Fluorination of superconducting Ba2YCu3O9−δ

Using a series of samples ranging in composition from δ = 2 to δ = 3 we have successfully introduced substantial amounts of fluorine into samples of superconducting Ba₂YCu₃O_9-δ by annealing under F₂ gas flows at low temperatures. These syntheses yielded single phase materials containing up to 1.05 F per formula unit. ¹⁹F NMR experiments have confirmed that fluorine is incorporated into the lattice and susceptibility and transport measurements indicate that the samples are superconducting with critical temperatures in the range 80 to 89 K.     

Electron microscopy and neutron diffraction studies of Ba2YCu3O7−δ compounds

An electron microscopy study of Ba₂YCu₃O_7−δ samples gives evidence of several defects occuring in the stacking sequence along the c axis. It is shown that the oxygen intercalation process is reversible and does not change these defects of the cation lattices.A neutron diffraction study of powdered samples indicates that the oxygen-rich compounds Ba₂YCu₃O_6.92 and Ba₂YCu₃O_6.64 have the same orthorhombic structure, the only difference consisting in the occupancy of the oxygen site around the copper atoms forming linear Cu-O chains. The reduced compound Ba₂YCu₃O₆ has a tetragonal structure corresponding to an empty oxygen site in the plane of these copper atoms. The contraction of the c parameter and of the volume of the unit cell when the oxygen content increases can be explained by the electrostatic attraction between Ba²⁺ and O²⁻ ions introduced in the lattice.     

High-temperature superconductor Ba2YCu3O7-¢L: plasmon and ultraviolet optical transition studies

We present the first electron energy loss data on a high-temperature superconductor. A detailed comparison with photoemission energy distribution curves and partial-yield spectra identifies the nature of the corresponding features. This analysis shows that the bulk plasmon energy is 24.6 eV, and that there are two peaks in the density of empty states, 2.3–2.5 eV and 4.3–4.6 eV above the Fermi level.     

Structural and superconducting behaviour of Mg- and Zn-substituted YBa2Cu3O7-δ

Effects of doping YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ with Mg and Zn on its crystallographic structure and superconducting behaviour have been investigated. Orthorhombic structure is retained upto Mg/Cu ratio of 0.12 (the highest investigated here), but T_c decreases rapidly with the level of Mg-doping. The effects produced by Mg-doping are very similar to those due to Zn-doping investigated by the present authors as well as by others. Neutron diffraction measurements have been carried out on two substituted materials: YBa₂Cu_2.82Mg_0.18O_7-δ and YBa₂Cu_2.82Zn_0.18O_7-δ. Both Mg- and Zn-dopants show strong tendency of occupying Cu(II)-sites in the unit cell. In the case of Mg-doping, however, a strikingly different feature is the concomitant depletion of oxygen at the O₃-sites by an amount nearly equal to the Mg-concentration.     

循环伏安法研究Ba2YCu3O7—y超导体

本文利用电化学循环伏安法(CV 法),以饱和 Ba(OH)_2水溶液为电解液,对单相Ba_2YCu_3O_(7-y)正交和四方结构超导体进行了研究.结果发现:在典型的正交相中确实存在Cu~(3+)→Cu~(2+)的还原峰,而四方相则无此峰出现.从而首次直接检测到 Ba_2YCu_3O_(7-y)烧结体中 Cu~(3+)离子.     

Transport properties in single phase superconductor Ba2YCu3O9-δ

The electrical resistivity and the thermopower are measured on the single phase superconductor Ba₂YCu₃O₉-δ (δ=2.1). The results indicate that the temperature dependences of the resistance and thermopower exhibit typical metallic behaviour, and the sample conducts via electrons at high temperatures. The behaviour of the thermopower can be described with Mott's semi-classical model. The specific heat of electrons in normal state has been estimated 780mJ/K·mole at 200K, i.e. γ=3.9mJ/K²·mole. Unusual phonon-drag effect is observed above the superconducting transition temperature T_c. Below T_c, the electrical resistivity and the thermopower all drop to zero corresponding to a superconducting ground state.     

Righi-Leduc Effect in InSb between 25°C and 300°C

The Righi-Leduc effect has been measured for n-type InSb crystals of various mobilities and was found to increase with temperature in a manner to indicate that the unipolar contribution is prevalent over the bipolar part of the effect. The experimental values measured over the temperature range between 25°C and 300°C agree well withPutley's theory. The Righi-Leduc coefficient was also determined as a function of the magnetic field and the strong decrease observed is explained in terms of the magnetoresistance.     

Study of interaction between ZrO2 (YSZ) substrates and YBa2Cu3O7−δ superconducting films

The interactions between YBa₂Cu₃O_7– superconducting films and ZrO₂ substrates with different crystal orientations were investigated. Our results show that the crystal orientation of the substrate influences the orientations of the YBa₂Cu₃O_7– crystals, whose c-axis have preferential orientations parallel to the surface of 100 ZrO₂ substrates. The copper segregation in Y-Ba-Cu-O/ZrO₂ films results from substrate reactions. Y, Ba, and Cu atoms diffusing into substrates were detected by AES and RBS techniques. A thin silver film evaporated on ZrO₂ substrate as a buffer layer effectively slows down or eliminates the substrate interactions. The strong preferential c-axis orientation perpendicular to the substrate surface has been observed in the YBa₂Cu₃O_7– /Ag/ZrO₂ samples.This work has been supported by Science Foundation of Academia Sinica     

Resistivity and magnetic susceptibility of superconducting and non-superconducting ErBa2Cu3O7−y

The oxide ErBa₂Cu₃O_7−y has been obtained in the orthorhombic and the tetragonal forms by suitable heat treatments. The orthorhombic form is metallic and superconducting with T_c=88 K while the tetragonal form has high resistance and is non-superconducting. Magnetic studies on both types of compounds reveal that the rare earth ion moment is very close to its free ion value independent of the structure. In the tetragonal compound, deviations in the susceptibility from the Curie-Weiss behavior are noted at low temperatures which may be due to the effect of crystalline electric fields.     

Elastic properties of superconducting and non-superconducting DyBaSrCu3O7−δ

Ultrasonic longitudinal and shear wave velocities were measured for superconducting and non-superconducting DyBaSrCu₃O_7−δ (Dy-1113) at 10 MHz between 80 and 270 K. The superconducting sample exhibits a step-like elastic anomaly between 190 and 230 K. No elastic anomaly was observed in the non-superconducting Dy-1113. The anomaly observed in the superconducting sample is attributed to structural phase transition caused by oxygen orderings.     

Crystal structure of the superconducting infinite-chain cuprate Ba2Cu2.89O6−y

The orthorhombic structure of Ba₂Cu_2.89O_6−y (sp. gr. Pccm, a=13.065(15), b=20.654(21) and c=11.431(8) Å) contains two nonintersecting symmetrically equivalent sets of parallel CuO₂-chains running along [110] and [1̄10] directions. Along the c-axis the Cu–O sheets are separated by identical layers of Ba-atoms. The Cu–O chains are distorted within the xy plane producing zigzag. Three of 14 positions of copper atoms were found to be partly vacant that caused the significant shifts of the neighbouring Ba atoms in the plane. The determined structure of Ba₂Cu_2.89O_6−y is compared to that of the monoclinic Ba₂Cu₃O₆ modification, of another infinite-chain compound Sr_0.73CuO₂, and to one of the substructures of ladder compounds (Sr,Ca)₁₄Cu₂₄O_41+y. The superconductivity in Ba₂Cu_2.89O_6−y is associated with the CuO₂-chains consisting of CuO₄-squares sharing edges. The attention is paid to the coincidence of the temperatures of the superconducting transitions in Ba₂Cu_2.89O_6−y and in ladder compound with the temperature of the sharp magnetic transition in another infinite-chain compound Sr_0.73CuO₂.     

Magnetic properties of superconducting EuBa2Cu3O7−x

The magnetic properties of superconducting EuBa₂Cu₃O_7–x with resistiveT _c 96.5 K are measured. The normal state magnetic susceptibility is analyzed within the framework of the Van Vleck-Frank theory, leading to the conclusion that the strong moments of the Eu³⁺ ions are uncorrelated, and do not affect the superconducting state.     

Influence of Y2Cu2O5 nanoparticles doping on superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3O7-δ

ABSTRACT

The blue phase of YBa₂Cu₃O_{7- δ} (YBCO) family, Y₂Cu₂O₅ (Y202) nanoparticles were prepared and doped into (YBCO) superconductor and the effect of doping on critical current density and critical temperature was investigated. Y202 nanoparticles with particle sizes of 47, 107 and 206?nm were prepared by a sol–gel combustion method and added into the YBCO superconductor by 0.5–2?wt.%. XRD and scanning electron microscope measurements were used to characterize the samples. The measurement of critical current density at 77?K revealed that the doped superconductors had larger critical current density compared to the undoped superconductors. For a fixed dopant concentration, by increasing the size of nanoparticles, the J_c was increased. For the samples including 0.5?wt.% of nanoadditives, J_c was higher. The highest critical current density of 137?A/cm² was measured for the superconductors containing 0.5?wt.% of 206?nm Y202 nanoparticles. Also, by increasing the nanoparticles concentration, the T_c was reduced.     

Manifestation of phase transformations in optical spectra of Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 crystals between 25°C and 350°C

The pseudo dielectric function ?ε? (E) = ?ε ₁? (E) + i?ε ₂? (E) of sodium bismuth titanate Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃, has been obtained in the spectral range of electronic excitations (2–9.5 eV) by spectroscopic ellipsometry using the synchrotron radiation source BESSY II. The spectrum contains a broad absorption band at 4.2–4.5 eV. The temperature dependence in the range of 25–350°C is presented by the related susceptibilities ?χ ₁? (T) and ?χ ₂? (T) at 5 eV. A clear peculiarity in the temperature behavior of ?χ ₁? (T) and ?χ ₂? (T) between 180 and 320°C has been revealed and discussed. In this range an extremum-like temperature dependence of intensity of the light reflected from the sample surface, has been revealed and can be explained by the diffraction of light on the grid of the elastic domain structure of the sample.     

Structural Transformations in a Bi2O3 Crystal and in Bi2O3‐Based Solid Solutions in the Temperature Interval 25–750°C

The Raman scattering spectra of isostructural Bi₂O₃ and Bi_1.8Tm_0.2O₃ in the course of heating have been investigated. It is shown that the sequences of structural changes with increase in temperature differ: and ^* , respectively. In the hightemperature region, the structure takes the form of a disordered cube irrespective of the previous history of specimens.     

The vacancy order — disorder transition in Ba2YCu3O7−δ observed by means of electron diffraction and electron microscopy

It is shown by means of electron microscopy and electron diffraction that the “structural” vacancies in Ba₂YCu₃O_7−δ undergo an order-disorder transformation accompanied by a change in symmetry from orthorhombic to tetragonal. A superstructure due to the ordering of vacancies was found in certain crystal parts; it leads to doubling of the a₀ parameter. It is shown that the ordering of the vacancies is important for the superconducting behaviour. In order to obtain a high T_c supraconductor the final heat treatment is crucial.     

Effect of process parameters on the properties of plasma-sprayed superconducting Y1Ba2Cu3O7−x coatings

A study on the effect of powder, spray and coating parameters on superconducting properties of plasma-sprayed Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O_7–x coatings has been carried out. Optimised spray parameters to yield strong, adherent and dense coatings on many substrates including AISI 304 SS and alumina have been obtained. Coatings show superconductivity after oxygen annealing at 950°C for an hour. Coatings thinner than 100 m do not show zero resistivity down to 77 K due to weak links between granular superconductors. Coatings prepared with fine powder have superior superconducting properties, viz. higherT _c andJ _c values than coarse powder coatings. The choice of substrate material strongly affects theJ _c values.     

Heavy atom disorder in the high Tc superconductor Ba2YCu3O7−δ studied by means of electron microscopy and electron diffraction

It is shown that on rapid cooling of the compound Ba₂YCu₃O_7-δ one obtains a highly disordered material in which the perovskite framework is conserved but in which barium and yttrium atoms exhibit a high degree of disorder. This leads to lattice deformations, which can be visualized in the electron microscope. The electron diffraction patterns also reveal the disorder. As-quenched specimens are no longer high T_c superconductors, but the superconducting properties can be recovered by an adequate heat treatment whereby the vacancies become ordered.     

Infrared spectra of superconducting La2−xSrxCuO4 and YBa2Cu3O7−δ

Abstract

Abstract Infrared spectra of La_2?xSr_xCuO₄ and YBa₂Cu₃O_7?δ are discussed, specially with respect to the disappearance of the high-frequency (～650 cm) band of the superconducting compositions at 300K. Some of the bands persist at 300K eventhough the materials are fairly conducting. YBa₂Cu₃O_7?δ does not show evidence in the far IR spectrum for the presence of an optical gap.