¹⁸ cm⁻²) and T _c ^onset <4 K (Φ=12×10¹⁸ cm⁻²). It is found that as the structural disorder increases, the contribution of the indirect spin-spin interaction ⁶³ T _2G ⁻¹ , which is related to the value of the spin susceptibility at the boundary of the Brillouin zone of the copper planes χ_s(q={π/a; π/a}), decreases slightly at the transition to the superconducting state for the initial sample and remains unchanged for the weakly disordered sample. This behavior of the short-wavelength contribution to the spin susceptibility attests to the stability of the x ²−y ² symmetry of the energy gap against structural disorder, in accordance with proposed theoretical models of Cooper pairing for high-T _c cuprates. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 3, 172–177 (10 February 1998)     

Effect of mechanical deformation on the critical current in YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>7−<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis></Subscript> superconducting films

It is shown that local mechanical bending of YBa₂Cu₃O_7−b Ag-coated superconducting films deposited on flexible metal substrates in the temperature interval 77–300 K may increase the critical density J _c of the transport current to values as high as 10⁶ A/cm² or even higher at 77 K. Also, bending decreases the voltage criterion. This means a rise in the intergranular conductivity and, accordingly, a reduction of Joule losses.