Electrical transport and superconductivity in the Al2O3-Bi2Sr1.8Ca1.2Cu2Oy and MgO-Bi2Sr1.8Ca1.2Cu2Oy composites

We have measured the resistivities of Al₂O₃-Bi₂Sr_1.8Ca_1.2Cu₂O_y and MgO-Bi₂Sr_1.8Ca_1.2Cu₂O_y composites with the nominal Bi₂Sr_1.8Ca_1.2Cu₂O_y volume fraction, ₂₂₁₂, ranging from 0.15 to 1.00. For the Al₂O₃-Bi₂Sr_1.8Ca_1.2Cu ₂O_y composites, we find for the samples with ₂₂₁₂≥0.6 that the superconducting transition temperature, T_c, is not disturbed by the addition of Al₂O₃. For ₂₂₁₂<0.3, no zero-resistivity state is observed. For the MgO-Bi₂Sr_1.8Ca_1.2Cu₂O_y composites, T_c is barely disturbed for the samples with ρ₂₂₁₂≥0.7. No superconducting state is observed for the samples with ρ₂₂₁₂<0.35. The variation of (300 K) with ρ₂₂₁₂ indicates a three-dimensional percolating Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O matrix occurring at ρ₂₂₁₂≈0.19 and ≈0.15 in Al₂O₃-Bi₂Sr_1.8Ca_1.2 Cu₂O_y and MgO-Bi₂Sr_1.8Ca_1.2Cu₂O_y, respectively. Both resistivity and magnetization measurements suggest that the reactions of Bi₂Sr_1.8Ca_1.2Cu₂O_y with MgO are weaker than with Al₂O₃.