Pinning mechanism in carbon nanotube doping of MgB2 superconductor

MgB_1.9C_0.1 samples are synthesized under the ambient pressure (AP) and high pressure (HP), respectively. The further studies demonstrate different field-dependence of the critical current density J_c(H) in each sample. In the view of two-gap superconductivity in these samples, δT_c pinning (resulting from the spatial fluctuations of the transition temperature) is dominant in the AP sample, while in the HP sample, both δT_c and δl pinning (due to the mean-free-path fluctuations) act together and their contributions vary with temperature. Besides the improvement of H_c2(0), due to the different pinning mechanism, J_c(H) of the HP sample shows a slower decay with the increasing fields than that of the AP sample in high fields, which suggests a possible method of retarding the rapid decay of J_c(H) under elevated fields.     

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.     

200 MeV Ag ion irradiation created columnar defects and enhanced critical current density of La-2125 type superconducting thin films

We have deposited c-axis oriented thin films of La_1.5Dy_0.5CaBa₂Cu₅O_z (La-2125) tetragonal superconductor on LaAlO₃(001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. These films were irradiated with 200 MeV Ag⁺¹⁵ ions. Atomic force microscopy and elastic recoil detection analysis indicate that the irradiation has created columnar defects through the entire thickness (2000 Å) of these films. With ion irradiation up to 1×10¹¹ ions/cm², the critical current density (J_c(H)) enhances by fivefold, which is attributed to the augmented flux pinning by the columnar defects. A further increase in irradiation to 1×10¹² ions/cm² causes reduction in J_c(H) due to distorted morphology of the film. Our work shows that the enhancement in J_c(H) of the irradiated La-2125 film is comparable to that in irradiated RE-123 (RE = rare earth ion). Also, as the La-2125 type films have greater chemical stability than RE-123, La-2125 type superconductors are potential candidates for applications. It is interesting to note that there are partial flux jumps observed to occur symmetrically in the magnetic hysteresis of irradiated La-2125 thin films with enhanced J_c(H).     

Fractal flux jumps in an organic superconducting crystal

Angle dependant torque magnetization measurements have been carried out on the organic superconductor, κ-(ET)₂Cu(NCS)₂ at extremely low temperatures (25-300 mK). Magneto-thermal instabilities are observed in the form of abrupt magnetization (flux) jumps for magnetic field sweeps of 0-20 T. A fractal analysis of the flux jumps indicate that the instabilities do show a self similar structure with a fractal dimension of varying between 1.15 and 1.6. The fractal structure of the flux jumps in our sample shows a striking similarity to that of MgB₂ thin film samples, in which magneto-optical experiments have recently shown that the small flux jumps are due to the formation of dendritic flux structures. These smaller instabilities act to suppress the critical current density of the thin films. The similarity of the flux jump structure of our samples suggests that we may also observing the dendritic instability, but in a bulk sample rather than a thin film. If true, this is the first observation of the dendritic instability in a bulk superconducting sample, and is likely due to the layered nature of κ-(ET)₂Cu(NCS)₂, which results in a quasi-two dimensional flux structure over the majority it's mixed state phase diagram.     

熔融织构(Nd-Eu-Gd)-Ba-Cu-O超导体的各向异性磁通跳跃及其不稳定性研究

对c轴择优取向的熔融织构样品(Nd_0.33Eu_0.33Gd_0.33) Ba₂Cu₃O_7-δ（含Gd(211)相）的磁通跳跃现象进行 了系统研究.结果表明，在外加磁 场平行于样品c轴条件下，在2到3K的温度范围内明显观测到了部分磁通跳跃现象，而 在5K及以上温区并未出现.在磁场垂直于样品的c轴情况，在2K到T_c的整个温 区都没有观察到磁通跳跃现象.这种各向异性磁通跳跃现象可归因于各向异性钉扎力和几何 退磁因子的结果.随着温度的增加，磁通跳跃数目减少，且M(H)曲线的第三象限是磁通 跳跃的最不稳定过程.最后，研究了磁通跳跃对磁场扫描速率的依赖关系，并讨论了磁通蠕 动对磁通跳跃的影响. 关键词： 0.33Eu_0.33Gd_0.33)Ba₂Cu₃O_7-δ超导体')" href="#">(Nd_0.33Eu_0.33Gd_0.33)Ba₂Cu₃O_7-δ超导体 OCMG方法 磁通跳跃     

Critical current density and flux pinning in an unconventional superconductor

The functional dependence of the critical current density on magnetic field, Jc(H), observed at fixed temperatures in the unconventional type-II superconductor, LaAg1−cMnc (c=0.1,0.2,0.3) alloys, but not the relative magnitude of Jc in different alloy compositions at any given temperature and field, is adequately described by the exponential-decay critical state model. In accordance with the predictions of the Kramer's flux-pinning model, the peak value of the pinning force density with the exponent 1.7?m?2.8 and scales with h=H/Hc₂, where Hc₂ is the upper critical field. Irrespective of sample composition and temperature in the superconducting state, the pinning of the flux line lattice (FLL) dominates over the plastic FLL shear.     

The effective activation energy Ueff(T,B,J) in Hg-1223 single phase superconductors

We review the methods of calculating the effective activation energy U_eff(T,B,J) for both transport measurements and magnetic decay, together with some theoretical models. Then, we apply these methods to our Hg-1223 single-phase superconductor to obtain the activation energy. Transport results give that the magnetic field and temperature dependence of the U_eff can be well described as U₀B^−α(1−T/T_c)^m. Magnetic relaxation shows that the current density dependence of U(J) can be scaled onto a single curve, which can be considered as the activation energy at some temperature T₀. The pinning mechanism in the measured temperature range does not change, and the activation energy depends separately on the three variables: T, B, and J, are responsible for the magnetic decay data scaling onto a single curve at various temperatures. As temperatures close to zero and near T_c, thermally assisted flux motion model is no longer valid since other processes dominate.     

Improvement of the intergranular pinning energy in uniaxially compacting (Bi-Pb)<Subscript>2</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>10+δ</Subscript> ceramic samples

Measurements of the electrical resistivity as a function of temperature, ρ(T), for different values of applied magnetic field, B_a (0 ≤ B_a ≤ 50 mT), were performed in polycrystalline samples of Bi_1.65Pb_0.35Sr₂Ca₂ Cu₃O_10+δ subjected to different uniaxial compacting pressure (UCP). We have found appreciable differences in the grain orientation between samples by using X-ray diffractometry. From the X-ray diffraction patterns performed, in powder and pellet samples, we have estimated the Lotgering factor along the (00l) direction, F_(00l). The results indicate that F_(00l) increases ~23% with increasing UCP suggesting that grains of these samples are preferentially aligned along the c-axis, which is parallel to the compacting direction. The resistive transition of the samples have been interpreted in terms of the thermally activated flux-creep model. In addition, the effective intergranular pinning energy, U₀, have been determined for different applied magnetic field. The magnetic field dependence of U₀, for B_a > 8 mT, was found to follow a H^{- α} dependence with α = 0.5 for all samples. The analysis of the experimental data strongly suggested that increasing UCP results in appreciable changes in both the grain alignment and the grain connectivity of the samples. We have successfully interpreted the data by considering the existence of three different superconducting levels within the samples: the superconducting grains, the weak-links, and the superconducting clusters.     

Effect of grain-boundary flux pinning in MgB2 with columnar structure

We studied the flux pinning properties by grain boundaries in MgB₂ films prepared by using a hybrid physical chemical vapor deposition method on the c-axis oriented sapphire substrates. All the films we report here had the columnar grains with the growth direction perpendicular to the substrates and the grain sizes in the range of a few hundred nanometers. At very low magnetic fields, no discernable grain-boundary (GB) pinning effect was observed in all measuring temperatures, but above those fields, the effect of GB flux pinning was observed as enhanced critical current densities (J_cs) and reduced resistances when an external magnetic field (B) was aligned parallel to the c-axis. We interpret the B dependence of J_c in the terms of flux line lattice shear inside the columnar grains activated by dislocations of Frank–Read source while the flux lines pinned by GB act as anchors for dislocations. Magnetic field dependence of flux pinning force density for B parallel to the c-axis was reasonably explained by the above model.     

Flux trapping in a macroscopic cylinderical hole drilled in Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O

The flux dynamics in a polycrystalline sample of Bi_1.7Pb_0.3Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O_x with a macroscopic cylindrical hole (CH) drilled was investigated by slow transport relaxation (V-t curves) and magnetovoltage measurements (V-H curves). It was monitored that there are several discontinuities in the time evolution of quenched state in V-t curves, which was attributed to the leaving of quantized flux lines trapped through CH together with surface superconducting effects. We observed that asymmetric V-H curves demonstrate unusual remarkable counter clockwise hysteresis effects upon cycling of field. This interesting result was correlated mainly to the flux trapping inside the CH that acts as a macroscopic attractive pinning center for flux lines. Further, the hysteresis effects in V-H curves for a fixed transport current provide a direct evidence that the number of flux lines, measured dissipation and relative decrease/increase in irreversibilities could be determined by sweeping rate of external magnetic field (dH/dt) which leads also to peculiar time effects.     

Nb3Sn超导材料的高场钉扎行为

本文利用线性回归分析法处理扩散和气相沉积Nb₃Sn带材样品以及青铜法多芯Nb₃Sn线材样品在高场(²2T)下的临界电流测试数据,得到J_c-B曲线和钉扎力随磁场变化的经验规律。该规律与Kramer模型的钉扎力公式不一致,有待提出新的理论模型加以说明。 关键词：     

Microwave surface resistance of pristine and neutron-irradiated MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript> samples in magnetic field

We report on the microwave surface resistance of two polycrystalline Mg¹¹ B₂ samples; one consists of pristine material, the other has been irradiated at very high neutron fluence. It has already been reported that in the strongly irradiated sample the two gaps merge into a single value. The mw surface resistance has been measured in the linear regime as a function of the temperature and the DC magnetic field, at increasing and decreasing fields. The results obtained in the strongly irradiated sample are quite well justified in the framework of a generalized Coffey and Clem model, in which we take into account the field distribution inside the sample due to the critical state. The results obtained in the pristine sample show several anomalies, especially at low temperatures, which cannot be justified in the framework of standard models for the fluxon dynamics. Only at temperatures near T_c and for magnetic fields greater than 0.5H_c2(T) the experimental data can quantitatively be accounted for by the Coffey and Clem model, provided that the upper-critical-field anisotropy is taken into due account.     

Spatial variation of superconducting properties of Gd123 Bulk superconductors with magnetic particles addition

Magnetic flux trapping and the homogeneity of the flux pinning are essential problems in the practical application of high-temperature superconductors. We have conducted study on the role of addition of soft magnetic Fe-B alloy particles contribute to the enhancement of the critical current density (J_c) under wide-range of magnetic field. Magnetic flux trapping was enhanced in Gd123 bulk superconductor with suitable amount of magnetic particles addition. In addition, it can be effective as pinning center enhance the J_c of the bulk in both the a–b growth sector and the c-growth sector under magnetic field. However, the T_c of the Gd123 bulk was decreased obviously by addition of magnetic particles. The study on the spatial variation of superconducting properties indicates that the performance of the upper part of the bulk is better than the bottom. By comparing the superconducting properties of the Gd123 bulk with magnetic particles addition and without magnetic particles addition, we concluded that there is a trace of the formation of homogeneous pinning properties in the magnetic particles addition Gd123 bulk.     

Critical current density and flux pinning in La2−xPrxCa2x Ba2Cu4+2xOz (x=0.1-0.5) superconductors

Polycrystalline La_2−xPr_xCa_2xBa₂Cu_4+2xO_z (LPCaBCO) compounds with x=0.1-0.5 were synthesized by solid-state reaction method and studied by room temperature X-ray diffraction, dc resistivity, dc magnetization and iodometry. The superconducting transition temperatures in these tetragonal triple perovskite compounds increases from 32 to 62 K (T_c^onset values) with increasing dopant concentration. The mixing of rare earth La³⁺ and Pr^3+/4+ ions at rare earth site (La³⁺) along with substitution of divalent Ca²⁺ results in the shrinkage of unit cell volume. The contraction of unit cell volume due to larger ion being substituted by smaller ions, gives rise to creation of pinning centres in the unit cell leading to increase in critical current density and flux pinning.     

Flux pinning in columnar-structured and single crystalline MgB2 films

We have investigated the flux pinning effect of columnar grain boundary in columnar-structured and single crystalline MgB₂ films. The MgB₂ films with columnar structure showed much higher J_c than that of single crystalline thin film, and sample having smaller grain size had a higher J_c in high magnetic fields. At 5 K, the MgB₂ film with grain size of 460 nm showed an abnormal double-peak behavior in pining force density, F_p(B), caused by competition of different types of pinning sites, such as planar defects and point defects. Field dependences of F_p in columnar-structured films suggest that the columnar grain boundary is a strong pinning source in the MgB₂ film and it plays a crucial role in enhancing J_c over a wide range of magnetic fields and temperatures.     

Effects of nanoscale defects on critical current density of (Y1−xEux)Ba2Cu3O7−δ thin films

In pulsed laser deposition of YBa₂Cu₃O_7?δ films, defect introduction into the films tends to anisotropically improve the pinning along the H||c direction due to the columnar growth mode of the process. In Eu-substituted samples, however, even though an increase in critical current density (J_c) in the H||c direction was observed for low fields (H = 0.2 T), the improvement was more notable for the H||ab-plane at both low and higher fields. Herein we present detailed TEM microstructural studies to understand these new trends in J_c(H), which are markedly different than flux pinning increases achieved with other methods, for example, with nanoparticle additions. Threading dislocations, observed in the Eu-substituted samples along the c-axis, account for J_c enhancement with H||c at low field. The enhanced ab-planar pinning in the Eu-substituted samples is attributed to the extensive bending of the {0 0 1} lattice planes throughout the film, and the crystal lattice defects with excess Cu–O planes, that were effective in increasing the J_c for H||ab at both low and high fields.     

Angular dependences of critical current density in YBCO thin films with crossed columnar defects

We investigated the dependences of the critical current density J_c on the magnetic field angle θ in YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ thin films with the crossed configurations of the columnar defects (CDs). To install the crossed CDs, the films were irradiated using the high energetic Xe ions at two angles relative to the c-axis. The additional peak around the c-axis appears in the J_c(θ) for all irradiated films. In lower magnetic fields, the height of the J_c(θ) peak caused by the crossed CDs with the crossing angles θ_i = ±10° was higher than that for the parallel CDs. It is considered that the correlation of the flux pinning by the crossed CDs along the c-axis occurs even in the case of θ_i = ±25°, which was also suggested by the kink behaviors of the scaling parameters of the current–voltage characteristics near 1/3 of the matching field. In higher magnetic fields, on the other hand, the height and width of the J_c(θ) peak for the crossed CD configurations rapidly reduce with increasing the magnetic field compared to the parallel ones. In the crossed CD configurations, the dispersion in the direction of CDs would prevent the correlation of flux pinning along the c-axis in high magnetic fields, which occurs in the parallel CD configurations due to the collective pinning of flux lines including the interstitial flux lines between the directly pinned flux lines by CDs.     

Magnetotransport of lanthanum doped RuSr<Subscript>2</Subscript>GdCu<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>8</Subscript> – the role of gadolinium

Strongly underdoped RuSr_1.9La_0.1GdCu₂O₈ has been comprehensively studied by dc magnetization, microwave measurements, magnetoresistivity and Hall resistivity in fields up to 9 T and temperatures down to 1.75 K. Electron doping by La reduces the hole concentration in the CuO₂ planes and completely suppresses superconductivity. Microwave absorption, dc resistivity and ordinary Hall effect data indicate that the carrier concentration is reduced and a semiconductor-like temperature dependence is observed. Two magnetic ordering transitions are observed. The ruthenium sublattice orders antiferromagnetically at 155 K in low applied magnetic fields, and the gadolinium sublattice orders antiferromagnetically at 2.8 K. The magnetoresistivity in this compound exhibits a complicated temperature dependence due to the occurence of the two magnetic orders and spin fluctuations. It is shown that the ruthenium magnetism influences the conductivity in the RuO₂ layers while the gadolinium magnetism influences the conductivity in the CuO₂ layers. The magnetoresistivity is isotropic above 4 K, but it becomes anisotropic close to the gadolinium antiferromagnetic order temperature.     

Angular dependence of vortex matter phase transition in MgB2 single crystal

The vortex matter phase transitions and intrinsic pinning effect were investigated in an MgB₂ single crystal using the torque magnetometry. For the field directions apart from the ab plane, we succeed in the observation of the vortex lattice melting transitions, which are transformed from the order-disorder transitions at low temperatures. Both transition fields with field directions can be describe by the GL effective mass model. For the field direction along the ab plane, these transitions become unobservable. Instead, the sudden increase in the hysteresis of magnetization curve occurs, indicating the existence of the intrinsic pinning coming from the layer structure.     

Influence of the carbon substitution on the critical current density and AC losses in MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript> single crystals

The DC magnetization and AC complex magnetic susceptibilities were measured for MgB₂ single crystals, unsubstituted and carbon substituted with the composition of Mg(B_0.94C_0.05)₂. The measurements were performed in AC and DC magnetic fields oriented parallel to the c-axis of the crystals. From the DC magnetization loops and the AC susceptibility measurements, critical current densities (J _c were derived as a function of temperature and the DC and AC magnetic fields. Results show that the substitution with carbon decreases J _c ) at low magnetic fields, opposite to the well known effect of an increase of J _c at higher fields. AC magnetic losses were derived from the AC susceptibility data as a function of amplitude and the DC bias magnetic field. The AC losses were determined for temperatures of 0.6 and 0.7 of the transition temperature T _c , so close to the boiling points of LH₂ and LNe, potential cooling media for magnesium diboride based composites. The results are analyzed and discussed in the context of the critical state model.