Experimental Set-Up for Evaluation of Electro-Magnetic Characteristics of High-Tc Superconductors Cooled by Liquid Hydrogen

OpenAIRE

Shirai, Yasuyuki; Hikawa, Kyosuke; Shiotsu, Masahiro; Tatsumoto, Hideki; Hata, Koichi; Kobayashi, Hiroaki; Nonaka, Satoshi; Naruo, Yoshihiro; Inatani, Yoshifumi

2013-01-01

Liquid hydrogen (LH2) has excellent properties as a coolant, such as large latent heat, low viscosity coefficient, etc. Not only MgB2 but also other high-Tc superconductors are expected to have excellent properties when cooled by LH2. It is necessary for a stability design of a high-Tc superconductor cooled by LH2 to make an electro-magnetic characteristic clear. However, due to the handling difficulties of LH2, there are only few papers on the properties of LH2-cooled superconductors, especi...

AC losses in high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, A.M.

1998-01-01

Full text: Although in principle the AC losses in high Tc superconductors can be calculated from the critical current density, a number of complications make this difficult. The Jc is very field dependent, there are intergranular and intragranular critical currents, the material is anisotropic and there is usually a large demagnetising factor. Care must be taken in interpreting electrical measurements since the voltage depends on the position of the contacts. In spite of these complications the simple theory of Norris has proved surprisingly successful and arguments will be presented as to why this is the case. Results on a range of tapes will be compared with theory and numerical methods for predicting losses discussed. Finally a theory for coupling losses will be given for a composite conductor with high resistance barriers round the filaments

Transport phenomena in high Tc superconductors. Resume of Ph.D thesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crisan, I.A.

1994-01-01

This is an extended abstract of the Ph. D. thesis devoted to the transport phenomena in high-Tc superconductors. There are three chapters. The first chapter presents an overview of the essential theoretical aspects concerning the vortex dynamics particularly in ceramic superconductors. The chapter two gives a description of the preparation methods of superconductor samples used by the author as well as the measurement devices for volt-ampere characteristics and the associated electronic circuitry. In the third chapter there are presented the experimental data obtained from different samples prepared in different temperature and magnetic field conditions. The obtained results are finally interpreted in the frame of existent or original models. (M.I.C.). 31 Refs

Magnetically-related properties of bismuth containing high Tc superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Vezzoli, Gary C.; Chen, M. F.; Craver, F.; Safari, A.; Moon, B. M.; Lalevic, B.; Burke, Terence; Shoga, M.

1990-08-01

The effect of magnetic fields to 15 T on electrical resistance has been measured for the BiSrCaCuO superconductor at precise temperatures during the transition to the superconducting state from pre-onset conditions to essentially zero resistance conditions. The results show that the temperature at which the magnetic field causes a divergence in the resistance versus 1000/ T curve is approximately the same temperature as the value at which, during cooling, the positive Hall coefficient begins its abrupt descent to zero. This temperature gives the best measure of Tc. It is also shown that small oscillations of low frequency start near onset conditions, the amplitude of which at a given temperature is B-field dependent. Additionally, Hall effect studies as a function of temperature at 4 T in three separate experiments (including high Tc BiSrCaCu PbO of > 90% theoretical density) show that sharp delta-function-like peaks in + RH are observed near Tc and are superimposed on a broader maximum. The Hall data are explicable in terms of exciton formation and ionization. The bound holes associated with these excitons are believed to be the mediators producing Cooper-pairing, and scale very well with Tc for all the known high Tc oxides.

Electromagnetic wave absorption in high-Tc superconductors and its application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porjesz, T.; Khatiashvili, N.; Kovacs, Gy.; Leppavuori, S.; Uusimaki, A.; Kokkomaki, T.; Hagberg, J.

1995-08-01

The experimental study of the electromagnetic wave absorption of high-Tc superconductors subjected to small magnetic fields has been extended to a wide frequency range. The results obtained show an almost frequency independent behaviour in the 4 MHz - 20 GHz region. The measurement technique for the high frequency regime was developed in such a way that the sensitivity increased so much that the sample under investigation could be used as a very sensitive magnetic field detector, too. (author). 4 refs, 8 figs, 1 tab

Design study of SMES system using high temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshihara, T.; Masuda, M.; Shintomi, T.; Hasegawa, J.

1988-01-01

Various studies of high Tc superconductors are being energetically pursued all over the world, since IBM Zurich Research Laboratory reported on the superconducting oxide. A new design using a high Tc superconductor is under study for 5000 MWh, on the assumption that it is available like conventional superconductors. Problems related to the Tc SMES system, mainly thermal insulation, refrigeration system, stability of superconductors, etc., are considered. Some design examples of high Tc SMES system are proposed

Orbitals, correlation, valencies in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khomskii, D.I.

1990-09-01

The survey is given of certain properties of high-Tc superconductors connected with the details of their electronic structure such as the kind of orbitals involved and the degree of correlation. Special attention is paid to the properties of cuprates at high doping level. The problem whether there exists a ''Mott transition'' at high electron or a hole concentration is discussed. We also discuss physical factors (d-p Coulomb interaction, orbital mixing) leading to the partial occupation of copper d x 2 -orbital. In particular we show that in localized picture (x 2 -y 2 ) and z 2 -levels in La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 may cross at x approx. 0.4 which may be responsible for a marked change of many properties at this doping. The possible role of x 2 -electrons in pairing is discussed in connection with some recent experiments. (author). 28 refs, 6 figs, 1 tab

Nonequilibrium states of high tc YBCO superconductors under tunnel injection of quasiparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iguchi, I.; Wang, Q.; Lee, K.; Yoshida, K.

1995-01-01

The nonequilibrium states of high Tc superconductors are investigated by means of tunnel injection of quasiparticles using Pb(or Au)/MgO/YBCO tunnel junctions. The effective critical-current reduction due to tunnel injection is observed, whose behaviour is different from simple heating. The observed results suggest that the resultant nonequilibrium states may also differ from those described by conventional nonequilibrium models

The Effect of Twins on Critical Currents of High Tc Superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

1989-01-01

particles to stick together due to electrostatic forces. To overcome this we have formed a slurry of the material in liquid nitrogen and flash...can use and the liquid convection tends to counteract the separation process. We have-now designed a magnetic track which particles will slide down with...Currents of High Tc Superconductors" - A.M. Campbell and M.F. Ashby The initial work on levitation forces and separation of superconducting powders has

International Discussion Meeting on High-Tc Superconductors

CERN Document Server

1988-01-01

In the past two years conferences on superconductivity have been characterized by the attendance of hundreds of scientists. Consequently, the organizers were forced to schedule numerous parallel sessions and poster presentations with an almost unsurveyable amount of information. It was, therefore, felt that a more informal get-together, providing ample time for a thourough discussion of some topics of current interest in high-temperature superconductivity, was timely and benefitial for leading scientists as well as for newcomers in the field. The present volume contains the majority of papers presented at the International Discussion Meeting on High-Tc Superconductors held at the Mauterndorf Castle in the Austrian Alps from February 7 to 11, 1988. Each subject was introduced in review form by a few invited speakers and then discussed together with the contributed poster presentations. These discussion sessions chaired by selected scientists turned out to be the highlights of the meeting, not only because all ...

Crossover from three - to two-dimensional behavior of the vortex energies in layered XY-models for high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, H.; Jensen, H.J.

1992-01-01

We use Monte Carlo simulations of a layered XY-model to study the phase fluctuations in high Tc superconductors. A vortex-antivortex interaction dominated by a term linear in the vortex separation is found in the low temperature regime. This is in agreement with a zero temperature variational calculation. At temperature just above the 2D vortex unbinding temperature the linear term vanishes and an ordinary 2D vortex behaviour is found. This explains the finding that the High Tc superconductors show 2D properties in the vortex fluctuations responsible for the resistivity transition close to the critical temperature. (orig.)

Magnetic levitation systems using a high-Tc superconducting bulk magnet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohsaki, Hiroyuki [Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Univ. of Tokyo (Japan); Kitahara, Hirotaka [Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Univ. of Tokyo (Japan); Masada, Eisuke [Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Univ. of Tokyo (Japan)

1996-12-31

Recent development of high-performance high-Tc bulk superconductors is making their application for electromagnetic force use feasible. We have studied electromagnetic levitation systems using high-Tc bulk superconducting material. In this paper, after an overview of superconducting magnetic levitation systems, with an emphasis on high-Tc bulk superconductor applications, experimental results of a high-Tc bulk EMS levitation and FEM analysis results of magnetic gradient levitation using bulk superconductor are described. Problems to be solved for their application are also discussed. (orig.)

Characteristics of YBa2Cu3O7 high-Tc superconductor with KCl

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Ki Hyun; Chang, Sung Sik

1990-03-01

The lattice parameters, microstructural change, transition temperature, and electrical properties of the YBa2-xKxCu3O7 high-Tc superconductor in the range from x=0 to x=0.25 have been investigated. The high-Tc orthorhombic phase increases with increasing KCl up to x=0.20, above which it decreases. The lattice parameters decrease with increasing KCl up to x=0.10, and then become nearly uniform. The grain size increases with increasing KCl up to x=0.20 due to its role as sintering agent. The specimens with x=0.2 have transition temperatures of 96 K and high magnetic susceptibility due to the contraction of lattice parameters a and b and the increase of orthorhombic distortion.

Processing and critical currents of high-Tc superconductor wires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krauth, H.; Heine, K.; Tenbrink, J.

1991-01-01

High-Tc superconductors are expected to have a major impact on magnet and energy technology. For technical applications they have to fulfill the requirement of carrying sufficient current at a critical current density of the order of 10 5 A/cm 2 at operating temperature and magnetic field. At 77 K these values have not been achieved yet in bulk material or wires due to weak link problems and flux creep effects. Progress made so far and remaining problems will be discussed in detail concentrating on problems concerning development of technical wires. In Bi-based materials technically interesting critical current densities could be achieved at 4.2 K in fields above 20 T (1,2), rendering possible the use of such material for very high field application. (orig.)

Internal friction of flux motion in Hg-system high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian, W.; Zhu, J.S.; Shao, H.M.; Li, J.; Wang, Y.N.

1996-01-01

The internal friction(IF) and modulus as functions of temperature were measured for several Hg-system high-Tc superconductors(Hg1201, Hg1223, Hg1223 doped with Fe and Pb), under the applied magnetic field, with vibrating reed technique. An IF peak associated with flux motion can be found below Tc for all samples. The temperature of the IF peak increases with reducing vibrating amplitude. This amplitude dependence of IF indicates that the flux motion is characterized by nonlinear behavior. No apparent shift of IF peak position can be detected by varying the frequency in the range from 10 2 Hz to 10 3 Hz. Furthermore, the IF peak height satisfies a scaling law Q -1 ∝ω -n . This may be originated from phase transition of flux line lattice(FLL) rather than a thermally activated diffusion process. (orig.)

Mechanochemical effects on high-Tc superconductor powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Taichi; Nagai, Ryoji; Takeuchi, Manabu; Minehara, Eisuke.

1991-03-01

We have investigated the mechanochemical effects on high-Tc superconductor (YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 -δ) powders. The powder was mechanically ground in air using an agate mortar with a pestle. The grinding time was varied from 2 to 100 min. The mean particle sizes of the powders were measured by a sedimentation method. The degradation of superconductivity was evaluated by the measurements of the crystallinity and volume fraction of the superconducting phase. The crystallinity was estimated from X-ray diffraction patterns. The volume fraction of the superconducting phase was estimated from the diamagnetization. The results of these changes of 2 min. and 100 min. grinding are respectively as follows; 1) mean particle size: 10.8 μm and 7.2 μm, 2) crystallinity: 40.0 % and 24.8 %, 3) volume fraction of superconducting phase: 91.5 % and 30.0 %. Recovery of the crystallinity and superconductivity of the ground specimens by re-sintering and re-annealing was also studied. It was found that the recovery of both of the characteristics was not complete. (author)

Critical temperatures Tc estimated by Josephson-junction array model of layered high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawabata, C.; Shenoy, S.R.; Bishop, A.R.

1994-11-01

We model high T c superconductors (HTS) by quantum capacitive Josephson junction arrays (JJA), with Angstrom-scale parameters, to obtain an estimate of Tc trends. The basic idea is as follows. Number (or change) and phase are conjugate variables, with the uncertainty products obeying ΔN · Δ Θ > 1. Thus, in HTS, global phase coherence is opposed by charging-energy induced quantum phase fluctuations, especially across Josephson-coupled CuO 2 planes. These have separation d 1 and effective interplanar dielectric constant ε, e.g. from Y atoms in YBaCuO. Decreasing the interplane charging energy E 0 perpendicular to ∼ d 1 /ε, raises Tc. In Section 1, we motivate a modelling of HTS phase excitations by a quantum capacitive 3D JJA model, with XY planar phases. Section 2 gives a physical picture of the HTS transition, relating the complex layered HTS structure to a simpler ''intermediate level'' quantum 3D JJA/XY model. Section 3 sets up a path integral (3+1)D model that reduces to a previously studied anisotropic 3D XY/JJA model, with constants renormalized in some way, by the capacitance. Postponing a detailed analysis to elsewhere, we make a heuristic estimate for the reduction of the previous Tc, by the charging energy. (author). 30 refs, 8 figs

Extended abstracts of the 12th JAERI workshop on high-Tc superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hojou, Kiichi; Okayasu, Satoru; Sasase, Masato [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment; Ishida, Takekazu [Osaka Prefectual Univ., Sakai (JP)] (eds.)

2001-03-01

This workshop was held on December 7-8, 2000 at JAERI (Tokai). The research group at JAERI shares a responsibility for material modification of high-Tc superconductors by irradiation in 'the multi-core project II of the high temperature superconducting material research' organized by STA (Science and Technology Agency) of Japan. This report contains the extended abstracts of workshop presentations covering basic theories, various experimental results and material improvement studies of the superconductivity by high energy ion irradiation. The twelve presentations of the workshop were devoted to a mini symposium where the direct observations of vortices were discussed in view of the various sophisticated techniques. (author)

Extended abstracts of the 12th JAERI workshop on high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hojou, Kiichi; Okayasu, Satoru; Sasase, Masato

2001-03-01

This workshop was held on December 7-8, 2000 at JAERI (Tokai). The research group at JAERI shares a responsibility for material modification of high-Tc superconductors by irradiation in 'the multi-core project II of the high temperature superconducting material research' organized by STA (Science and Technology Agency) of Japan. This report contains the extended abstracts of workshop presentations covering basic theories, various experimental results and material improvement studies of the superconductivity by high energy ion irradiation. The twelve presentations of the workshop were devoted to a mini symposium where the direct observations of vortices were discussed in view of the various sophisticated techniques. (author)

High-Tc superconductors under very high pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wijngaarden, R.J.; Scholtz, J.J.; Eenige, E.N. van; Griessen, R.

1991-01-01

High pressure has played a crucial role in the short history of high T c superconductors. Soon after the discovery of superconductivity by Bednorz and Muller in La-Ba-Cu-O, Chu et al. showed that the critical temperature T c could be significantly increased by pressure. This observation led to the discovery of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 by Wu et al. with a T c above 90 K. Incidentally, this high T c is probably also due to the fact that YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 has two CuO 2 layers per unit cell instead of a single one in La-Ba-Cu-O. The authors discuss the high pressure dependence of the oxide superconductors, particularly at pressures above 10 GPa, and the nonmonotonic dependence of transition temperature on pressure

High-Tc Superconductors Based on FeAs Compounds

CERN Document Server

Izyumov, Yuri

2010-01-01

Physical properties and models of electronic structure are analyzed for a new class of high-TC superconductors which belong to iron-based layered compounds. Despite their variable chemical composition and differences in the crystal structure, these compounds possess similar physical characteristics, due to electron carriers in the FeAs layers and the interaction of these carriers with fluctuations of the magnetic order. A tremendous interest towards these materials is explained by the prospects of their practical use. In this monograph, a full picture of the formation of physical properties of these materials, in the context of existing theory models and electron structure studies, is given. The book is aimed at a broad circle of readers: physicists who study electronic properties of the FeAs compounds, chemists who synthesize them and specialists in the field of electronic structure calculations in solids. It is helpful not only to researchers active in the fields of superconductivity and magnetism, but also...

High-Tc ferroelectrics and superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muller, K.A.

1990-01-01

The meaning of the title refers to transition temperatures T c in ferroelectrics (FE) and superconductors (S). The highest T c 's in either field are observed in oxides: 1770 K in the ferroelectric La 2 TiO 7 and 125 K in the superconductor Tl 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10 . Therefore, the question can be asked whether the observed high T c 's in oxide FE and S are a pure coincidence or whether there may be an underlying reason for it. This question is addressed first by recalling recent advances concerning anharmonic FE-properties and then by reviewing S-findings in the new compounds related to these properties

Atomic hydrogen effects on high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frantskevich, N.V.; Ulyashin, A.G.; Alifanov, A.V.; Stepanenko, A.V.; Fedotova, V.V.

1999-01-01

The atomic hydrogen effects on the properties of bulk high-temperature superconductors were investigated. It is shown that the insertion of the atomic hydrogen into the bulk of these materials from a DC plasma leads to the increase of the critical current density J c for YBaCuO(123) as well as for BiSrCaCuO(2223) high-temperature superconductors. It is found that the hydrogenation of the He implanted samples with following annealing leads to the optically detected blistering on the surface. It means that the textured thin subsurface layers of high-temperature superconductors can be formed by this method. The improvement of superconductivity by atomic hydrogen can be explained by the passivation of dangling bonds and defects on grain boundaries of these materials

High pressure effect for high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Hiroki; Tomita, Takahiro

2011-01-01

A number of experimental and theoretical studies have been performed to understand the mechanism of high-T c superconductivity and to enhance T c . High-pressure techniques have played a very important role for these studies. In this paper, the high-pressure techniques and physical properties of high-T c superconductor under high pressure are presented. (author)

The study on a new superconductor (oxide Ba-Y-Cu) with high critical temperature Tc by positron annihilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Caigu; Yu Zhuxing; Wang Zhu; Huang Zhe; Zhou Jun

1987-01-01

The study on a new superconductor oxide Ba-Y-Cu with high critical temperature Tc is described. The experimental results show that positron lifetime reducing reflects variable curve of resistance with temperature. A peak of positron lifetime is appeared at critical temperature

Finding new superconductors: the spin-fluctuation gateway to high Tc and possible room temperature superconductivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Pines, David

2013-10-24

We propose an experiment-based strategy for finding new high transition temperature superconductors that is based on the well-established spin fluctuation magnetic gateway to superconductivity in which the attractive quasiparticle interaction needed for superconductivity comes from their coupling to dynamical spin fluctuations originating in the proximity of the material to an antiferromagnetic state. We show how lessons learned by combining the results of almost three decades of intensive experimental and theoretical study of the cuprates with those found in the decade-long study of a strikingly similar family of unconventional heavy electron superconductors, the 115 materials, can prove helpful in carrying out that search. We conclude that, since Tc in these materials scales approximately with the strength of the interaction, J, between the nearest neighbor local moments in their parent antiferromagnetic state, there may not be a magnetic ceiling that would prevent one from discovering a room temperature superconductor.

Ceramic superconductors II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, M.F.

1988-01-01

This volume compiles papers on ceramic superconductors. Topics include: structural patterns in High-Tc superconductors, phase equilibria of barium oxide superconductors, localized electrons in tetragonal YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-δ/, lattice and defect structure and properties of rare earth/alkaline earth-copper-oxide superconductors, alternate candidates for High-Tc superconductors, perovskite-structure superconductors; superconductive thin film fabrication, and superconductor/polymer composites

Positron annihilation studies of the electronic structure and fermiology of high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smedskjaer, L.C.; Bansil, A.

1993-01-01

We discuss the application of the positron annihilation angular correlation (ACAR) spectroscopy for investigating the electronic structure and Fermiology of high-Tc superconductors, with focus on the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 system where most of the experimental and theoretical work has to date been concentrated. Detailed comparisons between the measured 2D-ACAR positron spectra and the corresponding band theory predictions show a remarkable agreement (for the normal state), indicating that the electronic structure and Fermi surface of this material is described reasonably by the conventional picture. (orig.)

Superconductive properties, interaction mechanisms, materials preparation and electronic transport in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saemann-Ischenko, G.

1993-01-01

The final report is composed of eight chapters dealing with the following aspects: I. Mixed state, critical currents, anisotropy, intrinsic and extrinsic pinning. II. Microwave properties and far-infrared reflectivity of epitactic HTSC films. III. Hall effect at the states of normal conductivity and superconductivity, magnetoresistance, superconducting fluctuation phenomena. IV. Effects of the nuclear and the electronic energy loss. V. Scanning electron microscopy. VI. p- and n-doped high-Tc superconductors: Charge symmetry and magnetism. VII. Preparation methods. VIII. Electrochemical examinations of HTSC films and HTSC monocrystals at low temperatures. (orig./MM) [de

Report on neutron beam utilization and study of high Tc superconductors at NRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tan, Vuong Huu [Nuclear Physics Dept., Nuclear Research Inst. (NRI), Dalat (Viet Nam)

1998-10-01

Utilization of reactor neutron beams at NRI for research and applications up to November 1996 had been presented at the last Workshop in Jakarta (25-28 Nov., 1996). This paper describes new research and applications carried out at Nuclear Physics Department of NRI after that time. They consist of neutron beam developments, neutron activation cross section measurements for waste disposal assessment and in-vivo prompt gamma neutron activation analysis for Cd determination in organs. After the last Sub-Workshop on Neutron Scattering in Serpong (21-23 Nov., 1996), we were accepted to participate in the Regional Program on Study of High Tc Superconductors with the topic `The mechanism of Pb and Sb dopant role on superconductivity of 2223 phase of Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system`. Indeed, this study has begun at NRI only since August, 1997 due to the problem of materials. The study has been carried out in collaboration with the Hanoi State University (Superconductors Department) where experts and equipment for superconductors research have been considered as the best ones in Vietnam. Primary results in this study are presented in this workshop. (author)

Five-fold way to new high Tc superconductors

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Discovery of high c superconductivity in La2−BaCuO4 by Bednorz and Muller in 1986 was a breakthrough in the 75-year long search for new superconductors. Since then new high c superconductors, not involving copper, have also been discovered. Superconductivity in cuprates also inspired resonating valence ...

Mechanical considerations in the processing of high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wright, R.N.; German, R.M.; Knorr, D.B.; Maccrone, R.K.; Rajan, K.

1990-01-01

This paper presents a brief review of deformation processing concepts germane to high-Tc superconductor processing, and illustrates some available techniques with results from recent work. It is noted that YBa2Cu3O(7-x) powder/binder cold extrusion technique is quite sensitive to binder formulation and processing conditions. With appropriate technique, indefinite lengths of YBa2Cu3O(7-x) powder/binder composite can be extruded with sufficient workability to allow coiling and other forming operations. With heat treatment, the resulting prototype wire is electrically continuous and manifests critical current densities of a few hundred A/sq cm. The hot extrusion of YBa2Cu3O(7-x) powder results in a modest, but favorable, development of a texture involving preferential rotation of the c-axis toward the radial direction. Billet designs involving larger powder charge diameters, and thinner container walls, produce the favorable texture. Unfortunately, such billet designs reduce workability. 29 refs

Electronic properties of high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojo, A.G.

1989-01-01

Using analytical and numerical methods, the electronic properties of the copper-oxygen plane in the normal phase of high Tc superconductors are described. Using the slave-boson technique in the saddle point, a theory of the metal insulator transition which generalizes the notions of a Mott insulator to the case of more than a single band for those planes is presented. A phase-diagram is obtained in the parameter space and effective masses, optical gaps and metallization are calculated as a function of the number of carriers. Based on the experimental evidence, the theory permits classification of superconducting compounds as charge transfer insulators in the stoichiometric case. The insulator state is characterized by a non-zero optical gap and a divergent effective mass which corresponds to the breakage of a Fermi-liquid scheme. The results obtained are applicable to metal-transition-oxides whose behaviour has been traditionally controversial and it is concluded that it is necessary to broaden the meaning of a Mott insulator to the case of more than a single band to better understand them. Based on the ideas of group renormalization in a real space, a lattice approximation is presented, which allows: a) To complement the treatment of slave-bosons in phase diagrams and optical gaps; b) Identification of an attraction mechanism between carriers originating from purely repulsive interactions. Numerical calculations in small clusters show the existence of a pairing mechanism showing a superconducting instability from a charge transfer insulator. (Author) [es

High-Tc superconductor quantum interference devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This patent describes a superconductive quantum interferometric device for sensing a characteristic of a magnetic field. It comprises a substrate having a surface, the substrate being selected from the group which consists of strontium titanate, aluminum oxide, sapphire, ZrO 2 and mixtures thereof; a coating of MgO on the surface of the substrate; two identical thin-strip films of a high-critical temperature superconductor on the coating, each of the films having a pair of mutually parallel arms in the form of superconductor strips extending toward and aligned with super conductor strips forming corresponding arms of the other thin-strip film, and a crossbar strip connecting the arms of each thin-strip film at right angles to the arms, the high-critical-temperature superconductor being selected from the group which consists of yttrium-barium-calcium-copper-oxides, bismuth-strontium-calcium-copper-oxides, thallium-barium-copper-oxides, thallium-barium-calcium-copper-oxides, barium oxide: potassium oxide: bismuth oxides, and calcium oxide: zinc oxide: iron oxides; and insulating films on the coating between corresponding free ends of the arms thin-strip films, the insulating films being composed of a material selected from the group which consists of silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, magnesium oxide and mixture thereof

Filters for mobile radio from high Tc ceramic superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, G.E.; Wong, E.; Alford, N.McN.

1990-01-01

Mobile radio frequencies lie between 30 MHz and 1,000 MHz. This frequency range is ideal for ceramic high T c superconductors. We have designed Chebyshev, Butterworth and interdigital filters that can employ high T c superconductors in the form of rods, tubes and helices. In general, the performance of these filters at milliwatt power levels is excellent. We will describe fabrication of the superconductors and filter design

The evidence of unconventional pairing in heavy fermion superconductors and high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tien, C.; Wur, C.S.; Jiang, I.M.

1989-01-01

Recently there has been a great deal of interest in two classes of superconductors, heavy fermion superconductors and high T c copper oxide superconductors. The behavior and nature of superconductivity in these two classes of materials are very similar. The temperature dependences of spin-lattice relaxation time (T 1 ) and spin-spin relaxation time (T 2 ) of 9 Be in UBe 13 are quite similar to those of 63 Cu and 89 Y in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ . The Knight shift of UBe 13 is unchanged during the superconducting phase transition. The Knight shift of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ changes from the value in the normal state K n /K s = 1 at T ≥ T c to K n /K s = 0.5 at T = 6 K. Both do not approach zero as expected in BCS theory. The acoustic attenuation is enhanced just below T c instead of rapid drop near T c for these two superconducting system. Neither the enhancement, the temperature variation, nor any other anomalous behaviors appear to be mirrored in EPR data for heavy Fermion superconductors and high T c superconductors. This strongly suggests that the unconventional pairing mechanism which induces superconductivity in heavy fermion materials might also involve in high T c superconductors

Internal friction and ultrasonic attenuation in solids, including high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magalas, L.B.; Gorczyca, S.

1993-01-01

This volume contains seven invited papers and about eighty refereed contributions from the main sessions of the Sixth European Conference on Internal Friction and Ultrasonic Attenuation in Solids (ECIFUAS-6) held at the Academy of Mining and Metallurgy (Akademia Gorniczo-Hutnicza, AGH) in Krakow, Poland, 5-7 September, 1991. In addition, this volume contains six invited lectures and eight contributed papers presented at the Workshop on High Tc Superconductors on 5 September, 1991. Together these documents constitute the Proceedings of the ECIFUAS-6 Conference. A total of 140 scientists from 20 countries participated in the Conference. The programme of the Conference and the Workshop consisted of 16 invidet papers and 119 contributed papers. 107 papers were presented during 8 poster sessions. (orig.)

Changes of soft X-ray emission spectra of oxygen and copper in high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukushima, Sei; Gohshi, Yohichi; Kohiki, Shigemi; Saitoh, Naoki

1989-01-01

X-ray induced soft X-ray emission spectroscopy is one of the bulk analysis methods used to characterize high-Tc superconductor. In this report, some observations on the changes in O Kα and Cu L spectra of thin layer LnBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (Ln=Er,Gd) samples are presented. From the measurement of O Kα, no discernible difference was found between those of Gd compounds which were composed single phase or not. It may be said that the electronic structure of p state localized on the O is not sensitive to the change of Tc or zero-resistance temperature. From the measurement of Cu L spectra, it was found that Cu Lα of only Gd containing compounds has a low energy shoulder

Powder processing of high Tc oxide superconductors and their properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vajpei, A.C.; Upadhyaya, G.S.

1992-01-01

Powder processing of ceramics is an established technology and in the area of high T c superconductors, its importance is felt even more significantly. The present monograph is an attempt in this direction to explore the perspectives and practice of powder processing routes towards control and optimization of the microstructure and pertinent properties of high T c oxide superconductors. The monograph consists of 6 chapters. After a very brief introduction (Chapter 1), Chapter 2 describes various classes of high T c oxide superconductors and their phase equilibria. Chapter 3 highlights the preparation of oxide superconductor powders through various routes and details their subtle distinctions. Chapter 4 briefly covers characterisation of the oxide superconductors, laying emphasis on the process-analysis and microstructure. Chapter 5 describes in detail various fabrication techniques for bulk superconductors through the powder routes. The last Chapter (Chapter 6) describing properties of bulk oxide superconductors, discusses the role of subtituents, compositional variations and processing methods on such properties. References are given at the end of each chapter. (orig.)

Performance of ultrahigh resolution electron microscope JEM-4000EX and some applications of high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Honda, T.; Ibe, K.; Ishida, Y.; Kersker, M.M.

1989-01-01

The high resolution electron microscope is powerful for modern materials science because of its direct observation capability for the atomic structure of materials. the JEM-4000EX, a 400 kV accelerating voltage electron microscope whose objective lens has a 1 mm spherical aberration coefficient, has a 0.168 nm theoretical resolving power. Using this microscope, atomic structure images of high Tc superconductor such as Y-Ba-Cu-O, Bi-Ca-Sr-Cu-O and Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu-O are reported

Singularity in the positive Hall coeffcient near pre-onset temperatures in high-Tc superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Vezzoli, G. C.; Chen, M. F.; Craver, F.; Moon, B. M.; Safari, A.; Burke, T.; Stanley, W.

1990-10-01

Hall measurements using continuous extremely slow cooling and reheating rates as well as employing eqiulibrium point-by-point conventional techniques reveals a clear anomally in RH at pre-onset temperatures near Tc in polycrystalline samples Y1Ba2Cu3O7 and Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10. The anomaly has the appearance of a singularity of Dirac-delta function which parallels earlier work on La1-xSrxCuO4. Recent single crystal work on the Bi-containing high-Tc superconductor is in accord with a clearcut anomaly. The singularity is tentatively interpreted to be associated (upon cooling) with initially the removal of positive holes from the hopping conduction system of the normal state such as from the increased concentration of bound virtual excitons due to increased exciton and hole lifetimes at low temperature. Subsequently the formation of Cooper pairs by mediation from these centers (bound-holes) and/or bound excitons) may cause an ionization of these bound virtual excitons thereby re-introducing holes and electrons into the conduction system at Tc.

Point-contact electron tunneling into the high-Tc superconductor Y-Ba-Cu-O

Science.gov (United States)

Kirk, M. D.; Smith, D. P. E.; Mitzi, D. B.; Sun, J. Z.; Webb, D. J.

1987-06-01

Results are reported from a study of electron tunneling into bulk samples of the new high-Tc superconductor Y-Ba-Cu-O using point-contact tunneling. Based on a superconductive tunneling interpretation, the results show exceptionally large energy gaps in these materials (roughly 2Delta = 100 MeV), implying 2Delta/kBTc = about 13. Similar values were found for La-Sr-Cu-O. The structure in the I-V curves is also similar to that seen in La-Sr-Cu-O. From the asymmetries observed in the I-V characteristics, it is inferred that the natural tunneling barrier on this material is of the Schottky type.

Experimental constraints on theories of high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Little, W.A.

1989-01-01

Recent experiments on the high-T c superconductors have begun to narrow the possible theoretical explanations of the phenomenon. Experimental evidence on the size, structure and symmetry of the charge carriers will be reviewed; evidence for and against strong coupling; and, recent results on a search for direct evidence of magnetic signature in the coupling mechanism will be presented. The authors show how these experiments impose strong constraints on the theories of these superconductors. A new type of experiment is also discussed which appears capable of identifying the true nature of the coupling mechanism if the superconductors prove to be BCS-like in nature

On the electronegativity of the high-Tc oxide superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Liyuan.

1991-08-01

We employ a very useful quantity, the electronegativity, to classify the superconductor. The value of the group average electronegativity to separate superconductor into two categories is 2. Each category has unique chemical bond features. The high-T c oxide superconductor belongs to the second category with group average electronegativity being larger than 2. Their unusual bond nature also gives new insight into some essential factors beneficial to enhance superconductivity. (author). 9 refs, 2 tabs

Critical current enhancement in high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, S.; Graebner, J.E.; Tiefel, T.H.

1990-01-01

Progress toward major technological applications of the bulk, high T c superconductors has been hindered by two major barriers, i.e., the Josephson weak-links at grain boundaries and the lack of sufficient intragrain flux pinning. It has been demonstrated that the weak link problem can be overcome by extreme alignment of grains such as in melt-textured-growth (MTG) materials. Modified or improved processing by various laboratories has produced further increased critical currents. However, the insufficient flux pinning seems to limit the critical current density in high fields to about 10 4 --10 5 A/cm 2 at 77K, which is not satisfactory for many applications. In this paper, processing, microstructure, and critical current behavior of the MTG type superconductors are described, and various processing possibilities for flux pinning enhancement are discussed

Vortex properties in a strongly textured Bi(2212) high Tc superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verhoeven, P.F.M.

1993-08-01

The research described in this report was aimed at obtaining more information about the behaviour of vortices in a textured type II Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 high Tc superconductor. With the neutron depolarization technique used, it is possible to determine the mean magnetic induction in the sample and the magnetic disorder in the vortex system in one measurement. If the mean induction is directed along one of the main axes, it is possible to determine the local orientation of the vortices. The vortex distribution can in first order approximation be described by the Bean-model. This model claims a constant gradient in the vortex distribution from the edges toward the centre of the superconductor. In order to investigate this gradient, a scan method is used to measure the mean induction as a function of the position in the superconductor. From these measurements a non homogeneous vortex distribution at the edges could be concluded, although it could not be determined whether the gradient of the vortex distribution near the edges is constant. In order to investigate the relaxation of the vortex distribution after a magnetic field pulse, time dependent measurements were carried out. It appeared that the relaxation of the vortex system on short time scale (ms) is not only due to flux creep, but also to a collective expulsion of vortices because of the repulsive force between the vortices which are very closely packed together right after the pulse. Large remanence (>20 Gauss) after a large applied field pulse (>1 T) was observed, perpendicular to the applied field. This perpendicular remanence was investigated as a function of time, as a function of position, as a function of temperature and as a function of the applied field pulse. These large perpendicular fields can be explained if the texture of the sample is taken into account. (orig.)

Electrical and microstructural characterization of silver sheathed high Tc superconductors wires and ribbons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaffron, L.; Regnier, P.; Schmirgeld, L.; Maurice, F.; Aguillon, C.; Senoussi, S.

1991-01-01

High Tc superconductors wires and ribbons were prepared according to the powder in tube method. It is shown that the electrical performances of the so prepared superconductors can be considerably improved, first by increasing as much as possible the density of the green body before sintering, and afterwards by melt texturing the sintered conductors. Some measurements of the transport critical current density of our conductors as a function of their diameter or their thickness are then presented and compared with indirect values obtained via the Bean method. The highest transport Jc measured in the present study, before melt texturing, are: 2250 and 5100 A/cm 2 at 77 and 63 K respectively, for a 50 μm thick silver sheathed ribbon. These figures compare nicely with the values of the intergranular critical current densities determined from magnetic measurements which are: 2100 and 5000 A/cm 2 at the same temperatures, and 40000 A/cm 2 at 4.2 K. Much higher intergranular values, in the range of 10 5 A/cm 2 were obtained after melt texturing the wires. Finally, microstructural characterizations carried out by X-ray diffraction, electron microprobe analysis and transmission electron microscopy are reported and discussed

Signature of electron-phonon interaction in high temperature superconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinod Ashokan

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The theory of thermal conductivity of high temperature superconductors (HTS based on electron and phonon line width (life times formulation is developed with Quantum dynamical approach of Green's function. The frequency line width is observed as an extremely sensitive quantity in the transport phenomena of HTS as a collection of large number of scattering processes. The role of resonance scattering and electron-phonon interaction processes is found to be most prominent near critical temperature. The theory successfully explains the spectacular behaviour of high Tc superconductors in the vicinity of transition temperature. A successful agreement between theory and experiment has been obtained by analyzing the thermal conductivity data for the sample La1.8Sr0.2CuO4 in the temperature range 0 − 200K. The theory is equally and successfully applicable to all other high Tc superconductors.

Finding high-temperature superconductors by metallizing the σ-bonding electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Miao; Lu Zhongyi; Xiang Tao

2015-01-01

Raising superconducting transition temperature (T_c) is an important task of fundamental research on superconductivity. It is also a prerequisite for the large scale application of superconductors. Since the microscopic mechanism of high-T_c superconductivity is unknown, the conventional approach for increasing T_c is either to apply high pressure to a material which has the potential to become superconducting, or to push it close to an antiferromagnetic or some other quantum instability point by chemical doping. In this article, the authors point out that another general approach for raising T_c is to lift the σ-bonding bands to the Fermi level, or to metallize the σ-bonding elections. This approach can increase the probability of finding a novel high-T_c superconductor because the coupling of σ-bonding electrons with phonons is generally strong and the superconducting transition induced by this interaction can occur at relatively high temperatures. After elucidating the underlying mechanism, the authors discuss a number of schemes to metallize σ-bonding electrons, and present their recent prediction for the crystalline and electronic structures of two potential high-T_c superconductors, Li_2B_3C and Li_3B_4C_2, with T_c higher than 50 K. (authors)

Charged vortices in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuda, Y.; Kumagai, K.

2002-01-01

It is well known that a vortex in type II superconductors traps a magnetic flux. Recently the possibility that a vortex can accumulate a finite electric charge as well has come to be realized. The sign and magnitude of the vortex charge not only is closely related to the microscopic electronic structure of the vortex, but also strongly affects the dynamical properties of the vortex. In this chapter we demonstrate that a vortex in high-T c superconductors (HTSC) indeed traps a finite electronic charge, using the high resolution measurements of the nuclear quadrupole frequencies. We then discuss the vortex Hall anomaly whose relation with the vortex charging effect has recently received considerable attention. We show that the sign of the trapped charge is opposite to the sign predicted by the conventional BCS theory and deviation of the magnitude of the charge from the theory is also significant. We also show that the electronic structure of underlying system is responsible for the Hall sign in the vortex state and again the Hall sign is opposite to the sign predicted by the BCS theory. It appears that these unexpected features observed in both electrostatics and dynamics of the vortex may be attributed to the novel electronic structure of the vortex in HTSC. (orig.)

High T(c) superconductors: Technical and commercial challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Kirschner, I.; Horvath, E.; Vajda, I.; Bencze, L.; Goebl, N.

1995-01-01

Some basic questions of the way which leads from the discovery of high-T(c) superconductors to their applications is surveyed. The influence of high-T(c) superconducting technology on the industrial and social development is also briefly analyzed.

Anomalous Hall effect from vortex motion in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, J.L.; Yang, T.J.

1994-01-01

In this work, the unusual Seebeck effect is taken into consideration in explaining the possible origin of the anomalous Hall effect for high-T c superconductors. Combining Maki's theory of transport entropy and Tinkham's theory of resistive transition, we explain why the anomalous Hall effect can be observed in high-T c superconductors, but is absent in most conventional superconductors. The behavior of ρ xy (H,T) in our theory is qualitatively consistent with experiments. In addition, our theory not only predicts that ρ xy will become positive from ρ xy xy |∝ρ xx 2 in the region of ρ xy xy will diminish with increasing defect concentration

The design of high-Tc superconductors - Room-temperature superconductivity?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tallon, J.L.; Storey, J.G.; Mallett, B.

2012-01-01

This year is the centennial of the discovery of superconductivity and the 25th anniversary of the discovery of high-T c superconductors (HTS). Though we still do not fully understand how HTS work, the basic rules of design can be determined from studying their systematics. We know what to do to increase T c and, more importantly, what to do to increase critical current density J c . This in turn lays down a challenge for the chemist. Can the ideal design be synthesized? More importantly, what are the limits? Can one make a room-temperature superconductor? In fact fluctuations place strict constraints on this objective and provide important guidelines for the design of the ideal superconductor.

Towards a complete Fermi surface in underdoped high Tc superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Neil

The discovery of magnetic quantum oscillations in underdoped high Tc superconductors raised many questions, and initiated a quest to understand the origin of the Fermi surface the like of which had not been seen since the very first discovery of quantum oscillations in elemental bismuth. While studies of the Fermi surface of materials are today mostly assisted by computer codes for calculating the electronic band structure, this was not the case in the underdoped high Tc materials. The Fermi surface was shown to reconstructed into small pockets, yet there was no hint of a viable order parameter. Crucial clues to understanding the origin of the Fermi surface were provided by the small value of the observed Fermi surface cross-section, the negative Hall coefficient and the small electronic heat capacity at high magnetic fields. We also know that the magnetic fields were likely to be too weak to destroy the pseudogap and that vortex pinning effects could be seen to persist to high magnetic fields at low temperatures. I will show that the Fermi surface that appears to fit best with the experimental observations is a small electron pocket formed by connecting the nodal `Fermi arcs' seen in photoemission experiments, corresponding to a density-wave state with two different orthogonal ordering vectors. The existence of such order has subsequently been detected by x-ray scattering experiments, thereby strengthening the case for charge ordering being responsible for reconstructing the Fermi surface. I will discuss new efforts to understand the relationship between the charge ordering and the pseudogap state, discussing the fate of the quasiparticles in the antinodal region and the dimensionality of the Fermi surface. The author acknowledges contributions from Suchitra Sebastian, Brad Ramshaw, Mun Chan, Yu-Te Hsu, Mate Hartstein, Gil Lonzarich, Beng Tan, Arkady Shekhter, Fedor Balakirev, Ross McDonald, Jon Betts, Moaz Altarawneh, Zengwei Zhu, Chuck Mielke, James Day, Doug

Correlation effects in high-Tc superconductors and heavy fermion compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuzemsky, A.L.

1993-10-01

This paper describes certain aspects of Highly Correlated Systems (HCS) such as high Tc superconductors (HTSC) and some new class of Heavy Fermion (HF) systems which have been studied recently. The problem is discussed on how the charge and spin degrees of freedom participate in the specific character of superconductivity in the copper oxides and competition of the magnetism and Kondo screening in heavy fermions. The electronic structure and possible superconducting mechanisms of HTSC compounds are discussed. The similarity and dissimilarity with HF compounds is pointed out. It is shown that the spins and carriers in the copper oxides are coupled in a very nontrivial way in order to introduce the discussion and the comparison of the Emery model, the t - J-model and the Kondo-Heisenberg model. It concerns attempts to derive from fundamental multi-band Hamiltonian the reduced effective Hamiltonians to extract and separate the relevant low-energy physics. A short review of the arguments which seem to support the spin-polaron pairing mechanism in HTSC are presented. Many other topics like the idea of mixed valence states in oxides, the role of charge transfer (CT) excitations, phase separation, self-consistent nonperturbative technique, etc. are also discussed. (author). 161 refs

Bearing design for flywheel energy storage using high-TC superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Hull, John R.; Mulcahy, Thomas M.

2000-01-01

A high temperature superconductor material bearing system (38) This system (38) includes a rotor (50) having a ring permanent magnet (60), a plurality of permanent magnets (16, 20 and 70) for interacting to generate levitation forces for the system (38). This group of magnets are a push/pull bearing (75). A high temperature superconductor structure (30) interacts with the ting permanent magnet (60) to provide stabilizing forces for the system (38).

What is the role of Pb(II) in high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raveau, B.; Hervieu, M.; Michel, C.; Groult, D.; Provost, J.

1990-01-01

An overview of the layered lead cuprates is presented here. The structure of these oxides and their non-stoichiometry are studied in connection with their superconducting properties. The phenomena involving a modulation of the structure, characterized by the presence of satellites on E.D. patterns are described and the particular role of the 6s 2 lone pair of Pb(II) is discussed. Divalent lead is, owing to its size intermediate between that of strontium and barium, a potential cation for superconductive cuprates. Moreover, this interest for Pb(II), is supported by its electronic structure which involves an electronic 6s 2 lone pair well known for its ability to form layered structures. In spite of these characteristics, few superconductive layered suprates were isolated at the beginning of the rush to high Tc superconductors. This is probably due to the possibility of existence of redox reactions involving the couple Pb(II)/Pb(IV), which require very particular experimental conditions. The authors report here on the recent development of the crystal chemistry of those materials and on their corresponding superconducting properties

High precision determination of 16O in high Tc superconductors by DIGME

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vickridge, I.; Tallon, J.; Presland, M.

1994-01-01

A method is described for measuring the 16 O content of high T c superconductors with better than 1% precision by exploiting the detection of gamma rays emitted when they are irradiated by an MeV deuterium beam. The method is presently less accurate than the widely used titration and thermogravimetric methods, however it is rapid, and may be applied to materials such as Tl-containing high T c superconductors which pose serious problems for the usual analytical methods. (orig.)

On the electronic structure of high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fink, J.; Nuecker, N.; Romberg, H.; Alexander, M.; Knupfer, M.; Mante, J.; Claessen, R.; Buslaps, T.; Harm, S.; Manzke, R.; Skibowski, M.

1992-01-01

Studies of the electronic structure of high-T c superconductors and related compounds by high-energy spectroscopies are reviewed. In particular, we report on investigations by electron energy-loss, angle-resolved photoemission, and inverse angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Information on the symmetry and the character of states close to the Fermi level has been obtained. 25 refs., 8 figs

Melted flux liquids in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, D.R.

1989-01-01

A theory of the entangles flux liquids which arise in the new high-T c superconductors is reviewed. New physics appears because of the weak interplanar couplings and high critical temperatures in these materials. Flux line wandering melts the conventional Abrikosov flux lattice over large portions of the phase diagram and leads to a novel entangled vortex state. The authors suggest that a heavily entangled flux liquid could exhibit glassy behavior on experimental time scales, in analogy with viscoelastic behavior in dense polymer melts

Temperature profile evolution in quenching high-Tc ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. Irreversible normal zones leading to quench is an important aspect of high-temperature superconductors (HTS) in all practical applications. As a consequence of quench, transport current gets diverted to the matrix stabilizer material of the high-Tc composite and causes Joule heating till the original conditions are ...

Observation of magnetooptical effects in several high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dillon, J.F. Jr; Lyons, K.B.

1992-01-01

Recent so called 'anyon' theories of high temperature superconductivity in layer structure materials suggested that at some temperature T TP ≥T c there is a symmetry breaking transition below which these materials may be in either of two distinct states related to each other by time reversal. The study of magneto-optical effects in superconductors reviewed here was undertaken to explore time reversal symmetry of these materials. Using novel technique with rotating λ/2 plate at 525 nm, 'circular dichroism' was observed on reflection from epitaxial films and single crystals of cuprate superconductor with layer structures. The onset of dichroism was at temperatures of ∼ 180K to ∼ 300K. These results appear to support the 'anyon' theories. However, circular dichroism was also seen in films and single crystals of bismuthate superconductors with cubic structure, to which the theories seem inapplicable. In sharp contrast, Spielman et al., at Stanford in a very sensitive experiment at 1060 nm have seen no evidence of non-reciprocal circular birefringence in epitaxial cuprate superconducting films. Weber et al. at Dortmund have recently reported the observation at 633 nm of non-reciprocal magneto-optical effects on single crystals of cuprate superconductors, but none on films. (author). 15 refs., 5 figs

High Tc superconductors at microwave frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gruener, G.

1991-01-01

The author discusses various experiments conducted in the micro- and millimeter wave spectral range on thin film and single crystal specimens of the high temperature oxide superconductors. For high quality film the surface resistance R s is, except at low temperatures, due to thermally excited carriers, with extrinsic effects playing only a secondary role. Because of the low loss various passive microwave components, such as resonators, delay lines and filters, with performance far superior to those made of normal metals can be fabricated. The conductivity measured at millimeter wave frequencies displays a peak below T c . Whether this is due to coherence factors or due to the change of the relaxation rate when the materials enter the superconducting state remains to be seen

Bi-Polaron Condensation in High Tc Superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranninger, J.

1995-01-01

On the basis of optical measurements-, photoemission-, EXAFS- and neutron scattering-experiments we conclude that itinerant valence electrons coexist with localized bi-polarons.Entering the metallic phase upon chemical doping, a charge transfer between the two electronic subsystems is triggered off. We show that as the temperature is lowered towards Tc this process leads to a delocalization of bi-polarons due to a precursor effect of superfluidity of those bi-polarons. Upon entering the superconducting phase, these bipolarons ultimately condense into a superfluid state which is expected to largely determine the superconducting properties of high Tc materials. (authors)

Infrared properties of high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlesinger, Z.; Rotter, L.D.; Collins, R.T.; Holtzberg, F.; Feild, C.

1991-01-01

Over the past several years a coherent phenomenology of the high T c cuprate superconductors has begun to emerge. Infrared measurements have contributed several important ingredients to this picture including: (1) the inference of a scattering rate that is linear in frequency for ω>T, and of order ω, (2) a characteristic energy scale in the superconducting state of 500 cm -1 (60 meV), which can be interpreted as a superconducting pair excitation threshold or energy gap, and (3) evidence for very unusual temperature dependence in the vicinity of T c . An attempt to describe these aspects of the data is presented here

Models of high-Tc superconductivity and applications to electric generators and motors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Mads Peter

We present the Ginzburg Landau model for mesoscopic high-Tc superconductors of complex geometry. It is shown that giant vortices can form at boundary defects. The relation between total magnetic flux penetration through the superconductor and the externally applied field is established. This is i...

Strong-coupling interaction in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ray, D.K.

1991-01-01

Extensive experimental and theoretical work have been done to understand the mechanisms of superconductivity. Until 1986 when Bednorz and Muller discovered superconductivity in the copper oxide perovskite, the principal mechanism was found to be electron-phonon interaction and the characteristics of superconductivity vary depending on the strength of the electron-phonon interaction and the electronic structure. The essential characteristic of these conventional superconductors could be divided into two groups: wide band metals with low density of states N(E F ) at the Fermi energy E F and a rather weak electron-phonon coupling V obeying the universal characteristics of the BCS theory and narrow d band metals, compounds, and alloys with high values of N(E F ), electron-phonon coupling V and non negligible Coulomb interaction between the electrons. In this paper a short summary and the important results of these theories are discussed. The inherent limitations of these theories based on electron-phonon interaction will be discussed. The authors indicate the major characteristics of the new superconductors. These characteristics are difficult to explain on the basis of either the conventional electron-phonon theory or theories based on magnetic interactions alone

Condensate localization by mesoscale disorder in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, N.

1994-06-01

We propose and solve approximately a phenomenological model for Anderson localization of the macroscopic wavefunction for an inhomogeneous superconductor quench-disordered on the mesoscale of the order of the coherence length ξ 0 . Our treatment is based on the non-linear Schroedinger equation resulting from the Ginzburg-Landau free-energy functional having a spatially random coefficient representing spatial disorder of the pairing interaction. Linearization of the equation, valid close to the critical temperature T c , or to the upper critical field H c2 (T c ) maps it to the Anderson localization problem with T c identified with the mobility edge. For the highly anisotropic high-T c materials and thin (2D) films in the quantum Hall geometry, we predict windows of re-entrant superconductivity centered at integrally spaced temperature values. Our model treatment also provides a possible explanation for the critical current J c perpendicular becoming non-zero on cooling before J c parallel does in some high-T c superconductors. (author). 18 refs

High temperature superconductivity: Concept, preparation and testing of high Tc superconductor compounds, and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harara, Wafik

1992-06-01

Many studies have been carried out on high temperature superconductors with transition temperature above that of the liquid nitrogen. In this scientific study the concept and the mechanism of this phenomena are discussed, in addition the examples of preparation and testing of high temperature superconductors compounds are shown. Also the most important applications in industry are explained. (author). 15 refs., 2 tabs., 18 figs

An infrared view of high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanner, D.B.; Timusk, T.; McMaster Univ., Hamilton, ON

1989-01-01

Studies of the infrared properties of the high T c superconductors are reviewed, with particular emphasis on attempts to determine the energy gap by far infrared spectroscopy and on the properties of the strong absorption that occurs in the mid infrared. The authors argue that this mid-infrared absorption is a direct particle-hole excitation rather than a Holstein emission process. In addition, they conclude that although the energy gap is not easily observed, several recent experiments place it in the weak to moderate strong coupling range

A phenomenological approach to high Tc oxide superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chela-Flores, J.; Das, M.P.; Saif, A.G.

1987-06-01

Oxide superconductors are described in terms of macroscopic wave functions Ψ and Φ corresponding, respectively, to electron pairs of the superconducting and insulating states. In terms of the total free energy of the system, including the effect of interaction, we discuss the electrodynamic responses of the oxide superconductors in relation with the experiments to data. (author). 10 refs

Induction linear accelerators with high-Tc bulk superconductor lenses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuzawa, Hidenori; Wada, Haruhisa; Mori, Satoshi; Yamamoto, Tadashi

1991-01-01

Solenoidal coils in a one-stage induction accelerator were replaced by a high-T c bulk superconductor lens (Supertron). The accelerator postaccelerated injected electron beams to ∼ 400 keV, ∼ 0.35 kA, and ∼ 10 ns of duration time. (author)

Spatially resolved electronic structure inside and outside the vortex cores of a high-temperature superconductor

Science.gov (United States)

Mitrović, V. F.; Sigmund, E. E.; Eschrig, M.; Bachman, H. N.; Halperin, W. P.; Reyes, A. P.; Kuhns, P.; Moulton, W. G.

2001-10-01

Puzzling aspects of high-transition-temperature (high-Tc) superconductors include the prevalence of magnetism in the normal state and the persistence of superconductivity in high magnetic fields. Superconductivity and magnetism generally are thought to be incompatible, based on what is known about conventional superconductors. Recent results, however, indicate that antiferromagnetism can appear in the superconducting state of a high-Tc superconductor in the presence of an applied magnetic field. Magnetic fields penetrate a superconductor in the form of quantized flux lines, each of which represents a vortex of supercurrents. Superconductivity is suppressed in the core of the vortex and it has been suggested that antiferromagnetism might develop there. Here we report the results of a high-field nuclear-magnetic-resonance (NMR) imaging experiment in which we spatially resolve the electronic structure of near-optimally doped YBa2Cu3O7-δ inside and outside vortex cores. Outside the cores, we find strong antiferromagnetic fluctuations, whereas inside we detect electronic states that are rather different from those found in conventional superconductors.

Boundary conditions in Ginsburg-Landau theory and critical temperature of high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lykov, A.N.

2008-01-01

New mixed boundary conditions to the Ginsburg-Landau equations are found to limit the critical temperature (T c ) of high-T c superconductors. Moreover, the value of the pseudogap in these superconductors can be explained by using the method. As a result, the macroscopic approach is proposed to increase T c of cuprate superconductors

On the role of doping in High-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mei, C.; Smith, V.H. Jr.

1994-01-01

High-T c superconductors (HTSCS) are usually obtained by doping electron donors or acceptors into parent materials. The actual role played by doping is still uncertain with various interpretations. The present electronic structure study provides some hints which may help to solve the mystery

Flux flow and flux dynamics in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, L.H.; Turchinskaya, M.; Swartzendruber, L.J.; Roitburd, A.; Lundy, D.; Ritter, J.; Kaiser, D.L.

1991-01-01

Because high temperature superconductors, including BYCO and BSSCO, are type 2 superconductors with relatively low H(sub c 1) values and high H(sub c 2) values, they will be in a critical state for many of their applications. In the critical state, with the applied field between H(sub c 1) and H(sub c 2), flux lines have penetrated the material and can form a flux lattice and can be pinned by structural defects, chemical inhomogeneities, and impurities. A detailed knowledge of how flux penetrates the material and its behavior under the influence of applied fields and current flow, and the effect of material processing on these properties, is required in order to apply, and to improve the properties of these superconductors. When the applied field is changed rapidly, the time dependence of flux change can be divided into three regions, an initial region which occurs very rapidly, a second region in which the magnetization has a 1n(t) behavior, and a saturation region at very long times. A critical field is defined for depinning, H(sub c,p) as that field at which the hysteresis loop changes from irreversible to reversible. As a function of temperature, it is found that H(sub c,p) is well described by a power law with an exponent between 1.5 and 2.5. The behavior of H(sub c,p) for various materials and its relationship to flux flow and flux dynamics are discussed

Electronic Instability at High Flux-Flow Velocities in High-Tc Superconducting Films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Doettinger, S. G.; Huebener, R. P.; Gerdemann, R.

1994-01-01

At high flux-flow velocities in type-II superconductors the nonequilibrium distribution of the quasiparticles leads to an electronic instability and an aburpt switching into a state with higher electric resistivity, as predicted by Larkin and Ovchinnikow (LO). We report the first obervation...... of this effect in a high-temperature superconductor, namely in epitaxial c-axis oriented films of YBa(2)Cu3O(7)-(delta). Using the LO therory, we have extracted from out results the inelastic quasiparticle scattering rare tau(in)(-1), which strongly decreases with decreasing temperature below T-c...

Asymmetry in the normal-metal to high-Tc superconductor tunnel junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flensberg, K.; Hedegaard, P.; Brix, M.

1988-01-01

We show that the observed asymmetry in the I-V characteristics of high-T c material to normal metal junctions can be explained within the Resonating-Valence-Bond model. For a bias current with electrons moving from the superconductor to the normal metal the current is quadratic in the bias voltage, and in the opposite case with electrons moving from the normal metal to the superconductor the current is linear in V. (orig.)

Can positron 2D-ACAR resolve the electronic structure of high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, L.P.; Lynn, K.G.; Harshman, D.R.

1992-01-01

In this paper, the authors examine the ability of the positron Two-Dimensional Angular Correlation Annihilation Radiation (2D-ACAR) technique to resolve the electronic structures of high-T c cuprate superconductors. Following a short description of the technique, discussions of the theoretical assumptions, data analysis and experimental considerations, in relation to the high-T c superconductors, are given. The authors briefly review recent 2D-ACAR experiments on YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x , Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCuO 8+δ and La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 . The 2D-ACAR technique is useful in resolving the band crossings associated with the layers of the superconductors that are preferentially sampled by the positrons. Together with other Fermi surface measurements (namely angle-resolved photoemission), 2D-ACAR can resolve some of the electronic structures of high-T c cuprate superconductors

Pairing theory of high and low temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nam, Sang Boo

1997-01-01

A scenario which can account for all observed features of both high-Tc superconductors (HTS) and low-Tc superconductors (LTS) is discussed. This scenario is based on the fact that a finite pairing interaction energy range Td is required to have a finite value of Tc and that not all carriers participate in pairings, yielding multiconnected superconductors (MS). A new density of states, derived by keeping the order parameter zero outside of Td, is shown to account for the observed low energy states in HTS and for the temperature dependences in the specific heat, the penetration depth, the optical conductivity, and the tunneling conductance data. I argue that the notion of MS can account for the tunneling data along the a(or b)-, ab-, and c-axis, and the 1/2 flux quantum observed in HTS. The region occupied by unpaired carriers can be considered as a vortex with a fluxoid quantum number equal to 1 (VF), 0 (VZF), or -1 (VAF) when the magnetic flux around the vortex is greater than, equal to, or less than the effective flux produced by the supercurrent, respectively. The Hall anomaly depends on the relative strengths of the contributions via VF and VAF. The fact that the present scenario can account for all observed features of HTS and LTS suggests that the symmetry of the order parameter in HTS may not be different from one in LTS. (author)

Study of flux flow in high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takacs, S.; Gomory, F.

1989-01-01

The magnetic field distribution and the hysteresis losses in superconductors with very large viscous forces are calculated for field amplitudes below and above the penetration field. Both the magnetic field and frequency dependence of the losses are changing with respect to the critical state model. The results are qualitatively confirmed by AC susceptibility measurements on YBaCuO superconductors, but the quantitative differences indicate that the flux flow effects are not so strong as expected and supposed by some theories

High-Tc copper oxide superconductors and related novel materials dedicated to prof K. A. Müller on the occasion of his 90th birthday

CERN Document Server

Keller, Hugo; Bianconi, Antonio

2017-01-01

Authored by many of the world's leading experts on high-Tc superconductivity, this volume presents a panorama of ongoing research in the field, as well as insights into related multifunctional materials. The contributions cover many different and complementary aspects of the physics and materials challenges, with an emphasis on superconducting materials that have emerged since the discovery of the cuprate superconductors, for example pnictides, MgB2, H2S and other hydrides. Special attention is also paid to interface superconductivity. In addition to superconductors, the volume also addresses materials related to polar and multifunctional ground states, another class of materials that owes its discovery to Prof. Müller's ground-breaking research on SrTiO3.

Electronic properties of high Tc superconductors. Propiedades electronicas de los superconductores de alta temperatura critica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rojo, A G

1989-01-01

Using analytical and numerical methods, the electronic properties of the copper-oxygen plane in the normal phase of high Tc superconductors are described. Using the slave-boson technique in the saddle point, a theory of the metal insulator transition which generalizes the notions of a Mott insulator to the case of more than a single band for those planes is presented. A phase-diagram is obtained in the parameter space and effective masses, optical gaps and metallization are calculated as a function of the number of carriers. Based on the experimental evidence, the theory permits classification of superconducting compounds as charge transfer insulators in the stoichiometric case. The insulator state is characterized by a non-zero optical gap and a divergent effective mass which corresponds to the breakage of a Fermi-liquid scheme. The results obtained are applicable to metal-transition-oxides whose behaviour has been traditionally controversial and it is concluded that it is necessary to broaden the meaning of a Mott insulator to the case of more than a single band to better understand them. Based on the ideas of group renormalization in a real space, a lattice approximation is presented, which allows: a) To complement the treatment of slave-bosons in phase diagrams and optical gaps; b) Identification of an attraction mechanism between carriers originating from purely repulsive interactions. Numerical calculations in small clusters show the existence of a pairing mechanism showing a superconducting instability from a charge transfer insulator. (Author).

An unusual isotope effect in a high-transition-temperature superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gweon, G.-H.; Sasagawa, T.; Zhou, S.Y.; Graf, J.; Takagi, H.; Lee, D.-H.; Lanzara, A.

2004-01-01

In conventional superconductors, the electron pairing that allows superconductivity is caused by exchange of virtual phonons, which are quanta of lattice vibration. For high-transition-temperature (high-Tc) superconductors, it is far from clear that phonons are involved in the pairing at all. For example, the negligible change in Tc of optimally doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 (Bi2212) upon oxygen isotope substitution (16O to 18O leads to Tc decreasing from 92 to 91 K) has often been taken to mean that phonons play an insignificant role in this material. Here we provide a detailed comparison of the electron dynamics of Bi2212 samples containing different oxygen isotopes, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our data show definite and strong isotope effects. Surprisingly, the effects mainly appear in broad high-energy humps, commonly referred to as ''incoherent peaks''. As a function of temperature and electron momentum, the magnitude of the isotope effect closely correlates with the superconducting gap--that is, the pair binding energy. We suggest that these results can be explained in a dynamic spin-Peierls picture, where the singlet pairing of electrons and the electron-lattice coupling mutually enhance each other

Metallorganic precursors route for high Tc superconducting materials and related phases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beltran-porter, D.; Gonzalez, A.; Sanchis, M.J.; Beltran-porter, A.; Ibanez, R.; Sapina, F.

1991-01-01

The adequacy of the precursors approach for high Tc superconducting materials is validated by means of three examples of a new synthesis of mixed oxides which are directly related to the high Tc superconductors. The synthesis temperature is lowered significantly, and the need for extending the classic 'building block' approach is shown. The hypothesis that topochemical reactions from molecular to extended solids are posssible is proven. 28 refs

Pseudogap and the specific heat of high Tc superconductors: a Hubbard model in a n-pole approximation

Science.gov (United States)

Calegari, E. J.; Lausmann, A. C.; Magalhaes, S. G.; Chaves, C. M.; Troper, A.

2015-03-01

In this work the specific heat of a two-dimensional Hubbard model, suitable to discuss high-Tc superconductors (HTSC), is studied taking into account hopping to first (t) and second (t2) nearest neighbors. Experimental results for the specific heat of HTSC's, for instance, the YBCO and LSCO, indicate a close relation between the pseudogap and the specific heat. In the present work, we investigate the specific heat by the Green's function method within a n-pole approximation. The specific heat is calculated on the pseudogap and on the superconducting regions. In the present scenario, the pseudogap emerges when the antiferromagnetic (AF) fluctuations become sufficiently strong. The specific heat jump coefficient Δγ decreases when the total occupation per site (nT) reaches a given value. Such behavior of Δγ indicates the presence of a pseudogap in the regime of high occupation.

Spectroscopic views of high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wendin, G.

1989-01-01

In this paper progress in the field of photoelectron spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, inverse photoemission, and infrared- and optical reflectivity applied to high-T c superconductors in analyzed in terms of correlation effects, transport properties and Fermi liquid behavior. For the CuO 2 based materials, a picture emerges of localized holes in copper 3d levels and itinerant holes in oxygen 2p-like bands. A Fermi liquid picture and a superconducting gap is indicated by angle-resolved photoemission, infrared absorption, and NMR. A Fermi surface is indicated by positron annihilation. Infrared absorption revels strongly frequency and temperature dependent scattering and polaronic behavior for frequencies below 0.1 eV. Infrared absorption indicates a maximum superconducting gas of 2Δ/K B T c = 8 and suggests that ordinary samples may show a range of gaps 2 B T c B = 5

Far infrared spectroscopy of high-Tc superconductors at the National Synchrotron Light Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkowitz, S.; Williams, G.P.

1989-01-01

This paper reports the first far infrared transmission spectra for micron-thick films of high-T c rare-earth superconductors such as DyBaCuO, with implications for the superconducting gap. Spectra were obtained at Brookhaven's National Synchrotron Light Source, a new high-intensity, broad-band millimeter to infrared source. The National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory, known for powerful X-ray and UV output, is also a high-intensity (10 to 1000 times above a black body), high-brightness (intensity per solid angle), broad-band, picosecond, millimeter to infrared source. These features make it valuable for far-infrared condensed matter experiments, especially those in highly absorbing or extremely small systems. A first application has been to measure very small infrared transmissions through thick bulk-like high-T c superconducting films. Preliminary measurements through films of the conventional superconductor Nb 3 Ge established techniques. These were followed by the first measurements (to the author's knowledge) through micron-thick films of high-T c rare-earth superconductors such as DyBaCuO over 10-300 cm -1 , which includes the superconducting gap according to BCS or moderately strong-coupled theory. The authors discuss the transmission evidence bearing on the existence of a gap and other important features of high-T c superconductors, and describe the synchrotron and instrumentation features which make possible these unusual measurements

Impurity scattering effect on charge transport in high-Tc cuprate junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Y.; Asano, Y.; Kashiwaya, S.

2004-01-01

It is known that the zero-bias conductance peak (ZBCP) is expected in tunneling spectra of normal-metal/high-Tc cuprate junctions because of the formation of the midgap Andreev resonant states (MARS) at junction interfaces. In the present review, we report the recent theoretical study of impurity scattering effects on the tunneling spectroscopy. In the former part of the present paper, we discuss impurity effects in normal metal. We calculate tunneling conductance for diffusive normal metal (DN)/high Tc cuprate junctions based on the Keldysh Green's function technique. Besides the ZBCP due to the MARS, we can expect ZBCP caused by the different origin, i.e., the coherent Andreev reflection (CAR) assisted by the proximity effect in DN. Their relative importance depends on the angle a between the interface normal and the crystal axis of high-Tc superconductors. At α = 0, we find the ZBCP by the CAR for low transparent junctions with small Thouless energies in DN; this is similar to the case of diffusive normal metal/insulator/s-wave superconductor junctions. Under increase of α from zero to π/4, the contribution of MARS to ZBCP becomes more prominent and the effect of the CAR is gradually suppressed. Such complex spectral features would be observable in conductance spectra of high-Tc junctions at very low temperatures. In the latter part of our paper, we study impurity effects in superconductors. We consider impurities near the junction interface on the superconductor side. The conductance is calculated from the Andreev and the normal reflection coefficients which are estimated by using the single-site approximation in an analytic calculation and by the recursive Green function method in a numerical simulation. We find splitting of the ZBCP in the presence of the time reversal symmetry. Thus the zero-field splitting of ZBCP in the experiment does not perfectly prove an existence of broken time reversal symmetry state

Unconventional superconductivity in heavy fermionic and high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volovik, G.E.

1989-01-01

Splitting of the superconducting transition and glass spectrum in heavy fermion companies and oxide superconductors are discussed. The multicomponent order parameter leads to splitting of transition due to magnetic field, impurities, orthorhombic distortion, etc... Linear specific heat in oxide superconductors may be explained in terms of the Fermi-surface arising in superconducting state if interband is pairing strong enough

Electronic structure and superconductivity of FeSe-related superconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xu; Zhao, Lin; He, Shaolong; He, Junfeng; Liu, Defa; Mou, Daixiang; Shen, Bing; Hu, Yong; Huang, Jianwei; Zhou, X J

2015-05-13

FeSe superconductors and their related systems have attracted much attention in the study of iron-based superconductors owing to their simple crystal structure and peculiar electronic and physical properties. The bulk FeSe superconductor has a superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of ~8 K and it can be dramatically enhanced to 37 K at high pressure. On the other hand, its cousin system, FeTe, possesses a unique antiferromagnetic ground state but is non-superconducting. Substitution of Se with Te in the FeSe superconductor results in an enhancement of Tc up to 14.5 K and superconductivity can persist over a large composition range in the Fe(Se,Te) system. Intercalation of the FeSe superconductor leads to the discovery of the AxFe2-ySe2 (A = K, Cs and Tl) system that exhibits a Tc higher than 30 K and a unique electronic structure of the superconducting phase. A recent report of possible high temperature superconductivity in single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3 films with a Tc above 65 K has generated much excitement in the community. This pioneering work opens a door for interface superconductivity to explore for high Tc superconductors. The distinct electronic structure and superconducting gap, layer-dependent behavior and insulator-superconductor transition of the FeSe/SrTiO3 films provide critical information in understanding the superconductivity mechanism of iron-based superconductors. In this paper, we present a brief review of the investigation of the electronic structure and superconductivity of the FeSe superconductor and related systems, with a particular focus on the FeSe films.

Positron annihilation studies on high temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sundar, C.S.; Bharathi, A.

1991-01-01

The results of positron annihilation measurements as a function of temperature, across Tc, in a variety of high temperature superconductors such as Y-Ba-Cu-O (Y1237), Y-Ba-Cu-O (Y1248), Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O, Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O, Ba-K-Bi-O and Nd-Ce-Cu-O are presented. It is shown that the variation of annihilation parameters in the superconducting state is correlated with the diposition of the positron density distribution with respect to the superconducting CuO planes. An increase in positron lifetime is observed below Tc when the positrons probe the CuO planes whereas a decrease in lifetime is observed when the positron density overlaps predominantly with the apical oxygen atom. With this correlation, the different temperature variation of annihilation parameters, seen in the various high temperature superconductors, is understood in terms of a local charge transfer from the planar oxygen atom to the apical oxygen atom. The significance of these results in the context of various theoretical models of high temperature superconductivity is discussed. In addition, the application of positron annihilation spectroscopy to the study of oxygen defects in the Y-Ba-Cu-O, Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O and Nd-Ce-Cu-O is presented. (author). 53 refs., 17 figs., 2 tabs

Limiting stable states of high-Tc superconductors in the alternating current modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romanovskii, V.R.; Watanabe, K.; Awaji, S.

2014-01-01

The limiting current-carrying capacity of high-T c superconductor and superconducting tape has been studied in the alternating current states. The features that are responsible for their stable formation have been investigated under the conduction-cooled conditions when the operating peak values of the electric field and the current may essentially exceed the corresponding critical values of superconductor. Besides, it has been proved that these peak values are higher than the values of the electric field and the current, which lead to the thermal runaway phenomenon when the current instability onset occurs in the operating modes with direct current. As a result, the stable extremely high heat generation exists in these operating states, which can be called as overloaded states. The limiting stable peak values of charged currents and stability conditions have been determined taking into account the flux creep states of superconductors. The analysis performed has revealed that there exist characteristic times defining the corresponding time windows in the stable development of overloaded states of the alternating current. In order to explain their existence, the basic thermo-electrodynamics mechanisms have been formulated, which have allowed to explain the high stable values of the temperature and the induced electric field before the onset of alternating current instability. In general, it has been shown that the high-T c superconductors may stably operate in the overloaded alternating current states even under the not intensive cooling conditions at a very high level of heat generation, which is not considered in the existing theory of losses. (authors)

Symmetry of order-parameters in high-Tc layered superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajagopal, A.K.; Jha, Sudhanshu S.

1997-01-01

It is well known that the anisotropy and wave-vector dependence of the energy-gap function determine many important properties of a superconductor which are relevant for device applications. Apart from a weak dependence on the wave-vector k - > in the direction perpendicular to the reciprocal layer-plane of a high-T c layered superconductor, it is shown that anisotropic superconducting order parameters for intra-layer pairing in the class of such materials with orthorhombic crystal structures, can have either pure s-wave like symmetry or mixed d-wave and anisotropic extended s-wave like symmetries in the reciprocal layer-plane. However, in such materials with tetragonal crystal structures, it is possible to have a pure s-wave like symmetry, which may be either isotropic or anisotropic in the layer k - >-space, or a pure d-wave like symmetry, as far the k - >-dependence in the reciprocal layer plane is concerned. In view of this, some suggestions for analysing experimental data will also be presented. (author)

High density high-TC ceramic superconductors by hot pressing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mak, S.; Chaklader, A.C.D.

1989-01-01

High density and high T C superconductor specimens, YBa 2 Cu 3 O x , have been produced by hot-pressing. The factors studied are the effect of hot pressing on the density, the oxygen stoichiometry, the crystal structure, and the critical temperature. Hot pressing followed by heat treatment increased the density of the specimen to 93%. The hot pressing itself did not significantly affect the oxygen content in the specimen, and although the crystal structure appeared to be orthorhombic, the specimens were not superconducting above liquid nitrogen temperature. The superconductivity was restored after head treatment in oxygen. The highest critical temperature (T C ) of the hot pressed pellets was 82K, which was slightly lower than the T C that could be obtained with the cold pressed/sintered pellets. (6 refs., 5 figs., tab.)

Microstructures and critical currents in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suenaga, Masaki

1998-01-01

Microstructural defects are the primary determining factors for the values of critical-current densities in a high T c superconductor after the electronic anisotropy along the a-b plane and the c-direction. A review is made to assess firstly what would be the maximum achievable critical-current density in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 if nearly ideal pinning sites were introduced and secondly what types of pinning defects are currently introduced or exist in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 and how effective are these in pinning vortices

Electron-gamma perturbed angular correlation studies on high-TC superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Correia, J.G.; Araujo, J.P.; Marques, J.G.; Ramos, A.R.; Lourenco, A.A.; Amaral, V.; Galindo, V.; Senateur, J.P.; Weiss, F.; Wahl, U.; Melo, A.A.; Soares, J.C.; Sousa, J.B.

2000-01-01

Recent results on the study of high-T C superconductors using the e - -γperturbed angular correlation technique are presented. The basic features of the experimental equipment and its installation at the ISOLDE facility are briefly described. Results obtained from 197m Hg implanted into high quality Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 6+δ epitaxy thin films are presented and discussed

Alloy model for high temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weissmann, M.; Saul, A.

1991-07-01

An alloy model is proposed for the electronic structure of high temperature superconductors. It is based on the assumption that holes and extra electrons are localized in small copper oxygen clusters, that would be the components of such alloy. This model, when used together with quantum chemical calculations on small clusters, can explain the structure observed in the experimental densities of states of both hole and electron superconductors close to the Fermi energy. The main point is the strong dependence of the energy level distribution and composition on the number of electrons in a cluster. The alloy model also suggests a way to correlate Tc with the number of holes, or extra electrons, and the number of adequate clusters to locate them. (author). 21 refs, 4 figs, 1 tab

Comparative study of magnetization in conventional and high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkissian, B.V.B.; Grover, A.K.; Balakrishnan, G.; Paulose, P.L.; Vijayaraghavan, R.

1989-01-01

Results of a comparative study of thermomagnetic history effects and anomalous variations in isothermal magnetization hysteresis curves in a High T compound (YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 ) with two specimens of Nb are presented. They show that the former behaves like any hard type c II superconductor

High temperature superconductors at optimal doping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. E. Pickett

2006-09-01

Full Text Available   Intensive study of the high temperature superconductors has been ongoing for two decades. A great deal of this effort has been devoted to the underdoped regime, where the new and difficult physics of the doped Mott insulator has met extra complications including bilayer coupling/splitting, shadow bands, and hot spots. While these complications continue to unfold, in this short overview the focus is moved to the region of actual high-Tc, that of optimal doping. The focus here also is not on the superconducting state itself, but primarily on the characteristics of the normal state from which the superconducting instability arises, and even these can be given only a broad-brush description. A reminder is given of two issues,(i why the “optimal Tc” varies,for n-layered systems it increases for n up to 3, then decreases for a given n, Tc increases according to the ‘basis’ atom in the order Bi, Tl, Hg (ii how does pressure, or a particular uniaxial strain, increase Tc when the zero-strain system is already optimally doped?

PR IN HIGH-TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS - INSULATING PLANES, METALLIC CHAINS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

KHOMSKII, D

Critical discussion is given of the properties of Pr-containing high-T(c) superconductors, especially Y1-xPrxBa2Cu3O7. It is argued that the models proposed to explain suppression of T(c) and other properties of this system (pairbreaking; hole filling; strong p-f hybridization) are inadequate and

Bec Model of HIGH-Tc Superconductivity in Layered Cuprates

Science.gov (United States)

Lomnitz, M.; Villarreal, C.; de Llano, M.

2013-11-01

High-Tc superconductivity in layered cuprates is described in a BCS-BEC formalism with linearly-dispersive s- and d-wave Cooper pairs moving in quasi-2D finite-width layers around the CuO2 planes. This yields a closed formula for Tc involving the layer width, the Debye frequency, the pairing energy and the in-plane penetration depth. The new formula has no free parameters and reasonably reproduces empirical values of superconducting Tcs for 11 different layered superconductors over a wide doping regime including YBCO itself as well as other compounds like LSCO, BSCCO and TBCCO. In agreement with the London formalism, the formula also yields a fair description of the Tc dependence of the lower critical magnetic field in highly underdoped YBCO.

Optical properties of high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aspnes, D.E.; Kelly, M.K.

1989-01-01

The authors summarize the present status of optical spectroscopy of high-T c superconductors. The optical properties of these materials resemble those of the more common transition metal oxides except for being highly anisotropic in the infrared (IR). This large IR anisotrophy and a need to rely solely on reflectance techniques has hindered progress in obtaining accurate IR data and interpreting these data in terms of microscopic mechanisms. However, experimental consistency is now being approached with single-crystal samples, although interpretations of these data remain controversial and an unequivocal demonstration of a superconducting gap structure has not yet been achieved. The mid IR exhibits an absorption band whose systematics are neither well established nor understood. The situation in the visible-near-ultraviolet (V-NUV) is better, partly because of greatly reduced optical anisotropy and the availability of alternative measurement techniques that are not strongly affected by the lower optical quality of sintered material. As polycrystalline, sintered samples can be prepared relatively easily over wide ranges of composition, doping, and chemical substitution, most work on studying the chemical systematics of these materials has been done in this spectral range and some of the structure that appears here has been positively identified

Critical current density and wire fabrication of high-TC superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlabach, T.D.; Jin, S.; Sherwood, R.C.; Tiefel, T.H.

1989-01-01

In this paper, some of the recent investigations of wire fabrication techniques and critical current behavior in high T c superconductors will be reviewed. In spite of the tremendous interest and research effort, the progress toward major applications of the bulk high-temperature superconductors has been impeded by, among other thins, the low critical currents and their severe deterioration in weak magnetic fields. Significant advances, however, have been made in understanding the causes of the problem as well as in improving the current-carrying capacity through proper microstructural control such as the melt-textured-growth in Y-Ba-Cu-O. The low density of effective flux-pinning sites in bulk Y-Ba-Cu-O limits J c at 77K in high magnetic fields to about 10 4 A/cm 2 even in the absence of weak links. Magnetization measurements on Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O and Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O at 77K by various researchers indicate even weaker flux pinning capabilities in these materials than in Y-Ba-Cu-O. The challenge in the future is to obtain suitable flux-pinning defects by choosing the right processing and chemistry changes

Electronic-structure Fermi-liquid theory of high-Tc superconductors: Comparison of predictions with experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Jaejun; Freeman, A.J.

1991-01-01

Predictions of local density functional (LDF) calculations of the electronic structure and transport properties of high T(sub c) superconductors are presented. As evidenced by the excellent agreement with both photoemission and positron annihilation experiments, a Fermi liquid nature of the 'normal' state of the high T(sub c) superconductors become clear for the metallic phase of these oxides. In addition, LDF predictions on the normal state transport properties are qualitatively in agreement with experiments on single crystals. It is emphasized that the signs of the Hall coefficients for the high T(sub c) superconductors are not consistent with the types of dopants (e.g., electron-doped or hole-doped) but are determined by the topology of the Fermi surfaces obtained from the LDF calculations

Rapid solidification for preparation of high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yavari, A.R.

1988-01-01

High Tc superconducting oxides are prepared in two different ways using rapid solidification: by oxidation of microcrystalline or amorphous tapes obtained by quenching the liquid alloy and via crystallisation of the amorphous oxide obtained by rapid quenching of the oxide melt. This technique is applied for the first time to the BiCaSrCuO family [fr

High-temperature superconductors. Les supraconducteurs a haute temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bontemps, N; Combescot, R; Monod, P [Ecole Normale Superieure, 75 - Paris (France)

1992-02-01

High-tc superconductivity was discovered in 1986. The prospects of being able to dispose of superconductors cooled by liquid nitrogen instead of liquid helium, and fundamental physics questions raised by these new compounds drag an unprecedented scientific mobilization. Today, the super conductive state nature become clearer. But, to all expectations, their normal state nature is proved to present quite more difficulties. 20 refs., 5 figs.

The Effective Coherence Length in Anisotropic Superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polturak, E.; Koren, G.; Nesher, O

1999-01-01

If electrons are transmitted from a normal conductor(N) into a superconductor(S), common wisdom has it that the electrons are converted into Cooper pairs within a coherence length from the interface. This is true in conventional superconductors with an isotropic order parameter. We have established experimentally that the situation is rather different in high Tc superconductors having an anisotropic order parameter. We used epitaxial thin film S/N bilayers having different interface orientations in order to inject carriers from S into N along different directions. The distance to which these carriers penetrate were determined through their effect on the Tc of the bilayers. We found that the effective coherence length is 20A only along the a or b directions, while in other directions we find a length of 250dr20A out of plane, and an even larger value for in-plane, off high symmetry directions. These observations can be explained using the Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk model adapted to anisotropic superconductivity. Several implications of our results on outstanding problems with high Tc junctions will be discussed

Internal friction around Tc connected with superconductivity in high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yening

1993-01-01

Internal friction and ultrasonic measurements show that there always exists a phase-like transition (PLT) characterized by the jump of lattice parameters at tens degrees above Tc in superconducting YBaCuO, BiSrCaCuO and TlBaCaCuO. Ferroelastic loops and shape memory effect associated with elastic softening invariably occur at the PLT temperature, showing the characteristics of thermoelastic martensitic transition. Internal frictions in KHz of Bi(Pb)SrCaCuO reveal a static hysteretic plateau (Qp -1 ) above Tc that drops linearly with temperature below Tc. The Qp -1 of YBaCuO decreases with decreasing oxygen content. The origin of the hysteretic Qp -1 is attributed to the lattice distortions around the carriers. (orig.)

High Tc superconductors using solution techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barboux, P.; Valente, I.; Henry, M.; Morineau, R.; Tarascon, J.M.; Khan, S.; Shokoohi, F.; Bagley, B.G.

1989-01-01

The authors have investigated different solution techniques to synthesize the Cu-based superconductors in the thick film form. Thick films of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 have been produced using controlled precipitation techniques. Bi-based and Tl-based materials have been deposited by spraying of ionic solutions. The numerous difficulties encountered during each process are analyzed in order to propose new synthesis procedures such as a new method, based on the precipitation of hydroxides only, which is described as a prospective for lowering the synthesis temperature and shortening the reaction time

Mechanical reliability of bulk high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freiman, S.W.

1990-01-01

Most prospective applications for high T c superconductors in bulk form, e.g. magnets, motors, will require appreciable mechanical strength. Work at NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] has begun to address issues related to mechanical reliability. For example, recent studies on Ba-Y-Cu-O have shown that the intrinsic crack growth resistance, K IC , of crystals of this material is even smaller than was first reported, less than that of window glass, and is sensitive to moisture. Processing conditions, particularly sintering and annealing atmosphere, have been shown to have a major influence on microstructure and internal stresses in the material. Large internal stresses result from the tetragonal to orthorhombic phase transformation as well as the thermal expansion anisotropy in the grains of the ceramic. Because stress relief is absent, microcracks form which have a profound influence on strength

Neutron depolarization effects in a high-Tc superconductor (abstract)

Science.gov (United States)

Nunes, A. C.; Pickart, S. J.; Crow, L.; Goyette, R.; McGuire, T. R.; Shinde, S.; Shaw, T. M.

1988-11-01

Using the polarized beam small-angle neutron scattering spectrometer at the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center Reactor, we have observed significant depolarization of a neutron beam by passage through polycrystalline high-Tc superconductors, specifically 123 Y-Ba-Cu-O prepared and characterized at the IBM Watson Research Center. We believe that this technique will prove useful in studying aspects of these materials, such as the penetration depth of shielding currents, the presence and structure of trapped flux vortices, and grain size effects on the supercurrent distribution in polycrystalline samples. The two samples showed sharp transitions at 87 and 89 K, and have been studied at temperatures of 77 K; the second sample has also been studied at 4 K. The transition to the superconducting state was monitored by the shift in resonant frequency of a coil surrounding the sample. No measurable depolarization was observed in either sample at 77 K in both the field-cooled and zero-field-cooled states, using applied fields of 0 (nominal), 54, and 1400 Oe. This negative result may be connected with the fact that the material is still in the reversible region as indicated by susceptibility measurements, but it allows an estimate of the upper bound of possible inhomogeneous internal fields, assuming a distance scale for the superconducting regions. For the 10-μm grain size suggested by photomicrographs, this upper bound for the field turns out to be 1.2 kOe, which seems reasonable. At 4 K a significant depolarization was observed when the sample was cooled in low fields and a field of 1400 Oe was subsequently applied. This result suggests that flux lines are penetrating the sample. Further investigations are being carried out to determine the field and temperature dependence of the depolarization, and attempts will be made to model it quantitatively in terms of possible internal field distributions. We are also searching for possible diffraction effects from ordered vortex

Rigid levitation, flux pinning, thermal depinning, and fluctuation in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandt, E.H.

1991-01-01

Here, the author shows that the strong velocity-independent frictional force on a levitating superconductor and on any type-II superconductor moving in a homogeneous magnetic field is caused by pinning and depinning of the magnetic flux lines in its interior. Levitation may thus be used to investigate the pinning properties of a superconductor, and friction in a superconductor bearing may be minimized by choosing appropriate materials and geometries

Weak links in high critical temperature superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Tafuri, Francesco; Kirtley, John R.

2005-11-01

The traditional distinction between tunnel and highly transmissive barriers does not currently hold for high critical temperature superconducting Josephson junctions, both because of complicated materials issues and the intrinsic properties of high temperature superconductors (HTS). An intermediate regime, typical of both artificial superconductor-barrier-superconductor structures and of grain boundaries, spans several orders of magnitude in the critical current density and specific resistivity. The physics taking place at HTS surfaces and interfaces is rich, primarily because of phenomena associated with d-wave order parameter (OP) symmetry. These phenomena include Andreev bound states, the presence of the second harmonic in the critical current versus phase relation, a doubly degenerate state, time reversal symmetry breaking and the possible presence of an imaginary component of the OP. All these effects are regulated by a series of transport mechanisms, whose rules of interplay and relative activation are unknown. Some transport mechanisms probably have common roots, which are not completely clear and possibly related to the intrinsic nature of high-TC superconductivity. The d-wave OP symmetry gives unique properties to HTS weak links, which do not have any analogy with systems based on other superconductors. Even if the HTS structures are not optimal, compared with low critical temperature superconductor Josephson junctions, the state of the art allows the realization of weak links with unexpectedly high quality quantum properties, which open interesting perspectives for the future. The observation of macroscopic quantum tunnelling and the qubit proposals represent significant achievements in this direction. In this review we attempt to encompass all the above aspects, attached to a solid experimental basis of junction concepts and basic properties, along with a flexible phenomenological background, which collects ideas on the Josephson effect in the presence

Oxygen diffusion in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothman, S.J.; Routbort, J.L.

1992-07-01

The cuprate superconductors are fascinating not only because of their technical promise, but also because of their structures, especially the anisotropy of the crystal lattice. There are some structural similarities among these compounds, but also significant differences. Measurements of the oxygen tracer diffusion coefficients have been carried out as a function of temperature, oxygen partial pressure, crystal orientation, and doping in the La-Sr-Cu-0, Y-Ba-Cu-0, and Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-0 systems. These measurements have revealed a variety of defect mechanisms operating in these compounds; the exact nature of the mechanism depends on the details of the structure

High pressure studies up to 50 GPa of Bi-based high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staun Olsen, J.; Steenstrup, S.; Gerward, L.; Sundqvist, B.

1991-01-01

The high-T c superconductor with nominal composition BiSrCaCu 2 O x has been studied at high pressure, i.e. up to 50 GPa. A tetragonal structure was compatible with the measurements at all pressures, and no phase change was observed. The bulk modulus, B o =62.5 GPa, obtained has a somewhat smaller value than the one estimated earier. (orig.)

Fermi velocity mismatch effects in the tunneling characteristics of high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aponte, J.M.; Nunez-Regueiro, J.E.; Bellorin, A.; Octavio, M.

1994-01-01

We present a comparative study of the tunneling characteristics of point contacts in which one electrode was a superconducting single crystal of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O x and the other electrode was either a normal metal (N-HTSC point contact), or a non-superconducting rare earth metallic oxide (REMO-HTSC point contact), or another crystal of the same superconductor (HTSC'-HTSC point contact). We show that the mismatch of the Fermi velocities of the electrodes is in part responsible for the irreproducibility of most of the tunneling conductance curves observed in high temperature superconductors. (orig.)

Irradiation effects of high temperature superconductor of lanthanoid oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ueda, Koh-ichi; Kohara, Takao [Himeji Inst. of Tech., Hyogo (Japan)

1996-04-01

Neutron irradiation effects on excess oxygen were studied by neutron irradiation on La{sub 2}CuO{sub 4} treated with high pressure oxygen. La{sub 2}CuO{sub 4} was prepared by the usual method and annealed for 10 h under the oxygen pressure of 800-2000 atm. at 600degC. The superconducting transition temperature (Tc) is 27-32K before irradiation (La{sub 2}CuO{sub 4+d}, amount of excess oxygen d=0.03-0.12). Neutron irradiation was carried out by two kinds of experiments. Low irradiation dose test at low temperature (LTL: {approx}20-200K, storage in LN{sub 2}) showed Tc decreased more slowly than that of high temperature range. Experiment at high temperature (Hyd:{approx}80deg{yields}, storage at room temperature) showed -10K/10{sup 18}n/cm{sup 2}, the decrease of Tc was three times larger than that of YBCO type superconductor. (S.Y.)

Processing of Mixed Oxide Superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

1990-07-01

rapid changes world wide a major research centre on high Tc superconductors was awarded to Cambridge which involved moving the work and people to a...reports and paper is in the appendices. Separation Ceramic superconductors tend to be mixtures of phases, especially when first discovered. It would...properties of the superconducting state will in principle allow superconducting material to be levitated from the non superconductor and several designs

Positron annihilation study on Y-Ba-Cu-O high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balogh, A.G.; Liszkay, L.; Molnar, B.; Puff, W.

1987-08-01

First positron annihilation measurements are reported on high T c superconductor YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x . The lifetime and Doppler broadening spectra show a slight but significant change about 240K suggesting a deviation from the normal structure far above 90K where the resistance falls to zero. (author)

Operating modes of high-Tc composite superconductors and thermal runaway conditions under current charging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romanovskii, V R; Watanabe, K

2006-01-01

The operating thermal and electric modes of a high-T c superconducting composite in partially and fully penetrated states induced by the charging current are investigated. They were studied under conditions in which the current charging rate, the volume fraction of the superconductor in a composite or the temperature of the cooling bath were changed. The transient behaviour of the voltage-current dependence, which is characteristic during stable and unstable increases in electric field inside the composite under a continuous current charging, is discussed. Simulations were done using zero- and one-dimensional steady and unsteady thermoelectric models with a power equation describing the virgin voltage-current characteristic of a superconductor. It is found that some thermoelectric trends underlie the shape of the voltage-current characteristic of the high-T c superconducting composite. These have to be considered during experiments in which the critical or quench currents are defined. First, in the initial stage of the fully penetrated regime (in the low voltage range), the electric field distribution does not have a uniform character. These states depend on the volume fraction of the superconductor and the current charging rate: the higher these quantities, the higher the heterogeneity of the electric field. Second, during the stable over-critical regime (in the high voltage range) occurring in complete penetration modes, the evolution of the electric field may depend on the relevant temperature increase of a composite according to the corresponding increase in its temperature-dependent heat capacity. Consequently, the shape of the voltage-current characteristic of a composite high-T c superconductor during continuous current charging, both before and after thermal runaway, has only a positive slope. Moreover, it is proved that the growth of the fully penetrated part of the voltage-current characteristic becomes less intensive when the current charging rate or the

Probe high-Tc Superconductors by neutron scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fauque, B.

2007-10-01

This research thesis explores two aspects of the phase diagram of high critical temperature superconductors: the evolution of AF correlations and the nature of the pseudo-gap phase. The author presents the problematic associated with these particular semiconductors, describes the neutron diffusion probe used in this study, and presents the three families of semiconductors investigated during this research: Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+x , YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+x and La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 . He reports the results of the investigation of the spin dynamics in the Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+x . He reports a detailed investigation of the magnetic cross section associated with different types of non conventional magnetic orders proposed as candidates for the pseudo-gap phase. He reports and comments the results obtained for the pseudo-gap phase for the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+x and La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 families. Finally, the author discusses the consequences of the obtained results for the description of the diagram phase of high critical temperature semiconductors

Olson sees how they conduct (High Tc superconductors)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, C.

1989-01-01

Thanks to Cliff Olson's synchrotron radiation measurements of the surface of several of the new high-temperature superconducting materials, these ceramic-like crystals can now be classified as metals. This means their electronic band structure meets the criteria for a metal or conductor, rather than those of an insulator, or of a semiconductor. Working with graduate assistant Liu, Olson has now measured the energy gap in crystals of a bismuth-strontium-calcium-copper oxide with a 100K or 300K transition temperature. They determined that the superconductivity gap is isotropic, or independent of direction within the layer. This is significant, because the high temperature materials are all anisotropic, layered in flat sheets, a fact that had led to speculations about a very different kind of superconducting coupling in these materials. The superconducting mechanism now turns out to be the same as that in classical superconductors

Magnetic-flux dynamics of high-Tc superconductors in weak magnetic fields

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Il’ichev, E. V.; Jacobsen, Claus Schelde

1994-01-01

Aspects of magnetic-flux dynamics in different types of samples of the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3Ox have been investigated in magnetic fields below 1 Oe and at 77 K. The experiments were carried out in an arrangement including a field coil, a flat sample perpendicular to the field...

Current sharing effect on the current instability and allowable temperature rise of composite high-TC superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romanovskii, V.R.; Watanabe, K.; Awaji, S.; Nishijima, G.; Takahashi, Ken-ichiro

2004-01-01

To understand the basic mechanisms of the thermal runaway phenomenon, the limiting margin of the current instability, which may spontaneously occur in composite high-T C superconductors like multifilament Bi-based wire or tape, is derived under DC magnetic field. The current sharing and allowable temperature rise effects were considered. A static zero-dimensional model was utilized to describe the basic formulae dealing with the peculiarities of the non-isothermal change of superconducting composite voltage-current characteristic. The boundary of allowable stable values of the temperature, electric field and current are derived analytically. It was shown that permissible values of the current and electric field might be higher than those determined by use of the standard critical current criterion. In consequence of this feature, the noticeable allowable temperature rise of the composite superconductor before its transition to the normal state may be seen. The criterion for complete thermal stability condition is written describing the state when temperature of the composite equals critical temperature of a superconductor and the transport current flows stably only in matrix. The performed analysis also proves the existence of value of the volume fraction of a superconductor in composite at which its current-carrying capacity has minimum. These peculiarities are due to the stable current redistribution between superconductor and stabilizing matrix. Therefore, the current sharing not only leads to the matrix/superconductor ratio effect on the stable operating characteristics of the composite high-T C superconductors but also becomes important in the adequate description of quench process in the high-T C superconducting magnets

Reply to the ''Comment on 'Observation of trapped O2 in high-Tc metal oxide superconductors' ''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, C.H.; Phillips, R.C.; Payne, M.G.

1990-01-01

Desorption of O 2 in certain high-T c superconductors was observed from scraping the surfaces of superconductors by Rosenberg and Wen. Their conclusion agrees with the results from the observation of O 2 trapping by a laser ablation of superconductors. However, the local heating due to the scraping process can possibly raise the local surface temperature significantly higher than the temperature of the bulk

The Origin of Tc Enhancement in Heterostructure Cuprate Superconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doron L. Bergman

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Recent experiments on heterostructures composed of two or more films of cuprate superconductors of different oxygen doping levels have shown a remarkable Tc enhancement (up to 50% relative to single compound films. We provide a simple explanation of the enhancement which arises naturally from a collection of experimental works. We show that the enhancement could be caused by a structural change in the lattice, namely an increase in the distance of the apical oxygen from the copper-oxygen plane. This increase modifies the effective off-site interaction in the plane which in turn enhances the d-wave superconductivity order parameter. To illustrate this point we study the extended Hubbard model using the fluctuation exchange approximation.

Development of fabrication technique of bulk high superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Gye Won; Kim, Chang Joong; Kim, Ki Baik; Lee, Ho Jin; Lee, Hee Gyoun; Kwon, Sun Chil.

1997-05-01

In order to realize the commercial application of HTSC materials, it is necessary to develop the fabrication process of high Tc oxide superconductor materials with desired shape and for practical application and high critical current density as well as good mechanical strength which critical current density as well as good mechanical strength which can withstand high lorenz force generated at high magnetic field. Much studies have been concentrated to develop the fabrication technique for high critical current density but still there are a lot of gap which should be overcome for large scale application of HTSC materials at liquid nitrogen temperature. Recently some new fabrication techniques have been developed for YBCO bulk superconductor with high mechanical strength and critical current density. In this project, plastic extrusion and melt process techniques were studied. The components materials for the current lead and the flywheel application were fabricated and their characteristics were investigated from the view point of microstructure and phase formation during heat treatment process. (author). 64 refs., 59 figs

Development of application technique of bulk high-Tc superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Kye Won; Kim, Chan Joong; Kim, Kee Baek; Kwon, Sun Chil; Won, Dong Yun; Lee, Hoh Jin; Lee, Heui Kyoon; Jang, Kun Ik; Yang, Suk Woo

1995-03-01

YBCO-Ag composite superconductors were prepared by extrusion using inorganic binder materials. In the case of the undoped 1-2-3 sample with a dia. of 2.5 mm, critical current density (Jc) was 150 A/cm 2 and current density (Ic) was 10 amps. In the case of the sample with a die. of 4.5 mm, meanwhile, Jc and Ic were 50 A/cm 2 and 32 amps, respectively. Influence of BaCeO 3 addition on magnetization characteristics of melt-textured Y-Ba-Cu-O superconductor was investigated. The variation of magnetization behavior due to the addition of BaCeO 3 is discussed on the basis of the related microstructures. 37 figs, 1 tab, 56 refs. (Author)

Phase Equilibria Relationships of High-Tc Superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong-Ng, Winnie

2011-01-01

As an integral part of a R and D program partially supported by the Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Office of DOE, we have determined phase equilibria data and phase diagrams for the three generations of superconductor materials: 1st generation, (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Ca- Cu-O systems; 2nd generation, Ba-R-Cu-O systems (R=lanthanides and yttrium); and 3rd generation, MgB2 systems. Our studies involved bulk materials, single crystals and thin films. This report gives a summary of our accomplishments, a list of publications, and 15 selected journal publications.

Structural studies of metal oxides related to High-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hjorth, M.

1990-02-01

The project was started in order to investigate metal oxide structures related in some way to high-T c superconductors, using the crystallographic methods available; and in order to be able to use crystallographic methods in ways that go beyond routine applications in order to contribute to the crystallographic knowledge concerning these oxides. The project goes a step outside the boarders normally defined by using the term ''high-T c superconductors'', thus studying metal oxides from a more general crystallographic viewpoint. The methods used are the expansions of the spherical atom model, and of the thermal probability density function, and combination of X-ray work with high resolution electron microscopy. The use of the expanded diffraction models presents problems such as bad convergence in least squares refinement, physical unreasonable parameters, problems with interpretation of the results and difficulties due to missing or insufficient computer programs. The use of these models is discussed. Dynamical theory is applied when considering electron diffraction results. The theory is presented, focusing on the modifications of the standard theory used for some of the structures considered in the thesis, and in overview on other theoretical topics is given. A presentation is given of the structures which have been considered and of earlier work on related compounds, of the problems and solutions applied to the compound discussed and of the results obtained. The results are discussed. The appendices describe published papers and the work not directly connected to the main topics, e.g. implementation and development of computer programs. (AB) 172 refs

The defect structure of ceramic high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Tendeloo, G.; Amelinckx, S.; Zandbergen, H.W.; Verwerft, M.

1989-01-01

In this paper an overview is given of electron microscopy studies on the different ceramic superconductors: YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 , Bi(Tl)-Sr(Ba)- Ca-Cu-O and Pb 2 Sr 2 Y 0.5 Ca 0.5 Cu 3 O x . Planar defects in these materials play an important role in the superconducting properties. Their structural characteristics are discussed

Critical currents and thermally activated flux motion in high-temperature superconductors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Palstra, T.T.M.; Batlogg, B.; Dover, R.B. van; Schneemeyer, L.F.; Waszczak, J.V.

1989-01-01

We have measured the resistance below Tc of single crystals of the high-temperature superconductors Ba2YCu3O7 and Bi2.2Sr2Ca0.8Cu2O8+δ in magnetic fields up to 12 T. The resistive transition of both compounds is dominated by intrinsic dissipation which is thermally activated, resulting in an

The effect of long annealing on Pb-doped high-Tc Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandra, S.; Agnihotry, S.A.; Asthana, P.; Nagpal, K.C.; Saini, K.K.; Chanderkant; Sharma, C.P.; Ekbote, S.N. (National Physical Lab., New Delhi (India))

1991-01-16

The lead doped Bi based copper oxide high-Tc superconductors with different nominal compositions and with different annealing time periods are studied. The highest Tc (zero) achieved is 112 K in bulk phase 2223. The varying intensity of the low angle line at 2{theta}{approx equal}4.7deg suggests the gradual formation of the high-Tc phase due to the long annealing of nearly 200 to 250 h. It is also found that the high-Tc phase starts degrading after 250 h of annealing and Tc reduces. The distortion of the 2223 phase is suggested by the broadening of different XRD peaks, also the SEM studies support the above contention. The EDAX studies show no presence of Pb in the crystallites. (orig.).

Infrared detection with high-[Tc] bolometers and response of Nb tunnel junctions to picosecond voltage pulses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verghese, S.

1993-05-01

Oxide superconductors with high critical temperature [Tc] make sensitive thermometers for several types of infrared bolometers. The authors built composite bolometers with YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7[minus][delta

Doping effects in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hessel Andersen, N.

1996-11-01

The purpose of the project has been to study how the superconducting and magnetic properties of the high temperature superconductors change as function of oxygen stoichiometry and cation doping. The primary system of investigation has been YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+x , which has been studied as function of oxygen stoichiometry, 0 2 planes, that is necessary for superconductivity, is strongly depending on structural ordering. The static properties and the kinetics of the structural ordering process have been studied experimentally by neutron and high energy synchrotron x-ray diffraction, by Raman scattering, and by computer simulation technique. Not only the oxygen stoichiometry but also the cation doping has been shown to influence the magnetic phases, in some cases in an unexpected manner. Thus, by neutron diffraction experiments it has been shown that doping with non-magnetic Al gives rise to a new magnetic phase. A theoretical model, has been developed. The magnetic phases of the Cu and Nd ordering in NdBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+x , and of the Cu and Pr ordering in PrBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+x have been studied by neutron diffraction with the main purpose of understanding why PrBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+x is magnetic and non-superconducting for all oxygen stoichiometries. In NdBa:2Cu 3 O 6+x studies of the magnetic flux lattice have been carried out by Small Angle Neutron Scattering. Additional structural studies of the superconducting and magnetic phases of related materials, of RENi 2 B 2 C (RE = rare earth), and of oxidized and cation doped materials based on La 2 CuO 4+δ have been carried out. Methods for structural studies and analyses, and equipment for electrical and magnetic characterization have been developed. (EG) 5 tabs., 46 ills., 35 refs

Nuclear hyperfine interactions and chemical bonding in high TC superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danon, J.

1987-01-01

Nuclear quadrupole resonances of Cu 63 and Fe 57 Moessbauer spectroscopy of the high temperature superconductor YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-γ e described together with synchrotron radiation studies of the copper oxidation states in this material. The Moessbauer spectra of 57 Fe in the two distinct crystallographic sites of the Cu atoms in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-γ are very similar from the quadrupole coupling point of view although exhibiting markedly different values for the isomer shift. The role of oxygen vacancies in the hyperfine interactions is discussed. (author) [pt

Temperature Dependence of Quasiparticle Spectral Weight and Coherence in High Tc Superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

He, Yang; Zhang, Jessie; Hoffman, Jennifer; Hoffman Lab Team

2014-03-01

Superconductivity arises from the Cooper pairing of quasiparticles on the Fermi surface. Understanding the formation of Cooper pairs is an essential step towards unveiling the mechanism of high Tc superconductivity. We compare scanning tunneling microscope investigations of the temperature dependence of quasiparticle spectral weight and quasiparticle interference in several families of high Tc materials. We calculate the coherent spectral weight related to superconductivity, despite the coexistence of competing orders. The relation between pairing temperature and coherent spectral weight is discussed. We acknowledge support by the New York Community Trust-George Merck Fund.

Visualizing pair formation on the atomic scale in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pasupathy, A.

2008-01-01

Full text: Unlike traditional superconductors, the density of states (DOS) of the high-T c superconductor Bi-2212 shows large nanoscale variations that have been detected using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Such variations are seen in the low temperature superconducting gap and in features associated with the coupling of pairs to boson modes. In order to understand these variations in the spectra, we perform atomic resolution STM measurements of Bi-2212 as a function of temperature. Using newly developed experimental techniques, we measure the evolution of the DOS from low temperature (T c ) to temperatures where all gaps in the spectrum have disappeared (T>T*). Such measurements show that the pairing gap nucleates in nanoscale regions at temperatures between T c and T*. By normalizing the low temperature DOS (T c ) to the DOS at high temperature, we are able to fit the superconducting DOS to the d-wave BCS form. We find that the experimental spectrum deviations from a simple d-wave fit indicating a strong coupling between electrons and bosonic modes. We will discuss the temperature evolution of these as well as other features in the DOS and correlate such measurements with the inhomogeneity seen in the gap magnitude at low temperature

Three-terminal devices of high-Tc superconductors: A status report and future challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kung, Pang-Jen; Carnegie-Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA

1992-01-01

A study has been conducted on the recent progress of the three-terminal devices with transistor-like characteristics fabricated from the high-T c superconducting materials. This study explored the operating principles and characteristics of these devices in relation to the relevant materials and techniques. A comparison of a variety of techniques for superconducting thin film deposition will be given. This study indirates that the feasibility of fabricating hybrid devices composed of semiconductors and superconductors appear to be the key issue to push forward the applications of high-T c superconductors in microelectronics. The junction field-effect transistors with a semiconductor base controlled by the proximity effect are likely to be more manufacturable. The factors that influence the operating reliability of devices and the problems arising from integrating and packaging the devices will also be discussed

Physics and Materials Science of High Temperature Superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

1989-08-26

30 M. Nikolo: Effect of Texture and Density on Grain Coupling of Sintered Y-Ba-Cu-O Superconductors 11:30 - 12:00 A. SzAsz : The Symmetries and High...The Hall coefficient is always positive and obeys the RH (x T- 1 law . The I Hall mobility p2-I2 < I cm2/V.S. At T < Tc, the thermoelectric power equals...461561 80-6550 Prof. A. Szasz PP Dr. Martin Schwarz PP Eotvos University Angewandte Physik Muzeum Krt. 6-8 Hoechst AG H-1088 Budapest Hungary Gebaeude

Holographic complexity in gauge/string superconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Davood Momeni

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Following a methodology similar to [1], we derive a holographic complexity for two dimensional holographic superconductors (gauge/string superconductors with backreactions. Applying a perturbation method proposed by Kanno in Ref. [2], we study behaviors of the complexity for a dual quantum system near critical points. We show that when a system moves from the normal phase (T>Tc to the superconductor phase (T<Tc, the holographic complexity will be divergent.

Simulation of the vortex motion in the high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Jinming.

1992-11-01

1d and 2d simulations of the single vortex dynamics in the presence of random pinning potential and periodical one have been carried out. It is shown that the randomness of the pinning sites distribution does not have considerable effect on the transport properties such as I-V characteristics of the high T c superconductors, which has been widely discussed in the approximation of a periodical pinning potential using analytical method. The randomness effect probably only reduces the vortex diffusing mobility more below the depinning current value, which is more obvious at lower temperature. (author). 12 refs, 4 figs

Evaluating superconductors for microwave applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammond, B.; Bybokas, J.

1989-01-01

It is becoming increasingly obvious that some of the earliest applications for high Tc superconductors will be in the microwave market. While this is a major opportunity for the superconductor community, it also represents a significant challenge. At DC or low frequencies a superconductor can be easily characterized by simple measurements of resistivity and magnetic susceptibility versus temperature. These parameters are fundamental to superconductor characterization and various methods exist for measuring them. The only valid way to determine the microwave characteristics of a superconductor is to measure it at microwave frequencies. It is for this reason that measuring microwave surface resistance has emerged as one of the most demanding and telling tests for materials intended for high frequency applications. In this article, the theory of microwave surface resistance is discussed. Methods for characterizing surface resistance theoretically and by practical implementation are described

Low-temperature specific heat of the β-pyrochlore oxide superconductors under high pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Isono, T.; Iguchi, D.; Machida, Y.; Izawa, K.; Salce, B.; Flouquet, J.; Ogusu, H.; Yamaura, J.; Hiroi, Z.

2011-01-01

We report the results of the low-temperature specific heat measurements of the single crystalline β-pyrochlore oxide superconductors AOs 2O 6 (A=K, Rb, and Cs) under high pressure up to 13 GPa. We find that superconducting transition temperature ( Tc) monotonically increases for CsOs 2O 6 and RbOs 2O 6, while the one for KOs 2O 6 decreases by applying the pressure. With further increasing the pressure, Tc is suddenly suppressed at the same lattice volume for all compounds, concomitant with the first-order structural phase transition.

The new superconductors. Les nouveaux supraconducteurs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gervais, F

1991-01-01

The first half of the book is a scanning of superconductivity from 1911 to our days, with Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory in 1957, with the concept of phonons and the importance of the Brillouin zone, with the discovery of high-tc superconductors oxides by Bednortz and Mueller in 1986. The second part is dealing with physical investigation means for trying to explain this high-tc superconductivity.

Mechanisms of conventional and high Tc superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kresin, V.L.; Morawitz, H.; Wolf, S.A.

1993-01-01

This book gives a careful and objective review of theories of superconductivity in traditional superconductors, organics, and high Tc cuprates. Of course, the authors do still present their own theories of cuprate superconductivity, but only in the final chapter after other possibilities have been discussed. The book should be especially useful for researchers entering the field of high Tc superconductivity. The reviews of photon mediated pairing and strong coupling theory are very welcome, since much of this material has not been reviewed since the classic 1969 volume edited by Parks. In particular the authors dispel the various myths that phonon mediated pairing leads to upper bounds on Tc. In addition to phonon mediated pairing the book discussed in detail pairing due to exchange of acoustic (demon) plasmons, excitons, or magnetic fluctuations. There have been so many diverse mechanisms based on strong correlation and large U Hubbard models that a book like this can only discuss a limited selection of the main contenders. In particular here the emphasis on Fermi liquid based models no doubt reflects the authors' own point of view. A whole chapter discusses the concepts of induced superconductivity, in the proximity effect, and its application to materials with several different electronic subsystems

Effects of magnetic field on the cuprate high-Tc superconductor La2-xSrxCuO4

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lake, B.; Aeppli, G.; Christensen, N.B.

2004-01-01

This article discusses neutron scattering measurements on the cuprate, high transition temperature superconductor La2-xSrxCuO4 (LSCO) in an applied magnetic field. LSCO is a type-II superconductor and magnetic flux can penetrate the material via the formation of vorticies. Phase coherent...

Tc depression and superconductor-insulator transition in molybdenum nitride thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Ichikawa, F.; Makise, K.; Tsuneoka, T.; Maeda, S.; Shinozaki, B.

2018-03-01

We have studied that the Tc depression and the superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) in molybdenum nitride (MoN) thin films. Thin films were fabricated by reactive DC magnetron sputtering method onto (100) MgO substrates in the mixture of Ar and N2 gases. Several dozen MoN thin films were prepared in the range of 3 nm < thickness d < 60 nm. The resistance was measured by a DC four-probe technique. It is found that Tc decreases from 6.6 K for thick films with increase of the normal state sheet resistance {R}{{sq}}{{N}} and experimental data were fitted to the Finkel’stein formula using the bulk superconducting transition temperature Tc 0 = 6.45 K and the elastic scattering time of electron τ = 1.6 × 10‑16 s. From this analysis the critical sheet resistance Rc is found about 2 kΩ, which is smaller than the quantum sheet resistance R Q. This value of Rc is almost the same as those for 2D NbN films. The value of τ for MoN films is also the similar value for NbN films 1.0 × 10‑16 s, while Tc 0 is different from that for NbN films 14.85 K. It is indicated that the mechanism of SIT for MoN films is similar to that of NbN films, while the mean free path ℓ for MoN films is larger than that for NbN films.

Five-fold way to new high Tc superconductors

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

shook the foundation of phonon-mediated pairing mechanism. In fact, certain in- ...... of superconducting Tc in doped cuprates below optimal doping. ...... ductor transition, the following are the minimal requirements for superconductivity:.

Development of superconductor application technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, G W; Kim, C J; Lee, H G; Lee, H J; Kim, K B; Won, D Y; Jang, K I; Kwon, S C; Kim, W J; Ji, Y A; Yang, S W; Kim, W K; Park, S D; Lee, M H; Lee, D M; Park, H W; Yu, J K; Lee, I S; Kim, J J; Choi, H S; Chu, Y; Kim, Y S; Kim, D H

1997-09-01

Fabrication of high Tc bulk superconductor and its application, fabrication of superconducting wire for electric power device and analysis for cryogenic system were carried out for developing superconductor application technologies for electric power system. High quality YBaCuO bulk superconductor was fabricated by controlling initial powder preparation process and prototype flywheel energy storage device was designed basically. The superconducting levitation force measuring device was made to examine the property of prepared superconductor specimen. Systematic studies onthe method of starting powder preparation, mechanical fabrication process, heat treatment condition and analysis of plastic deformation were carried out to increase the stability and reproducibility of superconducting wire. A starting power with good reactivity and fine particle size was obtained by mechanical grinding, control of phase assemblage, and emulsion drying method. Ag/BSCCO tape with good cross sectional shape and Jc of 20,000 A/cm{sup 2} was fabricated by applying CIP packing procedure. Multifilamentary wire with Jc of 10,000 A/cm{sup 2} was fabricated by rolling method using square billet as starting shape. The joining of the multifilamentary wire was done by etching and pressing process and showed 50% of joining efficiency. Analysis on the heat loss in cryostat for high Tc superconducting device was carried out for optimum design of the future cryogenic system. (author). 66 refs., 104 figs.

Development of superconductor application technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, G. W.; Kim, C. J.; Lee, H. G.; Lee, H. J.; Kim, K. B.; Won, D. Y.; Jang, K. I.; Kwon, S. C.; Kim, W. J.; Ji, Y. A.; Yang, S. W.; Kim, W. K.; Park, S. D.; Lee, M. H.; Lee, D. M.; Park, H. W.; Yu, J. K.; Lee, I. S.; Kim, J. J.; Choi, H. S.; Chu, Y.; Kim, Y. S.; Kim, D. H.

1997-09-01

Fabrication of high Tc bulk superconductor and its application, fabrication of superconducting wire for electric power device and analysis for cryogenic system were carried out for developing superconductor application technologies for electric power system. High quality YBaCuO bulk superconductor was fabricated by controlling initial powder preparation process and prototype flywheel energy storage device was designed basically. The superconducting levitation force measuring device was made to examine the property of prepared superconductor specimen. Systematic studies onthe method of starting powder preparation, mechanical fabrication process, heat treatment condition and analysis of plastic deformation were carried out to increase the stability and reproducibility of superconducting wire. A starting power with good reactivity and fine particle size was obtained by mechanical grinding, control of phase assemblage, and emulsion drying method. Ag/BSCCO tape with good cross sectional shape and Jc of 20,000 A/cm 2 was fabricated by applying CIP packing procedure. Multifilamentary wire with Jc of 10,000 A/cm 2 was fabricated by rolling method using square billet as starting shape. The joining of the multifilamentary wire was done by etching and pressing process and showed 50% of joining efficiency. Analysis on the heat loss in cryostat for high Tc superconducting device was carried out for optimum design of the future cryogenic system. (author). 66 refs., 104 figs

Levitation force and magnetization in bulk and thin film high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riise, A.B

1998-04-01

The authors present high-resolution measurements of the repulsive vertical force and its associated stiffness between a Nd-B-Fe magnet and a YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ superconductor in cylindrical geometry. The results are compared with theoretical predictions. The calculations are based on a model in which the superconductor is assumed to be either a sintered granular material or consisting of grains embedded in a nonactive matrix so that only intragranular currents are important. The critical state model is applied to each grain individually and closed form expressions for both vertical force F z and stiffness are obtained in a configuration with cylindrical symmetry. The model explains all features of the experimental results in a consistent way. A good quantitative agreement has been obtained using only three adjustable parameters. Several central aspects of the phenomenon of magnetic levitation with high-T c superconductors are presented. High-resolution measurements are made of the repulsive vertical force and its associated stiffness as well as the horizontal stabilizing force and the stiffness governing lateral vibrations. The results obtained at 77 K using a granular YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ sample and Nd-Fe-B magnet in a rectangular levitation configuration are compared with theoretical predictions. The calculations, which are based on the critical state model with the assumption that it applies to the grins individually, give closed-form expressions for all the measured quantities. It is concluded that the present model explains all features of the observations in a consistent way. Using only three adjustable parameters a good agreement exists also at a quantitative level. Experimental studies and theoretical modelling of the levitation force on a permanent magnet placed above a superconducting thin film are offered. It is shown that measurements of the levitation force is a simple and precise method to determine the critical current density in thin films

Disorder and non-linear magnetic response of high Tc superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burin, J.P. (Lab. de Physique des Solides, INSA, 35 - Rennes (France)); Fouad, Y. (Lab. de Physique des Solides, INSA, 35 - Rennes (France)); Raboutou, A. (Lab. de Physique des Solides, INSA, 35 - Rennes (France)); Peyral, P. (Lab. de Physique des Solides, INSA, 35 - Rennes (France)); Lebeau, C. (Lab. de Physique des Solides, INSA, 35 - Rennes (France)); Rosenblatt, J. (Lab. de Physique des Solides, INSA, 35 - Rennes (France)); Mokhtari, M. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Pena, O. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Perrin, C. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. Rennes 1, 35 (France))

1993-05-10

We measure the low frequency magnetic response of YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 6.7]F[sub x] (0 [<=] x < 0.2) ceramics in a wide range of a.c. fields (10[sup -7] T [<=] [mu][sub 0]H[sub 0] [<=] 10[sup -4]). When changing the amount of disorder (varying x) on the microscopic level we find the same non linear response with field amplitude H[sub 0] as in granular conventional superconductors. The real part of the susceptibility appears as a universal function of H[sub 1](T)/H[sub 0] where H[sub 1](T) is the field of first flux penetration. The power law dependence found for H[sub 1](T) can be understood in the framework of the coherence transition of granular superconductors with random couplings. (orig.)

Assessment of potential advantages of high Tc-superconductors for technical application of superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schauer, F.; Juengst, K.P.; Komarek, P.; Maurer, W.

1987-09-01

A first assessment of the technical and economical consequences of liquid nitrogen cooling of new superconductors is given. For the investigation the applications of superconductivity are classified in two categories: First, systems where superconductors are practically indispensable for achieving the system's objectives; second, superconductor applications in competition with highly developed conventional technologies. Further development of those superconducting systems in the first category for which the cost of cryogenic equipment is a smaller fraction of the total system cost (e.g. fusion reactor or MHD generator) will hardly be affected. However, for systems like particle accelerators, research magnets, and NMR spectroscopy and imaging systems, the cryogenic equipment expenditures are significant and LN 2 cooling leads here to a reduction of investment and operating costs, to simplified handling and maintenance, to better reliability and availability, and will thereby improve the acceptance and further spread of these systems. In the second category each application of superconductivity has to be compared with its conventional counterpart, separately. Here, electonic components, power switches, resistive current limiters, and especially the power transmission cables are those applications which look most promising. For magnet applications the main advantageous arguments are less the cost saving aspect but more the higher reliability, simplicity, N 2 -availability, and ease of handling. (orig.) [de

Inter plane coupling and magnetic properties in a high Tc superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malacarne, L.C.; Mendes, R.S.; Veroneze, P.R.

1997-01-01

We investigate if besides an increasing in T c , an interaction favoring pair tunneling reproduces some characteristic properties of the superconductors, in the presence of a magnetic field. With this objective, we use a sufficiently simple Hamiltonian which maintains the main qualitative aspects of the inter plane interaction through pairs. We also apply an functional integration method for obtaining the Landau-Ginzburg (L G) equations in presence of magnetic field. From these equations, we verify that the applied model presents the properties expected for a superconductor, e.g. magnetic flux quantization, Meissner effect and possible existence of vortex and vortex lattice

Conductus makes high-Tc integrated circuit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that researchers at Conductus have successfully demonstrated what the company says is the world's first integrated circuit containing active devices made from high-temperature superconductors. The circuit is a SQUID magnetometer made from seven layers of material: three layers of yttrium-barium-copper oxide, two layers of insulating material, a seed layer to create grain boundaries for the Josephson junctions, and a layer of silver for making electrical contact to the device. The chip also contains vias, or pathways that make a superconducting contact between the superconducting layers otherwise separated by insulators. Conductus had previously announced the development of a SQUID magnetometer that featured a SQUID sensor and a flux transformer manufactured on separate chips. What makes this achievement important is that the company was able to put both components on the same chip, thus creating a simple integrated circuit on a single chip. This is still a long way from conventional semiconductor technology, with as many as a million components per chip, or even the sophisticated low-Tc superconducting chips made by the Japanese, but the SQUID magnetometer demonstrates all the elements and techniques necessary to build more complex high-temperature superconductor integrated circuits, making this an important first step

The refrigeration of high temperature superconductors between 25K and 65K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richardson, R.N.; Scurlock, R.G.; Tavner, A.C.R.

1996-01-01

The present state of the art indicates that acceptable j - H characteristics for power applications of the new high Tc superconductors will only be achieved using materials at temperatures below liquid nitrogen temperature. A boiling point of 27.1K and high specific cooling capacity make neon an eminently suitable choice of refrigerant at these temperatures. A cryostat has been constructed which employs a two stage Gifford-McMahon cooler to liquefy neon gas. The cryostat contains up to 5 litres of liquid neon which can be used for open-quote in-situ close-quote experiments or transfer to another cryostat. Another set of cryostats are being used with liquid nitrogen/oxygen mixtures at reduced pressure for temperatures down to 50K. All these cryostats provide a core facility for characterising and operating high T c superconductors at Southampton

Melt processed high-temperature superconductors

CERN Document Server

1993-01-01

The achievement of large critical currents is critical to the applications of high-temperature superconductors. Recent developments have shown that melt processing is suitable for producing high J c oxide superconductors. Using magnetic forces between such high J c oxide superconductors and magnets, a person could be levitated.This book has grown largely out of research works on melt processing of high-temperature superconductors conducted at ISTEC Superconductivity Research Laboratory. The chapters build on melt processing, microstructural characterization, fundamentals of flux pinning, criti

Advanced nuclear materials development -Development of superconductor application technology-

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Kye Won; Lee, Heui Kyoon; Lee, Hoh Jin; Kim, Chan Joong; Jang, Kun Ik; Kim, Kee Baek; Kwon, Sun Chil; Park, Hae Woong; Yoo, Jae Keun; Kim, Jong Jin; Jang, Joong Chul; Yang, Suk Woo

1995-07-01

Fabrication of high Tc bulk superconductor and its application, fabrication of superconducting wire for electric power device and analysis for cryogenic system were carried out for developing superconductor application technologies for electric power system. High quality YBaCuO bulk superconductor was fabricated by controlling initial powder preparation process and prototype fly wheel energy storage device was designed basically. The superconducting levitation force measuring device was made to examine the property of prepared superconductor specimen. Systematic studies on the method of starting powder preparation, mechanical fabrication process, heat treatment condition and analysis of plastic deformation were carried out to increase the stability and reproducibility of superconducting wire. A starting powder with good reactivity and fine particle size was obtained by emulsion drying method. Ag/BSCCO tape with good cross sectional shape and Tc of 16,000 A/cm 2 was fabricated by applying CIP packing procedure. Multifilamentary wire with the Jc of approx. 10000 A/cm 2 was fabricated by rolling method using square billet as starting shape. The joining of the multifilament wire was done by etching and pressing process and showed 50% of joining efficiency. Analysis on the heat loss in cryostat for high Tc superconducting device was carried out for optimum design of the future cryogenic system. 126 figs, 14 tabs, 214 refs. (Author)

Advanced nuclear materials development -Development of superconductor application technology-

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Kye Won; Lee, Heui Kyoon; Lee, Hoh Jin; Kim, Chan Joong; Jang, Kun Ik; Kim, Kee Baek; Kwon, Sun Chil; Park, Hae Woong; Yoo, Jae Keun; Kim, Jong Jin; Jang, Joong Chul; Yang, Suk Woo [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1995-07-01

Fabrication of high Tc bulk superconductor and its application, fabrication of superconducting wire for electric power device and analysis for cryogenic system were carried out for developing superconductor application technologies for electric power system. High quality YBaCuO bulk superconductor was fabricated by controlling initial powder preparation process and prototype fly wheel energy storage device was designed basically. The superconducting levitation force measuring device was made to examine the property of prepared superconductor specimen. Systematic studies on the method of starting powder preparation, mechanical fabrication process, heat treatment condition and analysis of plastic deformation were carried out to increase the stability and reproducibility of superconducting wire. A starting powder with good reactivity and fine particle size was obtained by emulsion drying method. Ag/BSCCO tape with good cross sectional shape and Tc of 16,000 A/cm{sup 2} was fabricated by applying CIP packing procedure. Multifilamentary wire with the Jc of approx. 10000 A/cm{sup 2} was fabricated by rolling method using square billet as starting shape. The joining of the multifilament wire was done by etching and pressing process and showed 50% of joining efficiency. Analysis on the heat loss in cryostat for high Tc superconducting device was carried out for optimum design of the future cryogenic system. 126 figs, 14 tabs, 214 refs. (Author).

Flux Trapping Properties of Bulk HIGH-TC Superconductors in Static Field-Cooling Magnetization

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Z.; Tsuzuki, K.; Miki, M.; Felder, B.; Hara, S.; Izumi, M.

2013-06-01

The trapping process and saturation effect of trapped magnetic flux of bulk high-temperature superconductors by static field-cooling magnetization (FCM) are reported in the paper. With a cryogenic Bell Hall sensor attached on the center of the bulk surface, the synchronous magnetic signals were recorded during the whole magnetization process. It enables us to know the flux trapping behavior since the removal of the excitation field, as well as the subsequent flux relaxation phenomenon and the flux dissipation in the quench process of the bulk sample. With the help of flux mapping techniques, the relationship between the trapped flux and the applied field was further investigated; the saturation effect of trapped flux was discussed by comparing the peak trapped field and total magnetic flux of the bulk sample. These studies are useful to understand the basic flux trapping properties of bulk superconductors.

Flux Pinning in Superconductors

CERN Document Server

Matsushita, Teruo

2007-01-01

The book covers the flux pinning mechanisms and properties and the electromagnetic phenomena caused by the flux pinning common for metallic, high-Tc and MgB2 superconductors. The condensation energy interaction known for normal precipitates or grain boundaries and the kinetic energy interaction proposed for artificial Nb pins in Nb-Ti, etc., are introduced for the pinning mechanism. Summation theories to derive the critical current density are discussed in detail. Irreversible magnetization and AC loss caused by the flux pinning are also discussed. The loss originally stems from the ohmic dissipation of normal electrons in the normal core driven by the electric field induced by the flux motion. The readers will learn why the resultant loss is of hysteresis type in spite of such mechanism. The influence of the flux pinning on the vortex phase diagram in high Tc superconductors is discussed, and the dependencies of the irreversibility field are also described on other quantities such as anisotropy of supercondu...

Comparative Review on Thin Film Growth of Iron-Based Superconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshinori Imai

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Since the discovery of the novel iron-based superconductors, both theoretical and experimental studies have been performed intensively. Because iron-based superconductors have a smaller anisotropy than high-Tc cuprates and a high superconducting transition temperature, there have been a lot of researchers working on the film fabrication of iron-based superconductors and their application. Accordingly, many novel features have been reported in the films of iron-based superconductors, for example, the fabrication of the epitaxial film with a higher Tc than bulk samples, the extraction of the metastable phase which cannot be obtained by the conventional solid state reaction, and so on. In this paper, we review the progress of research on thin film fabrications of iron-based superconductors, especially the four categories: LnFeAs(O,F (Ln = Lanthanide, AEFe2As2 (AE = Alkaline-earth metal, FeCh (Ch = Chalcogen, and FeSe monolayer. Furthermore, we focus on two important topics in thin films of iron-based superconductors; one is the substrate material for thin film growth on the iron-based superconductors, and the other is the whole phase diagram in FeSe1-xTex which can be obtained only by using film-fabrication technique.

Quantitative XPS analysis of high Tc superconductor surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jablonski, A.; Sanada, N.; Suzuki, Y.; Fukuda, Y.; Nagoshi, M.

1993-01-01

The procedure of quantitative XPS analysis involving the relative sensitivity factors is most convenient to apply to high T c superconductor surfaces because this procedure does not require standards. However, a considerable limitation of such an approach is its relatively low accuracy. In the present work, a proposition is made to use for this purpose a modification of the relative sensitivity factor approach accounting for the matrix and the instrumental effects. The accuracy of this modification when applied to the binary metal alloys is 2% or better. A quantitative XPS analysis was made for surfaces of the compounds Bi 2 Sr 2 CuO 6 , Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 , and YBa 2 Cu 3 O Y . The surface composition determined for the polycrystalline samples corresponds reasonably well to the bulk stoichiometry. Slight deficiency of oxygen was found for the Bi-based compounds. The surface exposed on cleavage of the Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 single crystal was found to be enriched with bismuth, which indicates that the cleavage occurs along the BiO planes. This result is in agreement with the STM studies published in the literature

SHMUTZ & PROTON-DIAMANT H + Irradiated/Written-Hyper/Super-conductivity(HC/SC) Precognizance/Early Experiments Connections: Wet-Graphite Room-Tc & Actualized MgB2 High-Tc: Connection to Mechanical Bulk-Moduli/Hardness: Diamond Hydrocarbon-Filaments, Disorder, Nano-Powders:C,Bi,TiB2,TiC

Science.gov (United States)

Wunderman, Irwin; Siegel, Edward Carl-Ludwig; Lewis, Thomas; Young, Frederic; Smith, Adolph; Dresschhoff-Zeller, Gieselle

2013-03-01

SHMUTZ: ``wet-graphite''Scheike-....[Adv.Mtls.(7/16/12)]hyper/super-SCHMUTZ-conductor(S!!!) = ``wet''(?)-``graphite''(?) = ``graphene''(?) = water(?) = hydrogen(?) =ultra-heavy proton-bands(???) = ...(???) claimed room/high-Tc/high-Jc superconductOR ``p''-``wave''/ BAND(!!!) superconductIVITY and actualized/ instantiated MgB2 high-Tc superconductors and their BCS- superconductivity: Tc Siegel[ICMAO(77);JMMM 7,190(78)] connection to SiegelJ.Nonxline-Sol.40,453(80)] disorder/amorphous-superconductivity in nano-powders mechanical bulk/shear(?)-moduli/hardness: proton-irradiated diamond, powders TiB2, TiC,{Siegel[Semis. & Insuls.5:39,47, 62 (79)])-...``VS''/concommitance with Siegel[Phys.Stat.Sol.(a)11,45(72)]-Dempsey [Phil.Mag. 8,86,285(63)]-Overhauser-(Little!!!)-Seitz-Smith-Zeller-Dreschoff-Antonoff-Young-...proton-``irradiated''/ implanted/ thermalized-in-(optimal: BOTH heat-capacity/heat-sink & insulator/maximal dielectric-constant) diamond: ``VS'' ``hambergite-borate-mineral transformable to Overhauser optimal-high-Tc-LiBD2 in Overhauser-(NW-periodic-table)-Land: CO2/CH4-ETERNAL-sequestration by-product: WATER!!!: physics lessons from

Magnetic Signals of High-Temperature Superconductor Bulk During the Levitation Force Measurement Process

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Huan; Zheng, Jun; Qian, Nan; Che, Tong; Zheng, Botian; Jin, Liwei; Deng, Zigang

2017-05-01

In order to study the commonly neglected magnetic field information in the course of levitation force measurement process in a superconducting maglev system, a multipoint magnetic field measurement platform was employed to acquire magnetic signals of a bulk high-Tc superconductor on both the top and the bottom surface. Working conditions including field cooling (FC) and zero field cooling were investigated for these vertical down and up motions above a permanent magnet guideway performed on a HTS maglev measurement system. We have discussed the magnetic flux variation process based on the Bean model. A magnetic hysteresis effect similar to the levitation force hysteresis loop of the bulk superconductor was displayed and analyzed in this paper. What is more valuable, there exists some available magnetic flux on the top surface of the bulk superconductor, and the proportion is as high as 62.42% in the FC condition, which provides an experimental hint to design the superconductor bulk and the applied field for practical use in a more efficient way. In particular, this work reveals real-time magnetic flux variation of the bulk superconductor in the levitation application, which is the other important information in contrast to the macroscopic levitation and guidance force investigations in previous studies, and it enriches the existing research methods. The results are significant for understanding the magnetic characteristic of superconductors, and they can contribute to optimize the present HTS maglev system design.

The increase in Tc for MgB2 superconductor under high pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Z-X; Jin, C-Q; You, J-Y; Li, S-C; Zhu, J-L; Yu, R-C; Li, F-Y; Su, S-K

2002-01-01

We report in situ high-pressure studies up to 1.0 GPa on MgB 2 superconductor which had been synthesized at high pressure. The as-prepared sample is of high quality as regards having a sharp superconducting transition (T c ) at 39 K. The in situ high-pressure measurements were carried out using a Be-Cu piston-cylinder-type instrument with a mixed oil as the pressure-transmitting medium, which provides a quasi-hydrostatic pressure environment at low temperature. The superconducting transitions were measured using the electrical conductance method. It is found that T c increases with pressure in the initial pressure range, leading to a parabolic-like T c -P evolution

Low temperature X-ray imaging of magnetic flux patterns in high temperature superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Stahl, Claudia; Ruoß, Stephen; Weigand, Markus; Bechtel, Michael; Schütz, Gisela; Albrecht, Joachim

2015-05-01

We present X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) microscopy results obtained at liquid nitrogen temperatures on the high-Tc superconductor YBCO (YBa2Cu3O7-δ). The magnetic flux distribution arising from electric currents in the superconductor is detected and visualized using soft-magnetic Co40Fe40B20 (CoFeB) as sensor layer and XMCD as contrast mechanism. It has been shown that the XMCD contrast in the sensor layer directly corresponds to magnetic flux distribution of the superconductor and hence can be used to image magnetic structures in superconductors [Stahl et al., Phys. Rev. B 90, 104515 (2014)]. The existing scanning UHV X-ray microscopy setup MAXYMUS at the synchrotron BESSY II in Berlin has been upgraded for that purpose: we use a nitrogen based MMR Micro Miniature Joule-Thompson Cryostat with temperature range from 75 K to 580 K. The capability of the method is demonstrated on two different superconducting samples, an optimally doped thin film and a melt-textured block.

Electronic Structure of the Bismuth Family of High Temperature Superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunn, Lisa

2002-03-07

High temperature superconductivity remains the central intellectual problem in condensed matter physics fifteen years after its discovery. Angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) directly probes the electronic structure, and has played an important role in the field of high temperature superconductors. With the recent advances in sample growth and the photoemission technique, we are able to study the electronic structure in great detail, and address regimes that were previously inaccessible. This thesis work contains systematic photoemission studies of the electronic structure of the Bi-family of high temperature superconductors, which include the single-layer system (Bi2201), the bi-layer system (Bi2212), and the tri-layer system (Bi2223). We show that, unlike conventional BCS superconductors, phase coherence information emerges in the single particle excitation spectrum of high temperature superconductors as the superconducting peak in Bi2212. The universality and various properties of this superconducting peak are studied in various systems. We argue that the origin of the superconducting peak may provide the key to understanding the mechanism of High-Tc superconductors. In addition, we identified a new experimental energy scale in the bilayer material, the anisotropic intra-bilayer coupling energy. For a long time, it was predicted that this energy scale would cause bilayer band splitting. We observe this phenomenon, for the first time, in heavily overdoped Bi2212. This new observation requires the revision of the previous picture of the electronic excitation in the Brillouin zone boundary. As the first ARPES study of a trilayer system, various detailed electronic proper- ties of Bi2223 are examined. We show that, comparing with Bi2212, both superconducting gap and relative superconducting peak intensity become larger in Bi2223, however, the strength of the interlayer coupling within each unit cell is possibly weaker. These results suggest that the

Fluxons in thin-film superconductor-insulator superlattices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sakai, S.; Bodin, P.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1993-01-01

In a system of thin alternating layers of superconductors and insulators the equations describing static and dynamic fluxon solutions are derived. The approach, represented by a useful compact matrix form, is intended to describe systems fabricated for example of niobium or niobium-nitride thin...... films; in the limit of ultrathin superconductor films it may give a model for describing fluxon motion in layered high-Tc superconductors. Numerical examples of current versus voltage curves to be expected in such an experiment are presented. Journal of Applied Physics is copyrighted by The American...

Spectroscopic Imaging Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Studies of Electronic Structure in the Superconducting and Pseudogap Phases of Cuprate High-Tc Superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Fujita, Kazuhiro; Schmidt, Andrew R.; Kim, Eun-Ah; Lawler, Michael J.; Lee, Dung Hai; Davis, J. C.; Eisaki, Hiroshi; Uchida, Shin-ichi

2012-01-01

One of the key motivations for the development of atomically resolved spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneling microscopy (SI-STM) has been to probe the electronic structure of cuprate high temperature superconductors. In both the d-wave superconducting (dSC) and the pseudogap (PG) phases of underdoped cuprates, two distinct classes of electronic states are observed using SI-STM. The first class consists of the dispersive Bogoliubov quasiparticles of a homogeneous d-wave superconductor. These are detected below a lower energy scale |E|=Δ0 and only upon a momentum space (k-space) arc which terminates near the lines connecting k=±(π/a0,0) to k=±(0,π/a0). Below optimal doping, this ``nodal'' arc shrinks continuously with decreasing hole density. In both the dSC and PG phases, the only broken symmetries detected in the |E|≤Δ0 states are those of a d-wave superconductor. The second class of states occurs at energies near the pseudogap energy scale |E|˜ Δ1 which is associated conventionally with the ``antinodal'' states near k=±(π/a0,0) and k=±(0,π/a0). We find that these states break the expected 90°-rotational (C4) symmetry of electronic structure within CuO2 unit cells, at least down to 180°-rotational (C2) symmetry (nematic) but in a spatially disordered fashion. This intra-unit-cell C4 symmetry breaking coexists at |E|˜Δ1 with incommensurate conductance modulations locally breaking both rotational and translational symmetries (smectic). The characteristic wavevector Q of the latter is determined, empirically, by the k-space points where Bogoliubov quasiparticle interference terminates, and therefore evolves continuously with doping. The properties of these two classes of |E|˜Δ1 states are indistinguishable in the dSC and PG phases. To explain this segregation of k-space into the two regimes distinguished by the symmetries of their electronic states and their energy scales |E|˜Δ1 and |E|≤Δ0, and to understand how this impacts the electronic

Towards novel organic high-Tc superconductors: Data mining using density of states similarity search

Science.gov (United States)

Geilhufe, R. Matthias; Borysov, Stanislav S.; Kalpakchi, Dmytro; Balatsky, Alexander V.

2018-02-01

Identifying novel functional materials with desired key properties is an important part of bridging the gap between fundamental research and technological advancement. In this context, high-throughput calculations combined with data-mining techniques highly accelerated this process in different areas of research during the past years. The strength of a data-driven approach for materials prediction lies in narrowing down the search space of thousands of materials to a subset of prospective candidates. Recently, the open-access organic materials database OMDB was released providing electronic structure data for thousands of previously synthesized three-dimensional organic crystals. Based on the OMDB, we report about the implementation of a novel density of states similarity search tool which is capable of retrieving materials with similar density of states to a reference material. The tool is based on the approximate nearest neighbor algorithm as implemented in the ANNOY library and can be applied via the OMDB web interface. The approach presented here is wide ranging and can be applied to various problems where the density of states is responsible for certain key properties of a material. As the first application, we report about materials exhibiting electronic structure similarities to the aromatic hydrocarbon p-terphenyl which was recently discussed as a potential organic high-temperature superconductor exhibiting a transition temperature in the order of 120 K under strong potassium doping. Although the mechanism driving the remarkable transition temperature remains under debate, we argue that the density of states, reflecting the electronic structure of a material, might serve as a crucial ingredient for the observed high Tc. To provide candidates which might exhibit comparable properties, we present 15 purely organic materials with similar features to p-terphenyl within the electronic structure, which also tend to have structural similarities with p

Direct imaging of fractional oxygen Oδ in Hg-based high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papoular, R.J.; Collin, G.; Colson, D.; Viallet, V.

2002-01-01

Maximum Entropy is applied to the crystallographic imaging of x-ray diffraction data in order to reveal reliable model-free weak electron density features (if any) in newly discovered high-T c superconductors. The use of suitably computed non-uniform priors turns out to be essential. The suggested maxentropic procedure shows that about .2 oxygen atoms [1.6 electrons] can unambiguously be evidenced near the much heavier mercury atoms [harboring 80 electrons each], and this from standard laboratory [non-synchrotron] x-ray data

Studies of the interaction between a magnet and a High Tc Superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Z.

1991-01-01

This dissertation consists of two parts. The last part is eight research papers which involve topics related to High T c superconductor (HTSC) studies. The main topic describes the interaction between a permanent magnet and a HTSC studied by a mechanical pendulum. The first part of the dissertation has two purposes. One is to give a brief introduction and background to the research papers, and the other is to outline the scientific findings from the HTSC studies. 94 refs., 2 figs

Isomers of (Ca0.1La0.9)(Ba1.65La0.35)Cu3Oy Superconductor Having Different Tc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knizhnik, A.; Reisner, G.M.; Men, A.; Eckstein, Y.

1998-01-01

(Ca 0.1 La 0.9 )(Ba 1.65 La 0.35 )Cu 3 O y is a YBCO like superconductor but tetragonal for any y, i.e. without ordered chains. Its T c vs y plot has no intermediate plateau and is a nearly straight line in the under doped region. Different oxygen contents were obtained by oxygenation at various temperatures under 1 atm O 2 followed by quench in liquid nitrogen. This type of oxygenation leads to samples where the oxygen content corresponds to the thermodynamic equilibrium with the gas phase because the form of attaining the oxygenation temperature (Tom higher or lower temperature) and time (over 10h) of oxygenation do not change y and Tc. Changing of the firing temperature (we used the usual carbonate-oxide preparation which included 3 firings in powder, pelletization, sintering and oxygenation) changes Tc at the same y. The increase of the firing temperature by 40 deg C increases T c by 7-10K while y remains unchanged. Increases of the temperature of sintering virtually do not change T c which shows that low and high Tc compounds are formed during the first stages of preparation and that there is no thermodynamic equilibrium between them. The low Tc compounds cannot be transformed into high Tc ones by raising the temperature

Quantum vortex motion in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, A.; Zhang, X.X.; Tejada, J.

1996-01-01

Magnetic relaxation experiments at low temperatures were performed in different zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) high-T c superconductors (HTSCs): TlBaCaCuO (2212 and 2223 phases, polycrystalline and thin-film samples), (Hg,Tl)BaCaCuO (1223 phase, polycrystalline material), and (Bi,Pb)SrCaCuO (2212 phase, single crystal). For each system and in the whole temperature range investigated, the relaxation curves obtained after both cooling processes are linear with the logarithm of time. The temperature dependence of the relaxation rate normalized to the first magnetization value, R=parallel d(M/M 0 )/dln(t)parallel, follows a trend which is common to all systems: R decreases linearly with decreasing temperature down to a value, which is called the crossover temperature, below which it levels off to a T-independent plateau. This behavior gives evidence of a transition in the mechanism responsible for the relaxation process at low temperatures, from thermally activated (linear dependence on T) to quantum vortex motion (T-independent regime). The experimental values for the crossover temperatures and normalized relaxation rates compare fairly well to numerical estimates in the framework of the theories of quantum vortex motion in layered HTSCs. Finally, the transition from one regime into another was studied in two samples of the TlBaCaCuO, 2223 phase, system in order to investigate the influence of dissipation on the quantum process. A clear conclusion on this point could not be drawn from these kinds of measurements. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Critical currents and superconductivity ferromagnetism coexistence in high-Tc oxides

CERN Document Server

Khene, Samir

2016-01-01

The book comprises six chapters which deal with the critical currents and the ferromagnetism-superconductivity coexistence in high-Tc oxides. It begins by gathering key data for superconducting state and the fundamental properties of the conventional superconductors, followed by a recap of the basic theories of superconductivity. It then discusses the differences introduced by the structural anisotropy on the Ginzburg-Landau approach and the Lawrence-Doniach model before addressing the dynamics of vortices and the ferromagnetism-superconductivity coexistence in high-Tc oxides, and provides an outline of the pinning phenomena of vortices in these materials, in particular the pinning of vortices by the spins. It elucidates the methods to improve the properties of superconducting materials for industrial applications. This optimization aims at obtaining critical temperatures and densities of critical currents at the maximum level possible. Whereas the primary objective is the basic mechanisms pushing the superco...

Phonon anomalies in trilayer high-Tc cuprate superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubroka, Adam; Munzar, Dominik

2004-01-01

We present an extension of the model proposed recently to account for dramatic chAes below T c (anomalies) of some c-axis polarized infrared-active phonons in bilayer cuprate superconductors, that applies to trilayer high-T c compounds. We discuss several types of phonon anomalies that can occur in these systems and demonstrate that our model is capable of explaining the spectral chAes occurring upon entering the superconducting state in the trilayer compound Tl 2 Ba 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10 . The low-temperature spectra of this compound obtained by Zetterer and coworkers display an additional broad absorption band, similar to the one observed in underdoped YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ and Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 . In addition, three phonon modes are strongly anomalous. We attribute the absorption band to the transverse Josephson plasma resonance, similar to that of the bilayer compounds. The phonon anomalies are shown to result from a modification of the local fields induced by the formation of the resonance. The spectral chAes in Tl 2 Ba 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10 are compared with those occurring in Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10 , reported recently by Boris and coworkers

Isotope and multiband effects in layered superconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Bussmann-Holder, Annette; Keller, Hugo

2012-06-13

In this review we consider three classes of superconductors, namely cuprate superconductors, MgB(2) and the new Fe based superconductors. All of these three systems are layered materials and multiband compounds. Their pairing mechanisms are under discussion with the exception of MgB(2), which is widely accepted to be a 'conventional' electron-phonon interaction mediated superconductor, but extending the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory to account for multiband effects. Cuprates and Fe based superconductors have higher superconducting transition temperatures and more complex structures. Superconductivity is doping dependent in these material classes unlike in MgB(2) which, as a pure compound, has the highest values of T(c) and a rapid suppression of superconductivity with doping takes place. In all three material classes isotope effects have been observed, including exotic ones in the cuprates, and controversial ones in the Fe based materials. Before the area of high-temperature superconductivity, isotope effects on T(c) were the signature for phonon mediated superconductivity-even when deviations from the BCS value to smaller values were observed. Since the discovery of high T(c) materials this is no longer evident since competing mechanisms might exist and other mediating pairing interactions are discussed which are of purely electronic origin. In this work we will compare the three different material classes and especially discuss the experimentally observed isotope effects of all three systems and present a rather general analysis of them. Furthermore, we will concentrate on multiband signatures which are not generally accepted in cuprates even though they are manifest in various experiments, the evidence for those in MgB(2), and indications for them in the Fe based compounds. Mostly we will consider experimental data, but when possible also discuss theoretical models which are suited to explain the data.

Basic technology of high-Tc superconductors. Project: Preparation, microstructure, contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arlt, G.; Bonnenberg, D.; Kliem, H.

1991-01-01

By conventional mixed oxide sintering technique some hundred samples of polycrystalline BYaCuO were prepared. Their physical properties were measured here and in some other research organizations. We investigated mainly: The origin of domain configuration, the contact resistances metal-superconductor, the critical current. All problems were solved satisfactorily. (orig.) With 30 refs [de

Atomic site tunneling spectroscopy on high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, T.; Nantoh, M.; Takagi, A.; Yamaguchi, W.; Ogino, M.; Kawasaki, M.

1994-01-01

Superconducting gap structures of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O y (BSCCO) and YBa 2 Cu 3 O y (YBCO) have been probed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at cryogenic temperatures. The tunneling conductance curves observed on bulk single crystals of BSCCO and epitaxial thin films of YBCO revealed clear obershooting peaks and flat bottom regions around V=0 with quite low zero-bias conductances of ∝1%. Since the electron tunneling process in STM is essentially incoherent, the present observation is favored by the s-wave pairing mechanism. However, the conductance curves were found to be substantially smeared in comparison with the conventional spectra predicted in the BCS (isotropic s-wave) superconductors, suggesting gap anisotropy. (orig.)

Junction structures based on the high-Tc superconductor YBa2Cu3O7-δ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gijs, M.A.M.

1993-01-01

An overview is given of the investigations of the Josephson effect in junction structures based on the high-T c superconductor YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ , which were carried out at the Philips Research Laboratories in Eindhoven in the 1988-1990 period. The reported results are presented in their international scientific context, without attempting a complete review of the subject. However, the various junction types studied give a good idea of the scientific pursuits of high-T c junction researchers in this period. The following junctions are considered: in the category of 'weak link'-type junctions we have investigated YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ -Ag-Nb point contact junctions, YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ Dayem bridges and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ -Ag(-Al)-Pb proximity junctions. In these structures we combine a high-T c with a low-T c superconductor. We also fabricated planar 'all high-T c ' YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ -Ag-YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ junctions using a submicron structuring process. Next we have made tunnel junctions to study density of states effects of the high-T c superconductor : YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ -Pb junctions using the degraded YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ -Pb interface as a tunnel barrier, and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ -Ag-Al/Al 2 O 3 /Pb tunnel junctions based on the superconducting proximity effect. Our junction structures are electrically characterized and mostly studied in microwave and magnetic fields. Results are compared with current theoretical models. (orig.)

Magnetic properties of Bi- and Tl- based new high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Togano, K.; Kumakura, H.; Dietderich, D.H.

1988-01-01

Upper critical field H c2 and Magnetization curve were measured for new high-T c oxide superconductors of Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O and Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O systems. H c2 values at 77K for the high-T phase of Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O, low-T c (T c (ρ = 0) = 105K) phase of Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O, and high-T c (T c (ρ = 0)=115K) phase of Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O are 41T, 50T, and 100T, respectively. The magnetization curve of the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O shows a relatively small hysterisis, suggesting a weak pinning force compared to Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O as well as Ba 2 YCU 3 O x . Critical current density J c of 600A/Cm 2 at 77K and zero-magnetiac field was attained for the high-T c sample of Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O

Phonon characteristics of high Tc superconductors from neutron Doppler broadening measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trela, W.J.; Kwei, G.H.; Lynn, J.E.; Meggers, K.

1994-01-01

Statistical information on the phonon frequency spectrum of materials can be measured by neutron transmission techniques if they contain nuclei with low energy resonances, narrow enough to be Doppler-broadened, in their neutron cross sections. The authors have carried out some measurements using this technique for materials of the lanthanum barium cuprate class, La 2-x Ba x CuO 4 . Two samples with slightly different concentrations of oxygen, one being superconductive, the other not, were examined. Pure lanthanum cuprate was also measured. Lanthanum, barium and copper all have relatively low energy narrow resonances. Thus it should be possible to detect differences in the phonons carried by different kinds of atom in the lattice. Neutron cross section measurements have been made with high energy resolution and statistical precision on the 59m flight path of LANSCE, the pulsed spallation neutron source at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Measurements on all three materials were made over a range of temperatures from 15K to 300K, with small steps through the critical temperature region near 27K. No significant changes in the mean phonon energy of the lanthanum atoms were observed near the critical temperature of the super-conducting material. It appears however that the mean phonon energy of lanthanum in the superconductor is considerably higher than that in the non-superconductors. The samples used in this series of experiments were too thin in barium and copper to determine anything significant about their phonon spectra

Phonon characteristics of high {Tc} superconductors from neutron Doppler broadening measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trela, W.J.; Kwei, G.H.; Lynn, J.E. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Meggers, K. [Univ. of Kiel (Germany)

1994-12-01

Statistical information on the phonon frequency spectrum of materials can be measured by neutron transmission techniques if they contain nuclei with low energy resonances, narrow enough to be Doppler-broadened, in their neutron cross sections. The authors have carried out some measurements using this technique for materials of the lanthanum barium cuprate class, La{sub 2{minus}x}Ba{sub x}CuO{sub 4}. Two samples with slightly different concentrations of oxygen, one being superconductive, the other not, were examined. Pure lanthanum cuprate was also measured. Lanthanum, barium and copper all have relatively low energy narrow resonances. Thus it should be possible to detect differences in the phonons carried by different kinds of atom in the lattice. Neutron cross section measurements have been made with high energy resolution and statistical precision on the 59m flight path of LANSCE, the pulsed spallation neutron source at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Measurements on all three materials were made over a range of temperatures from 15K to 300K, with small steps through the critical temperature region near 27K. No significant changes in the mean phonon energy of the lanthanum atoms were observed near the critical temperature of the super-conducting material. It appears however that the mean phonon energy of lanthanum in the superconductor is considerably higher than that in the non-superconductors. The samples used in this series of experiments were too thin in barium and copper to determine anything significant about their phonon spectra.

Nodal quasi-particles of the high-Tc superconductors as carriers of heat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Behnia

2006-09-01

Full Text Available   In the quest for understanding correlated electrons, high-temperature superconductivity remains a formidable challenge and a source of insight. This paper briefly recalls the central achievement by the study of heat transport at low temperatures. At very low temperatures, nodal quasi-particles of the d-wave superconducting gap become the main carriers of heat. Their thermal conductivity is unaffected by disorder and reflects the fine structure of the superconducting gap. This finding had led to new openings in the exploration of other unconventional superconductors

Investigation of thin films, heterostructures and devices of ceramic superconductors by means of high-resolution electron microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia Chunlin.

1993-08-01

In this thesis a systematic study of the microstructure of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 thin films is presented by means of high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). Most of the efforts are focused on the characterization of heterostructures of superconducting YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 and non-superconducting PrBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 and on YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 films deposited on step-edge substrates. These specially designed structures exhibit a great potential for the electronic application of high-Tc superconductors and for the investigation of the basic electric properties of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 superconductor. (orig.) [de

High-density Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor prepared by rapid thermal melt processing

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, B. M.; Lalevic, B.; Kear, B. H.; McCandlish, L. E.; Safari, A.; Meskoob, M.

1989-10-01

A high quality, dense Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor has been successfully synthesized by rapid thermal melt processing. Conventionally sintered pellets were melted at 1200 °C, cooled rapidly, and then annealed. As-melted samples exhibited semiconductor behavior, which upon annealing became superconducting at 115 K [Tc(zero)=105 K]. A detailed study of various processing techniques has been carried out.

Recent Advances in Layered Metal Chalcogenides as Superconductors and Thermoelectric Materials: Fe-Based and Bi-Based Chalcogenides.

Science.gov (United States)

Mizuguchi, Yoshikazu

2016-04-01

Recent advances in layered (Fe-based and Bi-based) chalcogenides as superconductors or functional materials are reviewed. The Fe-chalcogenide (FeCh) family are the simplest Fe-based high-Tc superconductors. The superconductivity in the FeCh family is sensitive to external or chemical pressure, and high Tc is attained when the local structure (anion height) is optimized. The Bi-chalcogenide (BiCh2) family are a new group of layered superconductors with a wide variety of stacking structures. Their physical properties are also sensitive to external or chemical pressure. Recently, we revealed that the emergence of superconductivity and the Tc in this family correlate with the in-plane chemical pressure. Since the flexibility of crystal structure and electronic states are an advantage of the BiCh2 family for designing functionalities, I briefly review recent developments in this family as not only superconductors but also other functional materials. © 2016 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

HREM study of Bi-oxide based high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hewat, E.A.

1988-01-01

A HREM study of the superstructure and structural defects in Bi 2-x Pb x Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 and Bi 2-x Pb x (SrCa) 2 CuO 6 (for x=0 and x=0.4) is presented. The superstructures are shown to involve waves of distortion along the b-axis. These waves are locked on to the lattice positions so that they have a local wave length of 4,5,6,7 or 8 times the basic unit cell. The superstructures are composed of roughly periodic combinations of these basic building blocks (waves). The lead doped superconductors show a less pronounced but more complicated superstructure along b where two distinct periodicities close to 4 and 7 times the basic unit cell predominate. In each of the compounds studied the superstructure, in the better ordered crystals, is shown to be commensurate with a unit cell between 5 and 23 times the basic unit cell. The superstructure in Bi 2-x Pb x Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 is orthorhombic where as the superstructure in Bi 2-x Pb x (SrCa) 2 CuO 6 is monoclinic. All these superconductors have a low ''twin'' density (ie density of 90 0 twist boundaries). They exhibit many dislocations and dislocation arrays associated with the weak bonding between BiO planes. They also form non-stoechiometric stacking faults with local changes in the c-axis spacing between layers

Isoelectronic substitutions and aluminium alloying in the Ta-Nb-Hf-Zr-Ti high-entropy alloy superconductor

Science.gov (United States)

von Rohr, Fabian O.; Cava, Robert J.

2018-03-01

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are a new class of materials constructed from multiple principal elements statistically arranged on simple crystallographic lattices. Due to the large amount of disorder present, they are excellent model systems for investigating the properties of materials intermediate between crystalline and amorphous states. Here we report the effects of systematic isoelectronic replacements, using Mo-Y, Mo-Sc, and Cr-Sc mixtures, for the valence electron count 4 and 5 elements in the body-centered cubic (BCC) Ta-Nb-Zr-Hf-Ti high-entropy alloy (HEA) superconductor. We find that the superconducting transition temperature Tc strongly depends on the elemental makeup of the alloy, and not exclusively its electron count. The replacement of niobium or tantalum by an isoelectronic mixture lowers the transition temperature by more than 60%, while the isoelectronic replacement of hafnium, zirconium, or titanium has a limited impact on Tc. We further explore the alloying of aluminium into the nearly optimal electron count [TaNb] 0.67(ZrHfTi) 0.33 HEA superconductor. The electron count dependence of the superconducting Tc for (HEA)Al x is found to be more crystallinelike than for the [TaNb] 1 -x(ZrHfTi) x HEA solid solution. For an aluminum content of x =0.4 the high-entropy stabilization of the simple BCC lattice breaks down. This material crystallizes in the tetragonal β -uranium structure type and superconductivity is not observed above 1.8 K.

Electronic bound states in parity-preserving QED3 applied to high-Tc cuprate superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christiansen, H.R.; Cima, O.M. Del; Ferreira Junior, M.M.; Maranhao Univ., Sao Luis, MA; Helayel-Neto, J.A.; Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas

2001-08-01

We consider a parity-preserving QED 3 model with spontaneous breaking of the gauge symmetry as a framework for the evaluation of the electron-electron interaction potential underlying high-T e superconductivity. The fact that resulting potential, - C s K o (Mr), is non-confining and weak (in the sense of Kato) strongly suggests the mechanism of pair-condensation. This potential, compatible with an s-wave order parameters, is then applied to the Schrodinger equation for the sake of numerical calculations, thereby enforcing the existence of bound states. The results worked out by means of our theoretical framework are checked by considering a number of phenomenological data extracted from different copper oxide superconductors. The agreement may motivate a deeper analysis of our model viewing an application to quasi-planar cuprate superconductors. The data analyzed here suggest an energy scale of 1-10 meV for the breaking of the U(1)-symmetry. (author)

Predicted midgap states in unconventional superconductors and their numerous implications for high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, C.R.

1998-01-01

A fundamental topological consequence of the unconventional (i.e., non-s-wave) pairing symmetry of high-T c superconductors (HTSC's) is the existence of midgap (quasi-particle) states (MS's) bound to surface,m interfaces and other locations. This prediction by the author has most-likely solved a decade-old puzzle, viz., the ubiquitous observation of a zero-bias conductance peak (ZBCP) in tunneling experiments performed on HTSC's. There are also numerous other novel consequences of these MS's, predicted by various researchers, including a new Josephson critical current term; an (already observed) low-temperature splitting of the ZBCP due possibly to a spontaneous breaking of the time-reversal symmetry at a sample surface; a new explanation of the paramagnetic Meissner effect; and a giant magnetic moment, etc. Here the author will review the physical origin of the MS's, the several extensions of the original idea and the many novel consequences of these MS's, some of which have been investigated quantitatively and some others only deduced in qualitative terms so far

On characteristic voltage of the high Tc superconductor. [Y-Ba-Cu-O

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vasiliev, B V; Uchaikin, S V [Joint Inst. for Nuclear Research, Low Temperature Physics Dept., Dubna (USSR)

1991-12-01

The critical currents and normal resistances of the small bridges from yttrium-based high-Tc superconducting ceramics have been measured. The characteristic voltage of these bridges was found to be approximately 20{mu}V. This effect can be explained if between the ceramic grains there are contacts of an order of one crystalline cell in size. (orig.).

High temperature superconductor current leads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeimetz, B.; Liu, H.K.; Dou, S.X.

1996-01-01

Full text: The use of superconductors in high electrical current applications (magnets, transformers, generators etc.) usually requires cooling with liquid Helium, which is very expensive. The superconductor itself produces no heat, and the design of Helium dewars is very advanced. Therefore most of the heat loss, i.e. Helium consumption, comes from the current lead which connects the superconductor with its power source at room temperature. The current lead usually consists of a pair of thick copper wires. The discovery of the High Temperature Superconductors makes it possible to replace a part of the copper with superconducting material. This drastically reduces the heat losses because a) the superconductor generates no resistive heat and b) it is a very poor thermal conductor compared with the copper. In this work silver-sheathed superconducting tapes are used as current lead components. The work comprises both the production of the tapes and the overall design of the leads, in order to a) maximize the current capacity ('critical current') of the superconductor, b) minimize the thermal conductivity of the silver clad, and c) optimize the cooling conditions

The effect of processing parameters during heat treatment of bulk high-T(sub c) superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Y. S.; Dorris, S. E.; Hull, J. R.; Poeppel, R. B.

1991-04-01

Plastic extrusion is a promising method for producing the long lengths of high-Tc superconductor that will be necessary to meet many potential applications. A crucial phase of the extrusion method is removal of organic constituents. Incomplete removal can leave residual carbon at grain boundaries, which can adversely affect the superconducting properties, whereas excessively rapid removal of the organics can cause the extruded superconductor to disintegrate completely. In this paper, we analyze the effects of the following aspects of organics removal, as they apply to the firing of extruded YBa2Cu3O(x) coils: (1) total pressure in the furnace, (2) oxygen flow, (3) heat conduction, and (4) diffusion of volatile components during removal of organics.

Glassy spin freezing and NMR wipeout effect in the high-Tc superconductor La1.90Sr0.10CuO4: Critical discussion of the role of stripes

Science.gov (United States)

Julien, M.-H.; Campana, A.; Rigamonti, A.; Carretta, P.; Borsa, F.; Kuhns, P.; Reyes, A. P.; Moulton, W. G.; Horvatić, M.; Berthier, C.; Vietkin, A.; Revcolevschi, A.

2001-04-01

We report on 139La and 63Cu NMR/NQR measurements in the high-Tc superconductor La1.90Sr0.10CuO4, with Tc=26.5 K. Spin fluctuations probed by 139La spin-lattice relaxation (T1) continuously slow down on cooling through Tc. We argue that spin freezing and superconductivity are bulk effects in this sample. Thus both phenomena have to coexist microscopically. The distribution of 139La T1 values at low temperature reveals a wide spread of spin fluctuation frequencies in CuO2 planes. A simple estimate shows that 63Cu nuclei at sites where electronic fluctuations are the slowest are not observable (wipeout effect) because relaxation times are too short. This means that the 63Cu NQR wipeout, observed in this sample, can be explained primarily by slow magnetic, rather than charge, fluctuations. The magnetic origin of the wipeout is still compatible with a connection between wipeout and charge order [as proposed by Hunt et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 4300 (1999)], but this connection is indirect. On the other hand, since the wipeout fraction is not an intensive quantity it cannot define a proper order parameter and cannot be used by itself as a criterion for the existence of a stripe phase.

Review of progress in pulsed laser deposition and using Nd:YAG laser in processing of high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, C.W.; Mukherjee, K.

1993-01-01

The current progress in pulsed laser ablation of high-temperature superconductors is reviewed with emphasis on the effect of pulse-width and wavelength, nature of the plasma plume, post-annealing and methods to improve quality of films grown at low temperature. An ion beam assisted millisecond pulsed laser vapor deposition process has been developed to fabricate YBa 2 Cu 3 O x high T. superconductor thin films. Solution to target overheating problem, effects of oxygen ion beam, properties of deposited films, and effect of silver buffer layer on YSZ substrate are presented. A new laser calcining process has been used to produce near single phase high T c superconductors of Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-0 system. The total processing time was reduced to about 100 hours which is about half of that for conventional sintering. For this compound both resistance and magnetic susceptibility data showed an onset of superconducting transition at about 110K. A sharp susceptibility drop was observed above 106K. The zero resistance temperature was about 98K. High T c phase was formed via a different kinetic path in laser calcined sample compare with the conventionally processed sample

EDITORIAL: Focus on Iron-Based Superconductors FOCUS ON IRON-BASED SUPERCONDUCTORS

Science.gov (United States)

Hosono, Hideo; Ren, Zhi-An

2009-02-01

Superconductivity is the most dramatic and clear cut phenomenon in condensed matter physics. Realization of room temperature superconductors, which would lead to the revolution of our society, is an ultimate goal for researchers. The discovery of high Tc cuprate superconductors in 1986 by Bednorz and Müller triggered intensive research worldwide and the maximum critical temperature has been raised above 100 K. Scientific research on this break-through material clarified a new route to high Tc materials, carrier doping to a Mott insulator with anti-ferromagnetic ordering. High superconductivity occurs in the neighborhood of Mott-insulators and Fermi-metals. Such a view, which was completely new, now stands as a guiding principle for exploring new high Tc materials. Many theoretical approaches to the mechanism for cuprate superconductors have been carried out to understand this unexpected material and to predict new high Tc materials. In 2006 a new superconductor based on iron, LaFeOP, was discovered by a group at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. Iron, as a ferromagnet, was believed to be the last element for the realization of superconductivity because of the way ferromagnetism competes against Cooper pair formation. Unexpectedly, however, the critical temperature remained at 4-6 K irrespective of hole/electron-doping. A large increase in the Tc to 26 K was then found in LaFe[O1-xFx]As by the same group (and was published on 23 February 2008, in the Journal of the American Chemical Society). The Tc of this material was further raised to 43 K under a pressure of 2 GPa and scientists in China then achieved a Tc of 56 K at ambient pressure by replacing La with other rare earth ions with smaller radius—a critical temperature that is second only to the high Tc cuprates. This fast progress has revitalized research within superconductivity and in 2008 there were more than seven international symposia specifically on Fe(Ni)-based superconductors. Through the rapid

On the applicability of the layered sine-Gordon model for Josephson-coupled high-Tc layered superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nandori, I; Jentschura, U D; Nagy, S; Sailer, K; Vad, K; Meszaros, S

2007-01-01

We find a mapping of the layered sine-Gordon model to an equivalent gas of topological excitations and determine the long-range interaction potentials of the topological defects. This enables us to make a detailed comparison to the so-called layered vortex gas, which can be obtained from the layered Ginzburg-Landau model. The layered sine-Gordon model has been proposed in the literature as a candidate field-theoretical model for Josephson-coupled high-T c superconductors, and the implications of our analysis for the applicability of the layered sine-Gordon model to high-T c superconductors are discussed. We are led to the conjecture that the layered sine-Gordon and the layered vortex gas models belong to different universality classes. The determination of the critical temperature of the layered sine-Gordon model is based on a renormalization-group analysis

Studies of High-T$_{c}$ Superconductors Doped with Radioactive Isotopes

CERN Multimedia

Alves, E J; Goncalves marques, J; Cardoso, S; Lourenco, A A; Sousa, J B

2002-01-01

%title\\\\ \\\\We propose to study High T$_{c} $ Superconductors~(HTSc) doped with radioactive elements at ISOLDE, in order to investigate some of the problems that persist after use of conventional characterization techniques. Three main topics are proposed: \\begin{enumerate} \\item Characterization of the order/disorder of Hg in the Hg-planes of the HTSc family Hg$_{1}$Ba$_{2}$R$_{(n-1)}$Cu$_{n}$O$_{(2n+2+\\delta)}$ (T$_{c}$ > 130 K) due to defects or impurities such as C and Au. \\item Studies of the doping of Infinite Layers Cuprates (RCuO$_{2}$)$_{n}$, R=Ca, Sr or Ba, using unstable nuclei of the alkaline-earth (IIA) group which decay to the alkaline nuclei (IA) group. The purpose is to introduce charge carriers in these materials by changing the valence of the cations during the nuclear transmutation. The possibility of using ion implantation to introduce directly an alkaline dopant will also be studied. \\item Studies of the Hg/Au doping of high quality YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{6+x}$ thin films. We intend to chara...

Feasibility of introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk high-Tc superconductors to enhance the performance of present maglev systems

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Zigang; Wang, Jiasu; Zheng, Jun; Zhang, Ya; Wang, Suyu

2013-02-01

Performance improvement is a long-term research task for the promotion of practical application of promising high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnetic levitation (maglev) vehicle technologies. We studied the feasibility to enhance the performance of present HTS Maglev systems by introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk superconductors. The principle here is to make use of the high magnetic permeability of ferromagnetic materials to alter the flux distribution of the permanent magnet guideway for the enhancement of magnetic field density at the position of the bulk superconductors. Ferromagnetic iron plates were added to the upper surface of bulk superconductors and their geometric and positioning effects on the maglev performance were investigated experimentally. Results show that the guidance performance (stability) was enhanced greatly for a particular setup when compared to the present maglev system which is helpful in the application where large guidance forces are needed such as maglev tracks with high degrees of curves.

Surface flux density distribution characteristics of bulk high-Tc superconductor in external magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torii, S.; Yuasa, K.

2004-01-01

Various magnetic levitation systems using oxide superconductors are developed as strong pinning forces are obtained in melt-processed bulk. However, the trapped flux of superconductor is moved by flux creep and fluctuating magnetic field. Therefore, to examine the internal condition of superconductor, the authors measure the dynamic surface flux density distribution of YBCO bulk. Flux density measurement system has a structure with the air-core coil and the Hall sensors. Ten Hall sensors are arranged in series. The YBCO bulk, which has 25 mm diameter and 13 mm thickness, is field cooled by liquid nitrogen. After that, magnetic field is changed by the air-core coil. This paper describes about the measured results of flux density distribution of YBCO bulk in the various frequencies of air-core coils currents

Surface flux density distribution characteristics of bulk high- Tc superconductor in external magnetic field

Science.gov (United States)

Torii, S.; Yuasa, K.

2004-10-01

Various magnetic levitation systems using oxide superconductors are developed as strong pinning forces are obtained in melt-processed bulk. However, the trapped flux of superconductor is moved by flux creep and fluctuating magnetic field. Therefore, to examine the internal condition of superconductor, the authors measure the dynamic surface flux density distribution of YBCO bulk. Flux density measurement system has a structure with the air-core coil and the Hall sensors. Ten Hall sensors are arranged in series. The YBCO bulk, which has 25 mm diameter and 13 mm thickness, is field cooled by liquid nitrogen. After that, magnetic field is changed by the air-core coil. This paper describes about the measured results of flux density distribution of YBCO bulk in the various frequencies of air-core coils currents.

Strong correlations and the search for high-Tc superconductivity in chromium pnictides and chalcogenides

Science.gov (United States)

Pizarro, J. M.; Calderón, M. J.; Liu, J.; Muñoz, M. C.; Bascones, E.

2017-02-01

Undoped iron superconductors accommodate n =6 electrons in five d orbitals. Experimental and theoretical evidence shows that the strength of correlations increases with hole doping, as the electronic filling approaches half filling with n =5 electrons. This evidence delineates a scenario in which the parent compound of iron superconductors is the half-filled system, in analogy to cuprate superconductors. In cuprates the superconductivity can be induced upon electron or hole doping. In this work we propose to search for high-Tc superconductivity and strong correlations in chromium pnictides and chalcogenides with n slave-spin and multiorbital random-phase-approximation calculations we analyze the strength of the correlations and the superconducting and magnetic instabilities in these systems with the main focus on LaCrAsO. We find that electron-doped LaCrAsO is a strongly correlated system with competing magnetic interactions, with (π ,π ) antiferromagnetism and nodal d -wave pairing being the most plausible magnetic and superconducting instabilities, respectively.

Theoretical modeling of critical temperature increase in metamaterial superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Smolyaninov, Igor; Smolyaninova, Vera

Recent experiments have demonstrated that the metamaterial approach is capable of drastic increase of the critical temperature Tc of epsilon near zero (ENZ) metamaterial superconductors. For example, tripling of the critical temperature has been observed in Al-Al2O3 ENZ core-shell metamaterials. Here, we perform theoretical modelling of Tc increase in metamaterial superconductors based on the Maxwell-Garnett approximation of their dielectric response function. Good agreement is demonstrated between theoretical modelling and experimental results in both aluminum and tin-based metamaterials. Taking advantage of the demonstrated success of this model, the critical temperature of hypothetic niobium, MgB2 and H2S-based metamaterial superconductors is evaluated. The MgB2-based metamaterial superconductors are projected to reach the liquid nitrogen temperature range. In the case of an H2S-based metamaterial Tc appears to reach 250 K. This work was supported in part by NSF Grant DMR-1104676 and the School of Emerging Technologies at Towson University.

Disclosure of hidden magnetic moments in low and high Tc hysteretic and semi-reversible type II superconductors during warming to Tc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LeBlanc, M.A.R.; LeBlanc, D.; Cameron, D.S.M.; Celebi, S.

2000-01-01

We report on measurements of the evolution of the magnetization upon warming from T 0 (4.2 or 77 K) to T c for type II superconductors with the locus of initially situated along bridges between the envelopes of the major hysteresis curves. Strongly hysteretic and semi-reversible specimens of low and high T c type II superconductors have been studied (Nb 3 Zr, VTi, YBCO, Nb and BiSCCO). Concentric, oppositely directed magnetic moments coexist in the specimens when lies along the bridges. We focused on the cases where =0, hence, before warming, the constituent moments cancel each other exactly. Since they diminish in magnitude at different rates as T is increased to T c , their sequential 'release' leads to a rich variety of phenomena. A simple model exploiting the critical state, an equilibrium Meissner current and conservation of flux accounts for all the intricate behaviour encountered. (author)

Physical characterization and study of the electrical magnetic and thermal properties of the ceramic high Tc superconductor Y1Ba2Cu3O7-x

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azeredo Orlando, M.T. de.

1991-01-01

It was built four systems for physical characterization of high Tc superconductors, with data acquisition by computer, and recent results on AC susceptibility, AC resistivity, specific heat and thermal diffusivity of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (x ≅ 0.15) compound, in a ceramic form, could be reproduced. Our study pointed that those ceramics exhibit a preferential orientation of the grains, being the c axis of the compound parallel to the compression direction. The study of this material in the four different technics, for samples with same density and oxygen stoichiometry, has pointed also that its magnetic behavior is strongly influenced by the intergrain region. This influence can be described by the clem model for the intergrain region and by the Malozemoff proposition for the fluxoids collective behavior. (author)

How to determine Hc1 of high Tc oxide superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Xiaowen; Huang Sunli

1989-12-01

The magnetizations of cylinder Bi 1.7 Pb 0.3 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O y bulk superconductor whose length is shorten step by step has shown that H c1 is independent of the length of cylinder, i.e. independent of the demagnetic factor, as the length is larger than the diameter, whereas it is dependent of demagnetic factor, as the length is smaller than the diameter. But the demagnetization factor is a constant about 1/4 for l< d

Modeling high-temperature superconductors and metallic alloys on the Intel iPSC/860

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geist, G.A.; Peyton, B.W.; Shelton, W.A.; Stocks, G.M.

1990-01-01

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has embarked on several computational grand Challenges, which require the close cooperation of physicists, mathematicians, and computer scientists. One of these projects is the determination of the material properties of alloys form first principles and, in particular, the electronic structure of high-temperature superconductors. The physical basis for high Tc superconductivity is not well understood. The design of materials with higher critical temperatures and the ability to carry higher current densities can be greatly facilitated by the modeling and detailed study of the electronic structure of existing superconductors. This paper describes the progress to data on this project. We include a description of a self-consistent KKR-CPA method, parallelization of the model, and the incorporation of a dynamic load balancing scheme into the algorithm. We also describe the development and performance of a consolidated KKR-CPA code capable of running on CRAYs, workstations, and several parallel computers without source code modification

Dynamics of the vortex state in high temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kapitulnik, A.

1991-01-01

The large thermal energy available, the strong anisotropy, and short coherence lengths of high temperature superconductors give rise to new phenomena in the mixed state. The author discusses transport and thermodynamic measurements of high-Tc materials and of model systems. In particular, he uses experiments on two dimensional films to compare and isolate two dimensional effects in the cuprates. By using multilayer systems with similar parameters, he identifies decoupling of the superconducting planes in magnetic fields at temperatures much above the irreversibility line. He shows that if the irreversibility line is to be considered a melting transition line, it implies melting of the solid state into a liquid of three dimensional flux lines. He further uses Monte Carlo simulations to study the structure of the vortex state as well as melting

Field-induced interplanar magnetic correlations in the high-temperature superconductor La1.88Sr0.12CuO4

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rømer, A. T.; Jensen, P.; Jacobsen, H.

2015-01-01

We present neutron-scattering studies of the interplanar magnetic correlations in the high-temperature superconductor La1.88Sr0.12CuO4 (Tc=27 K). The correlations are studied both in a magnetic field applied perpendicular to the CuO2 planes, and in zero field under different cooling conditions. We...

Critical current measurements of high Tc superconductors in a scanning low temperature cryostat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Telschow, K.L.; O'Brien, T.K.

1991-01-01

Maintaining uniformity of properties over long distances is one of the fabrication problems encountered with the new high T c superconductors. Uniform properties are crucial in long tapes or wires with high critical current since local nonuniformities can limit the current carrying capacity of the whole piece. Transport critical currents in high T c superconductors are conventionally measured with the contact 4-point probe DC current-voltage technique. This technique requires contact with the sample and and spatially averages over the region between the two voltage contacts. Two techniques have been used to infer the critical state model. The first uses the net magnetization of a suitably shaped sample in an external magnetic field. The second combines a DC magnetic field with AC induced currents to infer spatial flux profiles. The AC magnetization technique offers an advantage in that it is noncontacting; however, it also averages the measurement over a large area and requires that the sample be shaped and positioned such that it exhibits zero demagnetizing factor. This paper describes a measurement technique and a scanning cryostat assembly that are capable of determining local critical current in a tape or wire with high resolution and without any direct sample electrical contact. A small compensated coil was used to induce AC currents in slab-shaped samples. The coil was situated near the surface on one side of the slab. With this method, the AC probe can be used as a noncontacting dissipation probe, replacing the voltage probe in the 4-point contact method, when an externally driven transport current is used, or by itself as a local critical state generator and dissipation detector. The results are shown to be meaningful even when the internal magnetic field is not uniform due to shape demagnetizing effects. 10 refs., 5 figs

A simple model to estimate the optimal doping of p - Type oxide superconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adir Moysés Luiz

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Oxygen doping of superconductors is discussed. Doping high-Tc superconductors with oxygen seems to be more efficient than other doping procedures. Using the assumption of double valence fluctuations, we present a simple model to estimate the optimal doping of p-type oxide superconductors. The experimental values of oxygen content for optimal doping of the most important p-type oxide superconductors can be accounted for adequately using this simple model. We expect that our simple model will encourage further experimental and theoretical researches in superconducting materials.

Deformation of high-temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goretta, K.C.; Routbort, J.L.; Miller, D.J.; Chen, N.; Dominguez-Rodriguez, A.; Jimenez-Melendo, M.; De Arellano-Lopez, A.R.

1994-08-01

Of the many families of high-temperature superconductors, only the properties of those discovered prior to 1989 - Y-Ba-Cu-O, Tl-Ba(Sr)-Ca-Cu-O, and Bi(Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O - have been studied extensively. Deformation tests have been performed on YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (Y-123), YBa 2 Cu 4 O x (Y-124), TlBa 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O x (Bi-2223). The tests have revealed that plasticity is generally limited in these compounds and that the rate-controlling diffusional kinetics for creep are very slow. Nevertheless, hot forming has proved to be quite successful for fabrication of bulk high-temperature superconductors, so long as deformation rates are low or large hydrostatic stresses are applied. Steady-state creep data have proved to be useful in designing optimal heat treatments for superconductors and in support of more-fundamental diffusion experiments. The high-temperature superconductors are highly complex oxides, and it is a challenge to understand their deformation responses. In this paper, results of interest and operant creep mechanisms will be reviewed

Magnetic field and force analysis of high Tc superconductor with flux flow and creep

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Yoshikatsu; Uesaka, Mitsuru; Miya, Kenzo

1994-01-01

This paper describes a new method for the magnetic force analysis of high T c superconductor based on the flux flow and creep model. The introduction of the artificial conductivity, which is used in the conventional method, is not needed. The CPU time requirement of the calculations is considerably lower than that in the case of the conventional method. Thereby the vibration of a levitated permanent magnet was numerically analyzed by taking into account the flux flow and creep

Passivation Of High-Temperature Superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Vasquez, Richard P.

1991-01-01

Surfaces of high-temperature superconductors passivated with native iodides, sulfides, or sulfates formed by chemical treatments after superconductors grown. Passivating compounds nearly insoluble in and unreactive with water and protect underlying superconductors from effects of moisture. Layers of cuprous iodide and of barium sulfate grown. Other candidate passivating surface films: iodides and sulfides of bismuth, strontium, and thallium. Other proposed techniques for formation of passivating layers include deposition and gas-phase reaction.

High point for CERN and high-temperature superconductors

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

Amalia Ballarino is named the Superconductor Industry Person of the year 2006. Amalia Ballarino showing a tape of high-superconducting material used for the LHC current leads.The CERN project leader for the high-temperature superconducting current leads for the LHC, Amalia Ballarino, has received the award for "Superconductor Industry Person of the Year". This award, the most prestigious international award in the development and commercialization of superconductors, is presented by the leading industry newsletter "Superconductor Week". Amalia Ballarino was selected from dozens of nominations from around the world by a panel of recognized leading experts in superconductivity. "It is a great honour for me," says Amalia Ballarino. "It has been many years of hard work, and it’s a great satisfaction to see that the work has been completed successfully." Amalia Ballarino has been working on high-temperature superconducting materials sin...

High temperature superconductor accelerator magnets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Nugteren, J.

2016-01-01

For future particle accelerators bending dipoles are considered with magnetic fields exceeding 20T. This can only be achieved using high temperature superconductors (HTS). These exhibit different properties from classical low temperature superconductors and still require significant research and

Magnetic field dependence of ultrasound velocity in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higgins, M.J.; Goshorn, D.P.; Bhattacharya, S.; Johnston, D.C.

1989-01-01

The magnetic field dependence of ultrasound velocity in the superconductor La 1.8 Sr 0.2 CuO 4-y is studied. The sound velocity anomaly near T c is shown to be unambiguously related to superconductivity. Below T c , the sound velocity is found to be sensitive to the dynamics of a pinned flux lattice. A combination of sound velocity and magnetization measurements suggests three regimes of pinning behavior. A generic pinning ''phase diagram'' is obtained in the superconducting state. An anomalous peak effect in the magnetization is also observed at intermediate field strengths

Crossover from three- to two-dimensional behavior of the vortex energies in layered XY-models for high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, H.; Tekniska Hoegskolan, Luleaa; Jeldtoft Jensen, H.

1991-01-01

We use Monte Carlo simulations of a layered XY-model to study the phase fluctuations in high T c superconductors. A vortex-antivortex interaction dominated by a term linear in the vortex separation is found in the low temperature region. This is in agreement with a zero temperature variational calculation. At temperature just above the 2D vortex unbinding temperature the linear term vanishes and an ordinary 2D vortex behaviour is found. This explains the finding that the High T c superconductors show 2D properties in the vortex fluctuations responsible for the resistivity transition close to the critical temperature. (orig.)

17O knight shifts of the various types of CuO2 planes in Bi-cuprates high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Noc, L.; Trokiner, A.; Schneck, J.; Pougnet, A.M.; Mellet, R.; Primot, J.; Savary, H.

1992-01-01

A 17 O NMR study has been performed on a 17 O enriched powder sample of (Bi,Pb) 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O y , also called n=3 phase (with Tc=110K) which belongs to the Bi-based superconductors family (Bi,Pb) 2 Sr 2 Ca n-1 Cu n O 2n+4 . The n=3 compound which contains in its unit cell two types of CuO 2 planes (labelled type I and II), is compared to the n=2 compound where only one type of CuO 2 planes (type I) is present. 17 O Knight shift measurements versus temperature, in the normal phase, have allowed us to evidence the distinct behaviours of the two types of planes present in the n=3 compound. The results are consistent with the existence of stronger electron correlations, or smaller charge carrier density in the type II planes. 14 refs., 3 figs

Random phase approximations for the screening function in high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez-Aguilar, F.; Costa-Quintana, J.; Sanchez, A.; Puig, T.; Aurell, M.T.; Martinez, L.M.; Munoz, J.S.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on the electronic transferences from the CuO 2 sheets toward the CuO 3 linear chain, which locate electrons in the orbitals p y /p z of O4/O1 and d z 2 -y 2 of Cu1, and holes in the orbitals d x 2 -y 2 - P z /p y of Cu2 - P2/O3. These holes states present large interatomic overlapping. In this paper, we determine the screening function within the random phase approximation applied to the high-T c superconductors. This screening function is vanishing for determined values of the frequency which correspond to renormalized plasmon frequencies. These frequencies depends on the band parameters and their knowledge is essential for determining the self energy. This self energy is deduced and it contain independent terms for each of the channels for the localization

Determination of oxygen content in high Tc superconductors by deuteron particle activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tao Zhenlan; Yao, Y.D.; Kao, Y.H.

1993-01-01

The experimental method for determining the oxygen content in high T c superconductors is described in detail. This method is applied to determination of oxygen content in high T c Y-Ba-Cu-O and Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O samples in which the stoichiometry is varied by reducing the copper and bismuth concentrations. The oxygen concentration is found to vary linearly with Cu(x = 0-0.2) and Bi (x = 0-0.4) deficiencies in YBa 2 Cu 3(1-x )O y and Bi 2(1-x) Sr 2 CaCu 2 O y respectively. X-ray powder diffraction measurements show that the compound of YBa 2 Cu 3(1-x) O y is orthorhombic in the variation range of x = 0-0.2

Nanometer-scale patterning of high-Tc superconductors for Josephson junction-based digital circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wendt, J.R.; Plut, T.A.; Corless, R.F.; Martens, J.S.; Berkowitz, S.; Char, K.; Johansson, M.; Hou, S.Y.; Phillips, J.M.

1994-01-01

A straightforward method for nanometer-scale patterning of high-T c superconductor thin films is discussed. The technique combines direct-write electron beam lithography with well-controlled aqueous etches and is applied to the fabrication of Josephson junction nanobridges in high-quality, epitaxial thin-film YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 . We present the results of our studies of the dimensions, yield, uniformity, and mechanism of the junctions along with the performance of a representative digital circuit based on these junctions. Direct current junction parameter statistics measured at 77 K show critical currents of 27.5 μA±13% for a sample set of 220 junctions. The Josephson behavior of the nanobridge is believed to arise from the aggregation of oxygen vacancies in the nanometer-scale bridge

Tc, 2Δ0/KBTc and parameters of phonon spectrum for amorphous superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Xiaowen

1987-04-01

After the correlations between superconducting parameters T C and 2Δ 0 , the parameters of the phonon spectrum, λ, , 2 > and Hall coefficient R H and between the superconducting T C and the parameters of the phonon spectrum ω 0 and /ω 0 were researched analytically. It had been found that there is a maximum of the above-mentioned both superconducting and the phonon spectrum parameters in the region of R H = -3.5 to -4.0 x 10 -11 m 3 /AS and that the materials having high ω 0 is favourable to obtain amorphous superconductors with high T C as well as that the relation between T C and the degree of the lattice disorder (i.e. /ω 0 value) is linear. On the basis of the above-mentioned results, a formula of T C and 2Δ 0 /k B T C of amorphous superconductors had been given. According to both proposed formula, it is noted for the first time that amorphous superconductor of the non-transition metals and their alloys is either a typical strong coupling superconductor which has a much larger 2 Δ 0 /k B T C than BCS theory or a extreme weak coupling superconductor which has a much smaller 2 Δ 0 /k B T C than BCS theory. Of coures, they can be also a weak coupling superconductor whose 2 Δ 0 /k B T C is consistent with BCS theory or approximate to one. The reason that the measurement value of 2 Δ 0 /k BTC of the weak coupling superconductors in the crystal state deviates obviously from BCS theory has been explained

Studies of nonlinear electrodynamics of high-temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lam, Q.H.

1991-01-01

Nonlinear electrodynamics of high-Tc superconductors are studied theoretically and experimentally. For powdered samples, a novel model is presented in which the metallographically observed superconducting grains in the powder are modeled as superconducting current loops of various areas with weak links. Surprising harmonic generation behavior in an ac field, H 1 cos(ωt), is predicted by the model; the power at high harmonics show sharp dips almost periodic in a super-posing dc magnetic field, revealing flux quantization in the prototype loops in the model. Such oscillation of the harmonic power in dc magnetic field, P nf (H dc ), is experimentally observed in powdered YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 . For bulk sintered cylindrical samples, a generalized critical state model is presented. The nonlinear electrodynamics are due to flux-pinning. Experiments in ac and dc magnetic fields on a sintered cylindrical rod of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 yield unambiguous evidence of independent inter- and intragranular contributions to the complex harmonic permeability μ n = μ' n - iμ double-prime n . These data, together with P nf (H dc ), are explained quantitatively by the generalized critical state model, yielding a dependence on magnetic field of J c (H) ∼ H 02 local for the intergranular component, a steeper field dependence than for conventional type-II superconductors. Temperature-dependence measurements reveal that, while the intragranular supercurrents disappear at T c ≥ 91.2 K, the intergranular supercurrents disappear at T ≥ 86.6 K

Microwave absorption across Tc: Determination of the angular dependance Hc2(theta)

OpenAIRE

Shaltiel, David; Bill, Hans; Grayevsky, A.; Junod, Alain; Lovy, Dominique; Sadowski, Wojciech; Walker, Eric

1991-01-01

It is shown that measuring microwave absorption in high-Tc superconductors at constant and very low magnetic fields, using magnetic-field modulation, is, under some conditions, equivalent to temperature modulation when sweeping the temperature across Tc. Using an ESR spectrometer, the derivative of microwave absorption is measured close to Tc. This allows a determination of the relative angular variation of dHc2/dT at T=Tc in single crystals of Y-Ba-Cu-O. The data fit the Ginzburg-Landau theo...

High-Tc superconducting antenna-coupled microbolometer on silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, Joseph P.; Grossman, Erich N.; Borcherdt, L. J.; Rudman, D. A.

1994-05-01

A process is described for fabricating antenna-coupled resistive-edge microbolometers based on the high-Tc superconductor YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) on silicon. The YBCO and a buffer layer of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) were grown epitaxially on silicon to minimize excess electrical noise. A silicon-micromachined YBCO/YSZ air-bridge was incorporated to minimize the thermal conductance and the heat capacity. The thermal conductance of the air-bridge was measured to be 3 X 10-6 W/K at a temperature of 100 K. At an operating temperature of 89 K, the detector is estimated to have a response time of 2 microsecond(s) , a responsivity of the 1000 V/W range, and a noise-equivalent power in the 10-12 W/Hz1/2 range at 1000 Hz.

Critical Current Test of Liquid Hydrogen Cooled HTC Superconductors under External Magnetic Field

OpenAIRE

Shirai, Yasuyuki; Shiotsu, Masahiro; Tatsumoto, Hideki; Kobayashi, Hiroaki; Naruo, Yoshihiro; Nonaka, Satoshi; Inatani, Yoshifumi

2016-01-01

High-Tc (HTC) superconductors including MgB2 will show excellent properties under temperature of Liquid Hydrogen (LH2:20K), which has large latent heat and low viscosity coefficient. In order to design and fabricate the LH2 cooled superconducting energy devices, we must clear the cooling property of LH2 for superconductors, the cooling system and safety design of LH2 cooled superconducting devices and electro-magnetic property evaluation of superconductors (BSCCO, REBCO and MgB2) and their ma...

Behavior of high Tc-superconductors and irradiated defects under reactor irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atobe, Kozo; Honda, Makoto; Fukuoka, Noboru; Yoshida, Hiroyuki.

1991-01-01

It has been well known that the lattice defects of various types are introduced in ceramics without exception, and exert large effect to the function of these materials. Among oxides, the electronic materials positively using oxygen defect control have been already put in practical use. Also in the oxide high temperature superconductors which are Perovskite type composite oxides, the superconductive characteristics are affected largely by the concentration of the oxygen composing them. This is regarded as an important factor for causing superconductivity, related with the oxygen cavities arising at this time and the carriers bearing superconductivity. In this study, the irradiation effect with relatively low dose, the measurement under irradiation, the effect of irradiation temperature, and the effect of radiation quality were evaluated by the irradiation of YBCO, EBCO and LBCO. The experimental method, and the irradiation effect at low temperature and normal temperature, the effect of Co-60 gamma ray irradiation instead of reactor irradiation are reported. (K.I.)

Muon and neutron investigations of vortex correlations in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aeppli, G.

1991-01-01

The muon spin relaxation (μSR) and neutron scattering techniques have made the following contributions to the author's understanding of copper oxide superconductors: (1) determination in absolute units of the magnetic length λ(T); (2) observation in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 of well ordered flux lattices, composed of straight flux lines, at low T and intermediate fields; (3) demonstration that sample multiphase coexistence is the most likely cause of reduced Meissner fractions found for La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 ceramics with non-optimal (i.e. x ≠ 0.15); (4) finding that microscopic irreversibility sets in at surprisingly low T; (5) observation of microscopic vortex motion in BiSrCaCuO single crystals. While studies of type (1) have been extensively performed, there have been relatively few experiments of the other four varieties. Therefore, he concludes that both μSR and neutron diffraction still have the potential to provide new information about the magnetic correlations in high-T c materials

Superconductivity and ceramic superconductors II; Proceedings of the Symposium, Orlando, FL, Nov. 12-15, 1990. Ceramic transactions. Vol. 18

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nair, K.M.; Balachandran, U.; Chiang, Y.-M.; Bhalla, A.S.

1991-01-01

The present symposium on superconductivity and ceramic superconductors discusses fundamentals and general principles, powder processing and properties, fabrication and properties, and device reliability and applications. Attention is given to phase formation in the Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu-O system, comparative defect studies in La2CuO4 and La2NiO4, solid solution and defect behavior in high Tc oxides, oxygen ion transport and disorder in cuprates, and Sr-free Bi-Ln-Ca-Cu-O superconductors. Topics addressed include the preparation of superconductor Y-Ba-Cu-O powder by single-step calcining in air, low-temperature synthesis of YBa2Cu3O(7-x), synthesis of high-phase purity ceramic oxide superconductors by the xerogel method, and the preparation and characterization of the BYa2Cu4O8 superconductor. Also discussed are optical studies of humidity-based corrosion effects on thin film and bulk ceramic YBa2Cu3O(7-delta), thermomechanical processing of YBa2Cu3O(x)/Ag sheathed wires, and the expansion of high-Tc superconducting ceramics

Microwave superconductivity for particle accelerators - How the high TC superconductors measure up

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Padamsee, H.; Green, K.; Gruschus, J.

1988-01-01

Application of superconducting niobium cavities to accelerators for high energy physics, nuclear physics and free electron laser is growing rapidly. Cornell has a long standing effort in the development of superconducting RF accelerator technology. Nb cavities developed here from the basis for constructing the world's highest energy electron accelerator for nuclear physics. These cavities have set a standard against which the behavior of the new superconductors must be compared. From available results on dc critical fields, and the energy gap, it appears that the new materials could make a significant impact on the capabilities of future accelerators. Crucial to this assessment, however, are direct microwave loss measurements, together with measurements of the energy gap and RF frequency dependence as well as the behavior at high RF fields. Latest results on these properties for bulk sintered ceramics, thin films and single crystals at RF frequencies of 1.5 and 6 Ghz are presented

Stabilization of high Tc phase in bismuth cuprate superconductor by lead doping

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Ram. P.; Pachauri, J. P.; Khokle, W. S.; Nagpal, K. C.; Date, S. K.

1991-01-01

It has been widely ascertained that doping of lead in Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O systems promotes the growth of high T sub c (110 K) phase, improves critical current density, and lowers processing temperature. A systematic study was undertaken to determine optimum lead content and processing conditions to achieve these properties. A large number of samples with cationic compositions of Bi(2-x)Pb(x)Sr2Ca2Cu3 (x = 0.2 to 2.0) were prepared by conventional solid state reaction technique. Samples of all compositions were annealed together at a temperature and characterized through resistance temperature (R-T) measurements and x ray diffraction to determine the zero resistance temperature, T sub c(0) and to identify presence of phases, respectively. The annealing temperature was varied between 790 and 880 C to optimize processing parameters. Results are given. In brief, an optimum process is reported along with composition of leaded bismuth cuprate superconductor which yields nearly a high T sub c single phase with highly stable superconducting properties.

Microstructure and critical current density in high-Tc metal oxide superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, S.M.; Gusman, M.I.

1992-03-01

Superconductor powders in the U-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) and Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O (BSCCO) systems were synthesized by freeze-drying. Powders were characterized, and processed into samples for evaluation of superconducting behavior. Freeze-drying is attractive because the powders have high purity, are homogeneous, have a small size and are active. YBCO powders can be sintered to high density at 890 degrees C. Many compositions, processing approaches and heat treatments were explored in an effort to understand relations between microstructure and critical density, and to improve the critical current density. Powders were also formed into sputtering targets for coating preparation at Stanford University. The highest critical current density achieved with the YBCO powders was ∼15,000 A/cm 2 at 4.2K and 0.5T using powders treated to prevent carbon contamination. The BSCCO materials with the highest critical current density, ∼30,000 A/cm 2 at the same conditions were formed by heat treating melted and quenched samples. All critical current density measurements were made by Stanford University, a subcontractor to this effort. Stanford University also prepared coatings by off-axis magnetron sputtering

Strong electron-phonon interaction in the high-Tc superconductors: Evidence from the infrared

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Timusk, T.; Porter, C.D.; Tanner, D.B.

1991-01-01

We show that low-frequency structure in the infrared reflectance of the high-temperature superconductor YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 results from the electron-phonon interaction. Characteristic antiresonant line shapes are seen in the phonon region of the spectrum and the frequency-dependent scattering rate of the mid-infrared electronic continuum has peaks at 150 cm -1 (19 meV) and at 360 cm -1 (45 meV) in good agreement with phonon density-of-states peaks in neutron time-of-flight spectra that develop in superconducting samples. The interaction between the phonons and the charge carriers can be understood in terms of a charged-phonon model

Appearance of ferroelectricity by suppressing superconductivity in nanoparticle dispersed glassy precursor for high Tc superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukherjee, Soma; Chaudhuri, B.K.; Sakata, H.

2003-01-01

The multicomponent Bi 1.8 Pb 0.3 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 2.8 K 0.2 O δ (FG) glass is found to show ferroelectric (FE) transition around T fc = 530K. Microstructural (TEM) studies of these glasses indicated the presence of nano-crystalline particles/ clusters (∼10-30 nm size). In this glass-nanoparticle composite (GNC), presence of ferroelectric nano-particles/ islands is considered to be responsible for the FE behavior. The K-free FG type glasses showing no dielectric anomaly (or ferroelectricity) are precursors of high T c superconductors which become superconductors (T c ∼80K) by annealing around 840 degC. The K-doped (FG) GNC is, however, not superconducting in the corresponding annealed phase which indicates suppression of superconductivity due to the presence of K or by the appearance of ferroelectricity. Transport and dielectric properties of both K doped and undoped GNC have been studied and they are found to be semiconducting and follow non-adiabatic small polaron hopping conduction mechanism. (author)

Observation of an hexatic vortex glass in flux lattices of the high-Tc superconductor Bi2.1Sr1.9Ca0.9Cu2O8+δ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bishop, D.J.; Gammel, P.L.; Murray, C.A.; Mitzi, D.B.; Kapitulnik, A.

1991-01-01

We report observation of hexatic order in Abrikosov flus lattices in very clean crystals of the high-Tc superconductor Bi 2.1 Sr 1.9 Ca 0.9 Cu 2 O 8+δ (BSCCO). Our experiments consist of in situ magnetic decoration of the flux lattice at 4.2 K. Analysis of the decoration images shows that the positional order decays exponentially with a correlation length of a few lattice constants while the orientational order persists for hundreds of lattice constants and decays algebraically with an exponent η 6 =0.6±0.01. Our results confirm recent theoretical speculation that the positional order should be far more sensitive to disorder than the orientational order and that the low-temperature ordered phase of the flux lines in these systems might be an hexatic glass. (orig.)

Observation of a hexatic vortex glass in flux lattices of the High-Tc superconductor Bi(2.1)Sr(1.9)Ca(0.9)Cu2O(8 + delta)

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, C. A.; Gammel, P. L.; Bishop, D. J.; Mitzi, D. B.; Kapitulnik, A.

1990-05-01

Hexatic order is observed in Abrikosov flux lattices in very clean crystals of the high-Tc superconductor Bi(2.1)Sr(1.9)Ca(0.9)Cu2O(8 + delta) by in situ magnetic decoration of the flux lattice at 4.2 K. Analysis of the decoration images shows that the positional order decays exponentially with a correlation length of a few lattice constants, while the orientational order persists for hundreds of lattice constants and decays algebraically with an exponent eta6 = 0.06 + or - 0.01. These results confirm recent theoretical speculation that the positional order should be far more sensitive to disorder than the orientational order, and that the low-temperature ordered phase of the flux lines in these systems might be a hexatic glass.

Observation of an hexatic vortex glass in flux lattices of the high- Tc superconductor Bi 2.1Sr 1.9Ca 0.9Cu 2O 8+δ

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop, D. J.; Gammel, P. L.; Murray, C. A.; Mitzi, D. B.; Kapitulnik, A.

1991-02-01

We report observation of hexatic order in Abrikosov flux lattices in very clean crystals of the high- Tc superconductor Bi 2.1Sr 1.9Ca 0.9Cu 2O 8+δ (BSCCO). Our experiments consist of in situ magnetic decoration of the flux lattice at 4.2 K. Analysis of the decoration images shows that the positional order decays exponentially with a correlation length of a few lattice constants while the orientational order persists for hundreds of lattice constants and decays algebraically with an exponent η 6 = 0.6 ± 0.01. Our results confirm recent theoretical speculation that the positional order should be far more sensitive to disorder than the orientational order and that the low-temperature ordered phase of the flux lines in these systems might be an hexatic glass.

Observation of an hexatic vortex glass in flux lattices of the high Tc superconductor Bi2.1Sr1.9Ca0.9Cu2O8+δ

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop, D. J.; Gammel, P. L.; Murray, C. A.; Mitzi, D. B.; Kapitulnik, A.

1990-10-01

We report observation of hexatic order in Abrikosov flux lattices in very clean crystals of the high Tc superconductor Bi2.1Sr1.9Ca0.9Cu2O8+δ (BSCCO). Our experiments consist of in situ magnetic decoration of the flux lattice at 4.2 K. Analysis of the decoration images shows that the positional order decays exponentially with a correlation length of a few lattice constants while the orientational order persists for hundreds of lattice constants and decays algebraically with an exponent η6=0.06±0.01. Our results confirm recent theoretical speculation that the positional order should be far more sensitive to disorder than the orientational order and that the low temperature ordered phase of the flux lines in these systems might be an hexatic glass.

Performance prediction of high Tc superconducting small antennas using a two-fluid-moment method model

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, G. G.; Khamas, S. K.; Kingsley, S. P.; Woods, R. C.

1992-01-01

The radar cross section and Q factors of electrically small dipole and loop antennas made with a YBCO high Tc superconductor are predicted using a two-fluid-moment method model, in order to determine the effects of finite conductivity on the performances of such antennas. The results compare the useful operating bandwidths of YBCO antennas exhibiting varying degrees of impurity with their copper counterparts at 77 K, showing a linear relationship between bandwidth and impurity level.

Development of high temperature superconductors having high critical current density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Gye Wong; Kim, C. J.; Lee, H.G.; Kwon, S. C.; Lee, H. J.; Kim, K. B.; Park, J. Y.; Jung, C. H.

2000-08-01

Fabrication of high T c superconductors and its applications for electric power device were carried out for developing superconductor application technologies. High quality YBCO superconductors was fabricated by melt texture growth, top-seeded melt growth process and multi-seeded melt growth process and the properties was compared. The critical current density of the melt processed YBCO superconductors was about few 10,000 A/cm 2 and the levitation force was 50 N. The processing time needed for the growth of the 123 single grain was greatly reduced by applying multi-seeding without no significant degradation of the levitation force. The multi-seeded melt growth process was confirmed as a time-saving and cost-effective method for the fabrication of bulk superconductors with controlled crystallographic orientation

Development of high temperature superconductors having high critical current density

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Gye Wong; Kim, C. J.; Lee, H.G.; Kwon, S. C.; Lee, H. J.; Kim, K. B.; Park, J. Y.; Jung, C. H

2000-08-01

Fabrication of high T{sub c} superconductors and its applications for electric power device were carried out for developing superconductor application technologies. High quality YBCO superconductors was fabricated by melt texture growth, top-seeded melt growth process and multi-seeded melt growth process and the properties was compared. The critical current density of the melt processed YBCO superconductors was about few 10,000 A/cm{sup 2} and the levitation force was 50 N. The processing time needed for the growth of the 123 single grain was greatly reduced by applying multi-seeding without no significant degradation of the levitation force. The multi-seeded melt growth process was confirmed as a time-saving and cost-effective method for the fabrication of bulk superconductors with controlled crystallographic orientation.

Feasibility of introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk high-Tc superconductors to enhance the performance of present maglev systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Zigang; Wang, Jiasu; Zheng, Jun; Zhang, Ya; Wang, Suyu

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Ferromagnetic materials guide the flux distribution of the PMG to bulk positions. ► With ferromagnetic materials, guidance performance can be enhanced greatly. ► A new HTS Maglev system with onboard ferromagnetic materials is designed. ► The design can meet large guidance force requirements for practical applications. -- Abstract: Performance improvement is a long-term research task for the promotion of practical application of promising high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnetic levitation (maglev) vehicle technologies. We studied the feasibility to enhance the performance of present HTS Maglev systems by introducing ferromagnetic materials to onboard bulk superconductors. The principle here is to make use of the high magnetic permeability of ferromagnetic materials to alter the flux distribution of the permanent magnet guideway for the enhancement of magnetic field density at the position of the bulk superconductors. Ferromagnetic iron plates were added to the upper surface of bulk superconductors and their geometric and positioning effects on the maglev performance were investigated experimentally. Results show that the guidance performance (stability) was enhanced greatly for a particular setup when compared to the present maglev system which is helpful in the application where large guidance forces are needed such as maglev tracks with high degrees of curves

Numerical evaluation of electromagnetic force induced in high Tc superconductor with grain boundary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashizume, Hidetoshi; Toda, Saburo; Maeda, Koutaro

1996-01-01

After high T c superconducting material was discovered, its superconducting characteristic has been improved so that its critical current density becomes comparable with that of metal alloy superconductors. Together with this progress of the high T c material, it is considered to apply the materials to generating levitation force in combination with permanent magnets. In this case, it becomes very important to evaluate quantitatively the electromagnetic force for designing of the devices. Some researches have used numerical analysis to evaluate the force, where the grain boundary was ignored or treated as nonconducting. In the real materials, however, some part of the screening current can pass through the grain boundary. In this paper, therefore, two dimensional electromagnetic analysis was performed with a new method to treat the grain boundaries, and its effect on the levitation force was discussed

Fluctuational phenomenological model for the magnetodissipation in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarti, S.; Fastampa, R.; Giura, M.; Silva, E.; Marcon, R.

1995-01-01

We develop a phenomenological model for the magnetoresistivity in high-T c superconductors that includes the contribution of the fluctuation excess conductivity and the effects of the phase slip due to thermal motion of vortices above the irreversibility line over local depressions of the order parameter. The fluctuation conductivity in the proximity of the mean-field transition is inserted into the final expression for the resistivity through a scaling function, obtained theoretically by Ullah and Dorsey. The behavior of the system of vortices is taken into account assuming that below the irreversibility line the solid phase is a glass phase. Crossing the irreversibility line, the vortex system becomes a viscous fluid and, finally, a liquid. It is possible to fully describe the resistivity by recalling some of the main concepts of the conventional glass transitions. We obtain a compact expression for the resistivity that we compare to previously reported experimental data in twinned and untwinned Y-Ba-Cu-O single crystals. With very few parameters we can fit extremely well the resistive transitions in the full temperature and field range. Also, the transitions in very pure, untwinned crystals can be entirely fitted, including the ''kink' at the so-called melting transition. Moreover, the resistivity is shown to be heavily influenced by fluctuations

Conductive polymer/high-TC superconductor sandwich structures: An example of a molecular switch for controlling superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDevitt, J.T.; Haupt, S.G.; Lo, R.K.

1994-01-01

The preparation of a hybrid conducting polymer/high-temperature superconductor device consisting of a polypyrrole coated YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x microbridge is reported. Electrochemical techniques are exploited to alter the oxidation state of the polymer and, in doing so, it is found for the first time that superconductivity can be modulated in a controllable and reproducible fashion by a polymer layer. Whereas the neutral (insulating) polypyrrole only slightly influences the electrical properties of the underlying YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7- film, the oxidized (conductive) polymer depresses T c by up to 50K. In a similar fashion, the oxidation state of the polymer is found to modulate reversibly the magnitude of J c , the superconducting critical current. Thus, a new type of molecular switch for controlling superconductivity is demonstrated. Electrochemical, resistance vs. temperature, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy measurements are utilized to explore the polymer/superconductor interactions

High pressure study of high temperatures superconductors: Material base, universal Tc-behavior, and charge transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu, C.W.; Hor, P.H.; Lin, J.G.; Xiong, Q.; Huang, Z.J.; Meng, R.L.; Xue, Y.Y.; Jean, Y.C.

1991-01-01

The superconducting transition temperature (T c ) has been measured in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6.7 , YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 , Y 2 Ba 4 Cu 7 O 15 , YBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 , Tl 2 Ba 2 Ca n-1 Cu n O n+4-δ , La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 , and La 2-x Ba x CuO 4 under high pressures. The pressure effect on the positron lifetime (τ) has also been determined in the first four compounds. Based on these and other high pressure data, the authors suggest that (1) all known cuprate high temperature superconductors (HTS's) may be no more than mere modifications of either 214-T, 214-T', 123, or a combination of 214-T' and 123, (2) a nonmonotonic T c -behavior may govern the T c -variation of all hole cuprate HTS's and (3) pressure can induce charge transfer leading to a T c -change. The implications of these suggestions will also be discussed

Peeling stress analysis for an inhomogeneous high-Tc superconductor with a discontinuous interface at the substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Zhiwen; Lee, Kang Yong; Zhou Youhe

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → The thermal stress generated in the inhomogeneous HTS is larger on a SiTiO 3 substrate than on a MgO substrate. → The maximum thermal stresses, i.e., the peeling stresses, occur near the bottom corner of the inhomogeneous HTS and may induce fracture behavior at the bi-material interface. → The inhomogeneous HTS cools at a slower pace than the homogeneous HTS from the room temperature to the operating temperature. → The magnitude of the peeling stress for a homogeneous HTS is larger than that for an inhomogeneous HTS. - Abstract: This paper presents an analysis of a superconductor-substrate system to calculate the peeling stress of a high temperature superconductor (HTS) when the temperature decreases from ambient to operating conditions (cryogenic temperatures). Firstly, the values for the material properties of the inhomogeneous high temperature superconductor (HTS) were obtained by fitting a second order polynomial to the experimental data. It is assumed that the material properties of the inhomogeneous HTS vary with varying height coordinate and temperature. Then, through the proposed graded finite element method, the coupled thermo-mechanical equations were solved numerically. The numerical results show that the thermal stress generated in the inhomogeneous HTS is larger on a SiTiO 3 substrate than on a MgO substrate. The maximum thermal stresses, i.e., the peeling stresses, occur near the bottom corner of the inhomogeneous HTS and may induce fracture behavior at the bi-material interface. The inhomogeneous HTS cools at a slower pace than the homogeneous HTS from the room temperature to the operating temperature. It is also shown that the magnitude of the peeling stress for a homogeneous HTS is larger than that for an inhomogeneous HTS. It is intended that the model presented here be useful to researchers who are interested in the mechanical properties of an inhomogeneous HTS.

Superconductors in the High School Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Lincoln, James

2017-01-01

In this article, we discuss the behavior of high-temperature superconductors and how to demonstrate them safely and effectively in the high school or introductory physics classroom. Included here is a discussion of the most relevant physics topics that can be demonstrated, some safety tips, and a bit of the history of superconductors. In an effort…

Two classes of superconductors discovered in our material research: Iron-based high temperature superconductor and electride superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosono, Hideo

2009-01-01

We discovered two new classes of superconductors in the course of material exploration for electronic-active oxides. One is 12CaO . 7Al 2 O 3 crystal in which electrons accomodate in the crystallographic sub-nanometer-sized cavities. This material exhibiting metal-superconductor transition at 0.2 K is the first electride superconductor. The other is iron oxypnicitides with a layered structure. This superconductor is rather different from high T c cuprates in several respects. The high T c is emerged by doping carriers to the metallic parent phases which undergo crystallographic transition (tetra to ortho) and Pauli para to antiferromagnetic transition at ∼150 K. The T c is robust to impurity doping to the Fe sites or is induced by partial substitution of the Fe 2+ sites with Co 2+ or Ni 2+ . This article gives a brief summary of these discoveries and recent advances.

Reentrance of a flux liquid near Hc1 in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing, L.

1992-01-01

Previous studies by D. R. Nelson have demonstrated that flux-line wandering in high-T c oxides in fields slightly above H c1 leads to an entangled flux liquid. The statistical mechanics of the flux lines is isomorphic to a two-dimensional (2D) interacting quantum particle system with pairwise interaction potential V(r)=(φ 0 2 /8π 2 λ 2 )K 0 (r/λ), where λ is the magnetic penetration length and K 0 (x) is a modified Bessel function. We have performed a Monte Carlo simulation on the 2D interacting Bose system. The existence of a flux-liquid phase has been observed and the transtion line between flux liquid and flux solid has been identified for a crystalline sample of Y-Ba-Cu-O on the H-T phase diagram over a wide range of temperature. The width of the liquid phase increases with temperature as T 2 at low temperatures, in agreement with the prediction of D. R. Nelson. At high temperatures the width of the liquid phase increases faster than T 2 . We argue that the melting curve eventually crosses over to the high-field vortex-lattice melting curve. Relevance to experiments on high-T c superconductors is mentioned

Evolution of magnetic and superconducting fluctuations with doping of high-Tc superconductors. An electronic Raman scattering study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blumberg, G.

1998-01-01

For YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+δ and Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 3±δ superconductors, electronic Raman scattering from high- and low-energy excitations has been studied in relation to the hole doping level, temperature, and energy of the incident photons. For underdoped superconductors, it is concluded that short range antiferromagnetic (AF) correlations persist with hole doping and doped single holes are incoherent in the AF environment. Above the superconducting (SC) transition temperature T c the system exhibits a sharp Raman resonance of B 1g symmetry and about 75 meV energy and a pseudogap for electron-hole excitations below 75 meV, a manifestation of a partially coherent state forming from doped incoherent quasi-particles. The occupancy of the coherent state increases with cooling until phase ordering at T c produces a global SC state

D-wave condensate and essential phenomenological description of some properties of high-Tc cuprate superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunne, L.J.; Univ. of Sussex, Falmer; Braendas, E.J.; Murrell, J.N.

1999-01-01

The discovery of high T c superconducting cuprates occurred over a decade ago but the cause of the superconducting condensation and electronic structure of such compounds is still a matter of considerable debate. While there is no agreement as to the pairing mechanism, there is, on the other hand, a wide consensus about the main properties which a theoretical description should provide. In this article, a theory is presented which accounts in a straightforward way for many of the essential properties of the high T c cuprate superconductors. Some further developments of the model are suggested, particularly relating to the normal state spin-gap which the model does not currently describe

Magnetization and flux pinning in high-Tc cuprates: Irradiated and oxygen deficient materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, J.R.; Civale, L.; Marwick, A.D.; Holtzberg, F.

1992-11-01

This work surveys recent studies of the intragrain current density J and vortex pinning in high Tc superconductors. Materials include Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ and Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 1 Cu 2 O 8 single crystals and aligned polycrystals. To probe the flux pinning, we modified the strength, number, and morphology of defects. Varying the oxygen content (7-δ) in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ or irradiating the materials with ions, having either light or heavy masses, gives systematic changes in the character of the all-important defects

Mechanism of the high transition temperature for the 1111-type iron-based superconductors R FeAsO (R =rare earth ): Synergistic effects of local structures and 4 f electrons

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lifang; Meng, Junling; Liu, Xiaojuan; Yao, Fen; Meng, Jian; Zhang, Hongjie

2017-07-01

Among the iron-based superconductors, the 1111-type Fe-As-based superconductors REFeAs O1 -xFx (RE = rare earth) exhibit high transition temperatures (Tc) above 40 K. We perform first-principles calculations based on density functional theory with the consideration of both electronic correlations and spin-orbit couplings on rare earths and Fe ions to study the underlying mechanism as the microscopic structural distortions in REFeAsO tuned by both lanthanide contraction and external strain. The electronic structures evolve similarly in both cases. It is found that there exist an optimal structural regime that will not only initialize but also optimize the orbital fluctuations due to the competing Fe-As and Fe-Fe crystal fields. We also find that the key structural features in REFeAsO, such as As-Fe-As bond angle, intrinsically induce the modification of the Fermi surface and dynamic spin fluctuation. These results suggest that the superconductivity is mediated by antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations. Simultaneously, we show that the rare-earth 4 f electrons play important roles on the high transition temperature whose behavior might be analogous to that of the heavy-fermion superconductors. The superconductivity of these 1111-type iron-based superconductors with high-Tc is considered to originate from the synergistic effects of local structures and 4 f electrons.

High-{Tc} superconducting antenna-coupled microbolometer on silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rice, J.P.; Grossman, E.N.; Borcherdt, L.J.; Rudman, D.A. [National Inst. of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO (United States). Cryoelectronic Metrology Group

1994-12-31

A process is described for fabricating antenna-coupled resistive-edge microbolometers based on the high-{Tc} superconductor YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} (YBCO) on silicon. The YBCO and a buffer layer of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) were grown epitaxially on silicon to minimize excess electrical noise. A silicon-micromachined YBCO/YSZ air-bridge was incorporated to minimize the thermal conductance and the heat capacity. The thermal conductance of the air-bridge was measured to be 3 {times} 10{sup {minus}6} W/K at a temperature of 100 K. At an operating temperature of 89 K, the detector is estimated to have a response time of 2 {micro}s, a responsivity in the 1,000 V/W range, and a noise-equivalent power (NEP) in the 10{sup {minus}12} W/Hz{sup 1/2} range at 1,000 Hz.

Detailed investigation of the bifurcation diagram of capacitively coupled Josephson junctions in high-Tc superconductors and its self similarity

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdipour, Mohammad

2018-04-01

We study an array of coupled Josephson junction of superconductor/insulator/superconductor type (SIS junction) as a model for high temperature superconductors with layered structure. In the current-voltage characteristics of this system there is a breakpoint region in which a net electric charge appear on superconducting layers, S-layers, of junctions which motivate us to study the charge dynamics in this region. In this paper first of all we show a current voltage characteristics (CVC) of Intrinsic Josephson Junctions (IJJs) with N=3 Junctions, then we show the breakpoint region in that CVC, then we try to investigate the chaos in this region. We will see that at the end of the breakpoint region, behavior of the system is chaotic and Lyapunov exponent become positive. We also study the route by which the system become chaotic and will see this route is bifurcation. Next goal of this paper is to show the self similarity in the bifurcation diagram of the system and detailed analysis of bifurcation diagram.

Hall effect in high- Tc Y 1Ba 2Cu 3O 7-δ superconductor

Science.gov (United States)

Vezzoli, G. C.; Burke, T.; Moon, B. M.; Lalevic, B.; Safari, A.; Sundar, H. G. K.; Bonometti, R.; Alexander, C.; Rau, C.; Waters, K.

1989-04-01

We have performed point-by-point and continuous Hall effect experiments as a function of temperature in polycrystalline Y 1Ba 2Cu 3O 7-δ. We have shown that the positive Hall constant shows an abrupt increase upon decreasing temperature at a value just above Tc. This temperature corresponds to where the resistance versus temperature data deviates from linearity. At very high fields of 6.8 and 15 T we observe a subsequent decrease in RH. We interpret these data as supportive of a contribution toward the superconductivity mechanism arising from internal excitions or change transfer excitations such that the bound exciton concentration increases near Tc at the expense of positive carries which are reflected in both bound and free holes.

Low field scaling properties of high Tc superconductor glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Giovannella, C.; Fruchter, L.; Chappert, C.

We show that the zero field cooling (ZFC) M/H curves of both the YBaCuO and the LaSrCuO granular superconductor glasses (SuG) are subjected to scaling when plotted against the reduced variable t/H1/ψ . The breaking of the scaling for too weak or too strong magnetic fields is discussed and justified by the introduction of a phenomenological fractal picture, describing the behaviour of the disordered intergranular junction network. Nous montrons que les courbes M/H caractéristiques des verres de supraconducteurs granulaires sont sujettes à une loi d'échelle lorsqu'elles sont tracées en fonction de la variable réduite t/H1/ψ. La brisure de la loi d'échelle pour des champs trop forts ou trop faibles est justifiée par l'introduction d'un modèle phénoménologique fractal capable de décrire le comportement d'un réseau désordonné des jonctions.

On the combination of the Cooper pair and the Ogg pair in the high-Tc oxide superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Liyuan.

1991-08-01

In this paper it is argued that the superconductivity of the high-T c oxide superconductor (HTOS) can be explained by the combinating mechanism of the Cooper pair and the Ogg pair. The properties of the superconducting state of the HTOS have been calculated under this mechanism, and the theoretical results are overall consistent with the experiment. (author). 37 refs

High temperature superconductors and other superfluids

CERN Document Server

Alexandrov, A S

2017-01-01

Written by eminent researchers in the field, this text describes the theory of superconductivity and superfluidity starting from liquid helium and a charged Bose-gas. It also discusses the modern bipolaron theory of strongly coupled superconductors, which explains the basic physical properties of high-temperature superconductors. This book will be of interest to fourth year graduate and postgraduate students, specialist libraries, information centres and chemists working in high-temperature superconductivity.

Transport measurements in superconductors: critical current of granular high TC ceramic superconductor samples; Medidas de transporte em supercondutores: corrente critica de supercondutores granulares de alta temperatura critica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Passos, W.A.C., E-mail: wagner.passos@univasf.edu.br [Universidade Federal do Vale do Sao Francisco (IPCM/UNIVASF), Juazeiro do Norte, BA (Brazil). Instituto de Pesquisas em Ciencia dos Materiais; Silva, E.B. [Companhia Energetica do Sao Francisco (CHESF), Recife, PE (Brazil)

2016-07-01

This work presents a method to obtain critical current of granular superconductors. We have carried out transport measurements (ρxT curves and VxI curves) in a YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-δ} sample to determine critical current density of it. Some specimens reveal a 'semiconductor-like' behavior (electrical resistivity decreases with increasing temperatures above critical temperature T{sub c} of material) competing with superconductor behavior. Due to high granular fraction of the sample, these competition is clearly noted in ρxT curves. Measurements carried out from 0 to 8500 Oe of applied field show the same behavior, and the critical current density of the samples is shown. (author)

Fabrication of high temperature superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Balachandran, Uthamalingam; Dorris, Stephen E.; Ma, Beihai; Li, Meiya

2003-06-17

A method of forming a biaxially aligned superconductor on a non-biaxially aligned substrate substantially chemically inert to the biaxially aligned superconductor comprising is disclosed. A non-biaxially aligned substrate chemically inert to the superconductor is provided and a biaxially aligned superconductor material is deposited directly on the non-biaxially aligned substrate. A method forming a plume of superconductor material and contacting the plume and the non-biaxially aligned substrate at an angle greater than 0.degree. and less than 90.degree. to deposit a biaxially aligned superconductor on the non-biaxially aligned substrate is also disclosed. Various superconductors and substrates are illustrated.

Distribution of local magnetic field of vortex lattice near anisotropic superconductor surface in inclined external fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Efremova, S.A.; Tsarevskij, S.L.

1997-01-01

Magnetic field distribution in a unit cell of the Abrikosov vortex lattice near the surface of monoaxial anisotropic type-ii superconductors in inclined external magnetic field has been found in the framework of London model for the cases when the symmetry axis is perpendicular and parallel to the superconductor surface interface. Distribution of local magnetic field as a function of the distance from the superconductor interface surface and external field inclination angle has been obtained. Using high-Tc superconductor Y-Ba-Cu-O by way of examples, it has been shown that the study of local magnetic field distribution function, depending on external magnetic field inclination angle towards the superconductor symmetry axis and towards the superconductor surface, can provide important data on anisotropic properties of the superconductor [ru

High temperature superconductor cable concepts for fusion magnets

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2078397

2013-01-01

Three concepts of high temperature superconductor cables carrying kA currents (RACC, CORC and TSTC) are investigated, optimized and evaluated in the scope of their applicability as conductor in fusion magnets. The magnetic field and temperature dependence of the cables is measured; the thermal expansion and conductivity of structure, insulation and filling materials are investigated. High temperature superconductor winding packs for fusion magnets are calculated and compared with corresponding low temperature superconductor cases.

Temperature dependence of velocity of sound in high-Tc superconductors in normal state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bishoyi, K.C.; Rout, G.C.; Behera, S.N.

2002-01-01

A microscopic theoretical calculation of temperature dependence of velocity of sound in high temperature superconductors is addressed in this paper. The influence of model parameters of the system in its normal phase is investigated through numerical calculations. The results at the room temperature as well as low temperatures (∼ 25 K), are discussed. The dimensionless parameters involved in the calculations are the electron-phonon coupling (g), staggered magnetic field (h), hybridization (V), position of the f-level (d), temperature (t) and the conduction band width (ω). The model Hamiltonian contains the antiferromagnetism in conduction electrons of cooper and the electron-phonon interaction through the hybridization between conduction electrons and f-electrons of impurity atoms. The phonon Green's functions are calculated by Zubarev's technique. The velocity of sound is calculated in the long wavelength and finite temperature limit. (author)

Fe-vacancy and superconductivity in FeSe-based superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, C. H.; Chen, T. K.; Chang, C. C.; Lee, Y. C.; Wang, M. J.; Huang, K. C.; Wu, P. M.; Wu, M. K.

2018-06-01

This review summarizes recent advancements in FeSe and related systems. The FeSe and related superconductors are currently receiving considerable attention for the high Tcs observed and for many similar features to the high Tc cuprate superconductors. These similarities suggest that understanding the FeSe based compounds could potentially help our understanding of the cuprates. We shall first review the common features observed in the FeSe-based system. It was found that with a careful control of material synthesizing processes, numerous rich phases have been observed in the FeSe-based system. Detailed studies show that the Fe-vacancy ordered phases found in the FeSe based compounds, which are non-superconducting Mott insulators, are the parent compounds of the superconductors. Superconductivity emerges from the parent phases by disordering the Fe vacancy order, often by a simple annealing treatment. Recent high temperature X-ray diffraction experiments show that the degree of structural distortion associated with the disorder of Fe-vacancy is closely related to volume fraction of the superconductivity observed. These results suggest the strong lattice to spin coupling are important for the occurrence of superconductivity in FeSe based superconductors.

High-Tc superconducting microbolometer for terahertz applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ulysse, C.; Gaugue, A.; Adam, A.; Kreisler, A. J.; Villégier, J.-C.; Thomassin, J.-L.

2002-05-01

Superconducting hot electron bolometer mixers are now a competitive alternative to Schottky diode mixers in the terahertz frequency range because of their ultra wideband (from millimeter waves to visible light), high conversion gain, and low intrinsic noise level. High Tc superconductor materials can be used to make hot electron bolometers and present some advantage in term of operating temperature and cooling. In this paper, we present first a model for the study of superconducting hot electron bolometers responsivity in direct detection mode, in order to establish a firm basis for the design of future THz mixers. Secondly, an original process to realize YBaCuO hot electron bolometer mixers will be described. Submicron YBaCuO superconducting structures are expitaxially sputter deposited on MgO substrates and patterned by using electron beam lithography in combination with optical lithography. Metal masks achieved by electron beam lithography are insuring a good bridge definition and protection during ion etching. Finally, detection experiments are being performed with a laser at 850 nm wavelength, in homodyne mode in order to prove the feasibility and potential performances of these devices.

EDITORIAL: The electromagnetic properties of iron-based superconductors The electromagnetic properties of iron-based superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Prozorov, Ruslan; Gurevich, Alex; Luke, Graeme

2010-05-01

Iron-based superconductors, discovered just a few years ago, are members of a diverse family of pnictides and chalcogenides which may potentially contain hundreds of superconducting compounds. The unconventional, multiband superconductivity in these materials most likely emerges from the quintessential magnetic Fe ions. Along with many similarities to the high-Tc cuprates, the proximity of antiferromagnetism to superconductivity in these semi-metallic materials has attracted much attention. The massive effort aimed at understanding superconductivity in the high-Tc cuprates has stimulated the development of numerous state-of-the-art experimental techniques, improved crystal growth methods and a variety of new theoretical insights. These tools and models were already available and readily applied to the new iron-based superconductors for which lots of high quality new results are being reported literally every day. The current special section represents only a snapshot of these extensive studies performed in the second half of 2009, less than two years after the discovery of 26 K superconductivity in the LaFeAsO compound. The range of various experiments is impressive and this issue is mostly focused on the electromagnetic properties of these iron-based materials. The electromagnetic response is sensitive to the microscopic electronic behavior and therefore can be used to probe the mechanism of superconductivity. On the other hand, it is the electromagnetic response that determines many possible applications of these superconductors, particularly given their extremely high upper critical fields. At this point it is already quite clear that the iron-based superconductors cannot unambiguously fit into any known type of superconductor class and have been placed in one of their own. The metallic ground state of the parent compounds is different from the insulating state of the cuprates and generally exhibits a lower electromagnetic anisotropy. However, similar to the

Thermal depinning and melting of the flux-line lattice in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandt, E.H.

1991-01-01

In high-T c superconductors (HTSC) the thermal fluctuation of the vortex lattice (VL) may become large since the vortex lattice is soft due to the strong overlap of the vortex fields and since the temperature T and b high. It was thus argued that the three-dimensional (3D) vortex lattice is thermally entangled and may melt. This type of transition and the consequences of melting are not clear as yet since the always present pinning of the vortex ores by material inhomogeneities may cause similar disorder. In HTSC the pinning energy may become comparable with k B T because the coherence length ξ(vortex radius) is small and t may be high. Therefore, thermally activated depinning competes with possible effects of flux melting, and the irreversibility line in the B-T-plane (B = magnetic field) should better be called depinning line. In this paper it is argued that theories predicting new phases of vortex matter (flux solid, flux liquid, vortex plasma, vortex glass, and hexatic vortex glass) may be improved by replacing the 2D straight-vortex interaction by the correct 3D interaction between all vortex segments

Superconductivity in SnO: a nonmagnetic analog to Fe-based superconductors?

Science.gov (United States)

Forthaus, M K; Sengupta, K; Heyer, O; Christensen, N E; Svane, A; Syassen, K; Khomskii, D I; Lorenz, T; Abd-Elmeguid, M M

2010-10-08

We discovered that under pressure SnO with α-PbO structure, the same structure as in many Fe-based superconductors, e.g., β-FeSe, undergoes a transition to a superconducting state for p≳6 GPa with a maximum Tc of 1.4 K at p=9.3 GPa. The pressure dependence of Tc reveals a domelike shape and superconductivity disappears for p≳16 GPa. It is further shown from band structure calculations that SnO under pressure exhibits a Fermi surface topology similar to that reported for some Fe-based superconductors and that the nesting between the hole and electron pockets correlates with the change of Tc as a function of pressure.

Superconductivity in SnO: A Nonmagnetic Analog to Fe-Based Superconductors?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Forthaus, M. K.; Sengupta, K.; Heyer, O.

2010-01-01

We discovered that under pressure SnO with α-PbO structure, the same structure as in many Fe-based superconductors, e.g., β-FeSe, undergoes a transition to a superconducting state for p≳6  GPa with a maximum Tc of 1.4 K at p=9.3  GPa. The pressure dependence of Tc reveals a domelike shape...... and superconductivity disappears for p≳16  GPa. It is further shown from band structure calculations that SnO under pressure exhibits a Fermi surface topology similar to that reported for some Fe-based superconductors and that the nesting between the hole and electron pockets correlates with the change of Tc...

Sealed glass coating of high temperature ceramic superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Weite; Chu, Cha Y.; Goretta, Kenneth C.; Routbort, Jules L.

1995-01-01

A method and article of manufacture of a lead oxide based glass coating on a high temperature superconductor. The method includes preparing a dispersion of glass powders in a solution, applying the dispersion to the superconductor, drying the dispersion before applying another coating and heating the glass powder dispersion at temperatures below oxygen diffusion onset and above the glass melting point to form a continuous glass coating on the superconductor to establish compressive stresses which enhance the fracture strength of the superconductor.

Deposition of high Tc superconductor thin films by pulsed excimer laser ablation and their post-synthesis processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogale, S.B.

1992-01-01

This paper describes the use of pulsed excimer laser ablation technique for deposition of high quality superconductor thin films on different substrate materials such as Y stabilized ZrO 2 , SrTiO 3 , LiNbO 3 , Silicon and Stainless Steels, and dopant incorporation during the film depositions. Processing of deposited films using ion and laser beams for realisation of device features are presented. 28 refs., 16 figs

Identifying the genes of unconventional high temperature superconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jiangping

We elucidate a recently emergent framework in unifying the two families of high temperature (high [Formula: see text]) superconductors, cuprates and iron-based superconductors. The unification suggests that the latter is simply the counterpart of the former to realize robust extended s-wave pairing symmetries in a square lattice. The unification identifies that the key ingredients (gene) of high [Formula: see text] superconductors is a quasi two dimensional electronic environment in which the d -orbitals of cations that participate in strong in-plane couplings to the p -orbitals of anions are isolated near Fermi energy. With this gene, the superexchange magnetic interactions mediated by anions could maximize their contributions to superconductivity. Creating the gene requires special arrangements between local electronic structures and crystal lattice structures. The speciality explains why high [Formula: see text] superconductors are so rare. An explicit prediction is made to realize high [Formula: see text] superconductivity in Co/Ni-based materials with a quasi two dimensional hexagonal lattice structure formed by trigonal bipyramidal complexes.

Microscopic theory of ultrasonic attenuation in high-Tc superconductors in normal state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bishoyi, K.C.; Rout, G.C.; Behera, S.N.

2001-01-01

The mechanism of the ultrasonic attenuation in high temperature superconductors is not yet studied thoroughly both experimentally and theoretically. A microscopic theoretical model is proposed here to study the attenuation in the electron doped and hole doped compounds like L 2-x M x CuO 4 (L=La,Nd; M=Sr,Ca,Ce). The model Hamiltonian contains the staggered magnetic field in the d-electrons of copper, the doped f-electrons term and the hybridisation between d- and f-electrons. The electron-phonon interaction arises due to the volume strain dependence of the hybridisation. The phonon Green's function is calculated by equations of motion of Zubarev technique. The temperature dependence of the ultrasonic attenuation coefficient (α) is calculated from the imaginary part of the phonon self energy and the velocity of sound in the dynamic and long wavelength limit. The dimensionless parameters involved in the calculations are the electron-phonon coupling (g), staggered magnetic field (h) , hybridization (υ), position of the f-level (d), frequency (ω), and temperature (t). The results are discussed. (author)

Differential conductivity mapping of solar panels using a high-TC superconductor SQUID

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiwa, T.; Maeda, S.; Miyake, K.; Kataoka, N.; Tsukamoto, A.; Adachi, S.; Tanabe, K.; Kandori, A.; Tsukada, K.

2011-01-01

To visualise the distribution of the electric property of solar cells, we developed a differential conductivity mapping system using high-T C (HTS-) superconductor SQUID with a normal conducting pick-up coil. The bias ac voltage with an offset voltage was applied to a solar panel made from amorphous silicon, and the normal component of the generated magnetic field was lock-in-detected. Thus the measured signal was converted to dB/dV properties, which are inverse-proportional to the differential resistivity, as the function of the offset voltage. By scanning the pick-up coil across the panel surface, we obtained the distribution of dB/dV properties across the solar panel was obtained by scanning the pick-up coil across the panel surface. The distribution of dB/dV on the panel differed between when the light source was on and when it was off. This result suggests that the proposed system is a potential tool for diagnosing the electric properties of solar cells.

Magneto-optical imaging of magnetic flux distribution in high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueno, K.; Murakamia, H.; Kawayama, I.; Doda, Y.; Tonouchi, M.; Chikumoto, N.

2004-01-01

Prototype systems of home-made magneto-optical microscopes were fabricated, and preliminary studies were carried out using Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ single crystals and an YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ superconductor vortex flow transistor. In the study using BSCCO crystals, we succeeded in the observation of magnetic flux penetration into half-peeled thin flake region on the crystal surface, and it was found that the magnetic fluxes penetrate in characteristic one-dimensional alignment almost along the crystal a-axis. On the other hand, in the study using the YBCO device clear changes in the generated magnetic field distribution could be detected corresponding to the current direction

High Tc superconducting energy storage systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Werfel, Frank [Adelwitz Technologiezentrum GmbH (ATZ), Arzberg-Adelwitz (Germany)

2012-07-01

Electric energy is basic to heat and light our homes, to power our businesses and to transport people and goods. Powerful storage techniques like SMES, Flywheel, Super Capacitor, and Redox - Flow batteries are needed to increase the overall efficiency, stability and quality of electrical grids. High-Tc superconductors (HTS) possess superior physical and technical properties and can contribute in reducing the dissipation and losses in electric machines as motors and generators, in electric grids and transportation. The renewable energy sources as solar, wind energy and biomass will require energy storage systems even more as a key technology. We survey the physics and the technology status of superconducting flywheel energy storage (FESS) and magnetic energy storage systems (SMES) for their potential of large-scale commercialization. We report about a 10 kWh / 250 kW flywheel with magnetic stabilization of the rotor. The progress of HTS conductor science and technological engineering are basic for larger SMES developments. The performance of superconducting storage systems is reviewed and compared. We conclude that a broad range of intensive research and development in energy storage is urgently needed to produce technological options that can allow both climate stabilization and economic development.

Dual Symmetry in Bent-Core Liquid Crystals and Unconventional Superconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Lorman

2010-01-01

Full Text Available We extend the Landau theory of bent-core mesophases and d-wave high-Tc superconductors by considering additional secondary pseudo-proper order parameters. These systems exhibit a remarkable analogy relating their symmetry groups, lists of phases, and an infinite set of physical tensors. This analogy lies upon an internal dual structure shared by the two theories. We study the dual operator transforming rotations into translations in liquid crystals, and gauge symmetries into rotations in superconductors. It is used to classify the bent-core line defects, and to analyze the electronic gap structure of lamellar d-wave superfluids.

Chemical stability of high-temperature superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Bansal, Narottam P.

1992-01-01

A review of the available studies on the chemical stability of the high temperature superconductors (HTS) in various environments was made. The La(1.8)Ba(0.2)CuO4 HTS is unstable in the presence of H2O, CO2, and CO. The YBa2Cu3O(7-x) superconductor is highly susceptible to degradation in different environments, especially water. The La(2-x)Ba(x)CuO4 and Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O HTS are relatively less reactive than the YBa2Cu3O(7-x). Processing of YBa2Cu3O(7-x) HTS in purified oxygen, rather than in air, using high purity noncarbon containing starting materials is recommended. Exposure of this HTS to the ambient atmosphere should also be avoided at all stages during processing and storage. Devices and components made out of these oxide superconductors would have to be protected with an impermeable coating of a polymer, glass, or metal to avoid deterioration during use.

High-T/sub c/ superconductor and its use in superconducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, M.A.

1988-02-01

Many of the proposed uses for the high-T/sub c/ superconductor involve the creation of a magnetic field using superconducting coils. This report will assess what is known about the high-T/sub c/ superconductors and take a realistic look at their potential use in various kinds of superconducting magnets. Based on what is known about the high-T/sub c/ superconductors, one can make a ''wish list'' of things that will make such materials useful for magnets. Then, the following question is asked. If one had a high-T/sub c/ superconductor with the same properties as modern niobium-titanium superconductor, how would the superconductor work in a magnet environment? Finally, this report will show the potential impact of the ideal high-T/sub c/ superconductor on: 1) accelerator dipole and quadrupole magnets, 2) superconducting magnets for use in space, and 3) superconducting solenoids for magnetic resonance imaging. 78 refs., 11 tabs

Potentialities in electronics of new high critical temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartemann, P.

1989-01-01

The main electronic applications of superconductors involve the signal processing, the electromagnetic wave detection and the magnetometry. Characteristics of devices based on conventional superconductors cooled by liquid helium are given and the changes induced by incorporating high-temperature superconductors are estimated. After a survey of new superconductor properties, the superconducting devices for analog or digital signal processing are reviewed. The gains predicted for high-temperature superconducting analog devices are considered in greater detail. Different sections deal with the infrared or (sub)millimeter wave detection. The most sensitive apparatuses for magnetic measurements are based on SQUIDs. Features of SQUIDs made of granular high-temperature superconducting material samples (grain boundaries behave as barriers of intrinsic junctions) are discussed [fr

High Temperature Superconductor Resonator Detectors

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) infrared detectors were studied for years but never matured sufficiently for infusion into instruments. Several recent...

Positron annihilation study of the high-Tc (Bi, Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, H.J.; Byrne, J.G.

1997-01-01

Positron lifetime spectroscopy (PLS) and positron Doppler-broadening spectroscopy (PDBS) were applied to the high-T c lead-doped Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O x (BPSCCO 2223) superconductor as a function of temperature. Neither positron lifetimes nor Doppler parameters (S, W, and S/W) showed significant change through T c . This may result from having the highest positron density in the open BiO 2 double layers and no significant positron density in the superconducting CuO 2 layers where positrons, if mainly present, are known to be sensitive to the transition in other high-T c superconductors. Doppler parameters showed that the probability of positron annihilations with core electrons in the lattice slightly increased and that the probability of positron annihilations with conduction electrons slightly decreased as temperature decreased from ambient temperature to 20 K. The lifetime associated with positron annihilations in the perfect lattice of the sample (τ 1 ) was 209 ps and, due to the annihilations at internal surfaces or voids in the sample (τ 2 ) was about 540 ps, independent of temperature. Finally, the mean lifetime for BSCCO 2223 was about 307 ps. (orig.)

Phase diagram of (Li(1-x)Fe(x))OHFeSe: a bridge between iron selenide and arsenide superconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Xiaoli; Zhou, Huaxue; Yang, Huaixin; Yuan, Jie; Jin, Kui; Zhou, Fang; Yuan, Dongna; Wei, Linlin; Li, Jianqi; Wang, Xinqiang; Zhang, Guangming; Zhao, Zhongxian

2015-01-14

Previous experimental results have shown important differences between iron selenide and arsenide superconductors which seem to suggest that the high-temperature superconductivity in these two subgroups of iron-based families may arise from different electronic ground states. Here we report the complete phase diagram of a newly synthesized superconducting (SC) system, (Li1-xFex)OHFeSe, with a structure similar to that of FeAs-based superconductors. In the non-SC samples, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin-density-wave (SDW) transition occurs at ∼127 K. This is the first example to demonstrate such an SDW phase in an FeSe-based superconductor system. Transmission electron microscopy shows that a well-known √5×√5 iron vacancy ordered state, resulting in an AFM order at ∼500 K in AyFe2-xSe2 (A = metal ions) superconductor systems, is absent in both non-SC and SC samples, but a unique superstructure with a modulation wave vector q = (1)/2(1,1,0), identical to that seen in the SC phase of KyFe2-xSe2, is dominant in the optimal SC sample (with an SC transition temperature Tc = 40 K). Hence, we conclude that the high-Tc superconductivity in (Li1-xFex)OHFeSe stems from the similarly weak AFM fluctuations as FeAs-based superconductors, suggesting a universal physical picture for both iron selenide and arsenide superconductors.

Low-temperature rapid synthesis and superconductivity of Fe-based oxypnictide superconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Ai-Hua; Huang, Fu-Qiang; Xie, Xiao-Ming; Jiang, Mian-Heng

2010-03-17

Fe-based oxypnictide superconductors were successfully synthesized at lower reaction temperatures and with shorter reaction times made possible by starting with less stable compounds, which provide a larger driving force for reactions. Using ball-milled powders of intermediate compounds, phase-pure superconductors with T(c) above 50 K were synthesized at 1173 K in 20 min. This method is particularly advantageous for retaining F, a volatile dopant that enhances superconductivity. Bulk superconductivity and high upper critical fields up to 392 T in Sm(0.85)Nd(0.15)FeAsO(0.85)F(0.15) were demonstrated.

Tunnelling investigation of the phonon spectrum of superconducting Be. Implications for an eventual enhancement of T(c)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leger, A.; Klein, J.; Cheveigne, S. de; Belin, M.; Defourneau, D.

1975-01-01

Beryllium is an exciting superconductor in that the theoretical upper limit for its T(c) is 140K. The possibility of increasing the critical temperature of the vapour quenched phase whose T(c) is already 9.5K is discussed. Tunnelling into films of this phase indicates that it is a weak coupling superconductor (lambda [fr

Development of software in LabVIEW for measurement of transport properties of high Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reilly, D.; Savvides, N.

1996-01-01

Full text: The gathering of data and their analysis are vital processes in experiments. We have used LabVIEW (National Instruments) to develop programs to measure transport properties of high - T c superconductors, eg. resistivity, ac susceptibility, I-V characteristics. Our systems make use of GPIB (IEEE - 488.2) programmable instruments and a personal computer. LabVIEW is a graphical programming system for instrument control and data acquisition, data analysis and presentation. A key feature of LabVIEW is the ability to graphically assemble software modules or virtual instruments (VIs) and 'wire' them together. In this paper we describe the development of several programs and will offer advice to colleagues wanting to explore LabVIEW

High-Tc dc-SQUID gradiometers in flip-chip configuration

Science.gov (United States)

Peiselt, K.; Schmidl, F.; Linzen, S.; Anton, A. S.; Hübner, U.; Seidel, P.

2003-12-01

We describe a new design of a gradiometric flip-chip antenna, which is inductively coupled to a dc-SQUID gradiometer. Both components are patterned out of thin films of the high-Tc superconductor YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO). For the flip-chip antenna, a 40 mm × 10 mm SrTiO3 single crystalline substrate is used, while the gradiometer sensors are prepared on 10 mm × 10 mm SrTiO3 bicrystal substrates. Special attention is paid to the inductive coupling between the flip-chip antenna and the read-out gradiometer antenna. We investigate different designs of coupling loops in order to optimize the coupling inductance between both components of the sensor. With optimized coupling the sensor achieves a field-gradient resolution of 12 fT cm-1 Hz-1/2 in the white noise region and of 310 fT cm-1 Hz-1/2 at 1 Hz in the unshielded laboratory environment.

Epitaxial heterojunctions of oxide semiconductors and metals on high temperature superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Vasquez, Richard P. (Inventor); Hunt, Brian D. (Inventor); Foote, Marc C. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

Epitaxial heterojunctions formed between high temperature superconductors and metallic or semiconducting oxide barrier layers are provided. Metallic perovskites such as LaTiO3, CaVO3, and SrVO3 are grown on electron-type high temperature superconductors such as Nd(1.85)Ce(0.15)CuO(4-x). Alternatively, transition metal bronzes of the form A(x)MO(3) are epitaxially grown on electron-type high temperature superconductors. Also, semiconducting oxides of perovskite-related crystal structures such as WO3 are grown on either hole-type or electron-type high temperature superconductors.

Advanced nanoscopic studies in magneto-electric manganites and high T$_c$ superconductors

CERN Document Server

Melo Mendonça, Tânia Manuela; Martins Correia, João Guilherme

2012-05-01

Technological advances in materials synthesis and the development of new experimental techniques have created a wealth of information with remarkable implications for understanding the macroscopic properties of systems with strongly correlated electronic properties. These advances allowed the observation of a wide range of exotic phenomena such as high T$_c$ superconductivity, colossal magneto-resistance or, more recently, multiferroic behavior, which are known to be strongly dependent on the nanoscale phenomenology. In fact, several experimental and theoretical studies demonstrated that strongly correlated electron systems are not homogeneous at a local scale due to simultaneously active spin, charge, lattice and/or orbital interactions. Consequently, these systems show nanoscale chemical and electronic disorder, which lead to a rich variety of macroscopic properties. It is under this scope that the nuclear hyperfine techniques are introduced, being particularly useful to infer the local lattice structure, e...

Weakening of flux-pinning strength for high-Tc superconductors in an alternating magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Q.Y.

1992-01-01

This paper reports on the flux-pinning forces in high temperature superconductors which were found to be weakened in an ac field as the applied field strength or the frequency increases. In the weakly pinned regime, flux dynamics could be described with the concept of magnetic diffusion. Flux-motion-induced finite resistivity could lead to significant skin-effect which was reflected in the ac screening effectiveness. The frequency dependence of the relative local field within a superconducting hollow cylinder were used to deduce the flux-motion resistivity ρ. For superconducting YB 2 Cu 3 O 7 - x compounds at 77K it was found that ρ ∼(mu, Omega)-cm. The corresponding magnetic diffusion coefficient was ∼ 224 cm 2 /s. At 750 Hz the skin depth is around 1.54 mm as compared with the 2-mm sample wall thickness

Contact spectroscopy of high-temperature superconductors. Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanson, I.K.

1991-01-01

We have attempted to systematize the research of high temperature superconductors by means of tunneling and point-contact spectroscopy. The theoretical grounds of the methods are briefly described. The deviations of current-voltage characteristics from ordinary superconductors are considered. The properties of point contacts with direct energy gap measurfements and the fine structure of derivatives of i(v) curves at the overlap energies are reviewed for the high-T c La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 materials

Weak links in high critical temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tafuri, Francesco; Kirtley, John R

2005-01-01

The traditional distinction between tunnel and highly transmissive barriers does not currently hold for high critical temperature superconducting Josephson junctions, both because of complicated materials issues and the intrinsic properties of high temperature superconductors (HTS). An intermediate regime, typical of both artificial superconductor-barrier-superconductor structures and of grain boundaries, spans several orders of magnitude in the critical current density and specific resistivity. The physics taking place at HTS surfaces and interfaces is rich, primarily because of phenomena associated with d-wave order parameter (OP) symmetry. These phenomena include Andreev bound states, the presence of the second harmonic in the critical current versus phase relation, a doubly degenerate state, time reversal symmetry breaking and the possible presence of an imaginary component of the OP. All these effects are regulated by a series of transport mechanisms, whose rules of interplay and relative activation are unknown. Some transport mechanisms probably have common roots, which are not completely clear and possibly related to the intrinsic nature of high-T C superconductivity. The d-wave OP symmetry gives unique properties to HTS weak links, which do not have any analogy with systems based on other superconductors. Even if the HTS structures are not optimal, compared with low critical temperature superconductor Josephson junctions, the state of the art allows the realization of weak links with unexpectedly high quality quantum properties, which open interesting perspectives for the future. The observation of macroscopic quantum tunnelling and the qubit proposals represent significant achievements in this direction. In this review we attempt to encompass all the above aspects, attached to a solid experimental basis of junction concepts and basic properties, along with a flexible phenomenological background, which collects ideas on the Josephson effect in the presence

Electrochemistry of high-tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrij, O.A.; Tsirlina, G.A.

1993-01-01

The review deals with the problems of formation of a new section in modern electrochemistry related to various electrochemical aspects of high-temperature superconductivity. Specific properties of multicomponent oxides as electrode materials are pointed out. The data of experimental works on the study of degradation of superconducting ceramics, electroanalysis of complex oxide systems, electric deposition of metals and polymer films upon them are described. Special attention is paid to electrochemical approaches to electrosynthesis of films, possessing high-temperature superconductivity

Fabrication and properties of Y-Ba-Cu-O high Tc superconductor by upset-forging method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Ho Jung; Kang, Kae Myung; Song, Jin Tae

1990-01-01

YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x oxide superconductors was fabricated by sintering process and upset-forging method, respectively, and microstructures and conduction properties were compared. There was no difference in crystal structure the (001) x-ray reflection presumably due to preferred crystal orientation of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x superconductor. Furthermore, the grain size of the 123-phase increased as the reduction ratio became larger during the upset-forging. The critical temperature for zero resistivity of both samples was almost the same, i.e., about 90K. These results have demonstrated the potential of producing YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x superconducting wire or tape effectively using a upset-forging method. The critical current density of the upset-forged sample, however, was lower than that of the sintered one, which fact might be ascribed to microcrack formation during fast upset-forging. (Author)

Magnetic torque transferring study for bulk High-Tc superconductors and permanent magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wongsatanawarid, A; Suzuki, A; Seki, H; Murakami, M

2009-01-01

The torque transferring mechanism taking place in a superconducting mixer design has been studied. Several coupling magnetic arrangements were investigated for more details in the engineering design. A bulk superconductor sample was used to study the torque forces for various cooling gaps, and the twist angle dependence was also monitored for the rotational stiffness in stability. The experimental data with four permanent magnet configurations have been studied in the present work. The maximum torque forces are summarized for usage of engineering design with various gaps. The torque/gap characteristics for four configurations were also measured for the optimisation of the torque at a designed operating gap.

Spinning rate decay of levitated high-Tc superconductors in rotational magnetic field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terentiev, A.N.; Kutukova, E.O.; Kuznetsov, A.A. (Inst. of Chemical Physics, Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russia)); Mozhaev, A.P. (Moscow State Univ., Dept. of Chemistry (Russia))

1992-04-01

The rotation damping of a levitated superconductor was examined in the static field of a ring-shaped magnet and in the rotating field of coils. It was demonstrated that the pinning force mainly contributed to magnetic friction while the influence of a viscous component was negligible. The rotating magnetic field created a torque, reducing the angular deceleration under relaxation. Dependence of the rotational field-induced torque on the field-intensity was step-like. A relationship between the step-like behavior of rotational field-induced torque and pinning center distribution is discussed. The origins of friction torque and rotational field-produced torque are discussed. (orig.).

Processing of high-temperature superconductors at high strain rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamalis, A.G.; Pantazsopoulos, G.; Manolakos, D.E.; Szalay, A.

2000-01-01

This new book provides, for the first time, a systematic, unified presentation of all steps in the processing of high-temperature superconductor materials, ranging from synthesis of various systems to fabrication and industrial applications. Also covered are characterization techniques and current directions in research and development. The authors are leading specialists who bring to this new book their many years of experience in research, education and industrial engineering work in superconductor materials. This book is primarily focused on the bulk-fabrication techniques of high-temperature ceramic superconducting components, especially on the combination of dynamic powder-consolidation and subsequent deformation processing. The properties of these ceramics, which are difficult-to-form materials by applying conventional techniques, are combined for the net-shape manufacturing of such components for the construction of HTS deviceshor e llipsis. However, very important topics such as superconducting structures, chemical synthesis, film fabrication and characterization techniques are also reviewedhor e llipsis to provide a complete, comprehensive view of superconductors engineering

Iron chalcogenide superconductors at high magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Hechang; Wang, Kefeng; Hu, Rongwei; Ryu, Hyejin; Abeykoon, Milinda; Bozin, Emil S; Petrovic, Cedomir

2012-01-01

Iron chalcogenide superconductors have become one of the most investigated superconducting materials in recent years due to high upper critical fields, competing interactions and complex electronic and magnetic phase diagrams. The structural complexity, defects and atomic site occupancies significantly affect the normal and superconducting states in these compounds. In this work we review the vortex behavior, critical current density and high magnetic field pair-breaking mechanism in iron chalcogenide superconductors. We also point to relevant structural features and normal-state properties. PMID:27877518

International Workshop on Ion Beam Modification and Processing of High Tc- Superconductors: Physics and Devices: Program and Abstracts

Science.gov (United States)

1989-04-12

that a train levitated by superconductivity magnets will be used routinely in Japan around the end of the century. All this has been achieved without...study of the effect of irradiation temperature on radiation damage. This study demonstrated that films or devices operating at liquid nitrogen ...April 1989 us Allpy R. i A- Ua NY 5510 1"~l HARWELL UK ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY ION BEAM MODIFICATION AND PROCESSING IN HIGH-T, SUPERCONDUCTORS: PHYSICS

High temperature superconductors applications in telecommunications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, A.A.; Li, J.; Zhang, M.F. [Prairie View A& M Univ., Texas (United States)

1994-12-31

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to discuss high temperature superconductors with specific reference to their employment in telecommunications applications; and to discuss a few of the limitations of the normally employed two-fluid model. While the debate on the actual usage of high temperature superconductors in the design of electronic and telecommunications devices-obvious advantages versus practical difficulties-needs to be settled in the near future, it is of great interest to investigate the parameters and the assumptions that will be employed in such designs. This paper deals with the issue of providing the microwave design engineer with performance data for such superconducting waveguides. The values of conductivity and surface resistance, which are the primary determining factors of a waveguide performance, are computed based on the two-fluid model. A comparison between two models-a theoretical one in terms of microscopic parameters (termed Model A) and an experimental fit in terms of macroscopic parameters (termed Model B)-shows the limitations and the resulting ambiguities of the two-fluid model at high frequencies and at temperatures close to the transition temperature. The validity of the two-fluid model is then discussed. Our preliminary results show that the electrical transport description in the normal and superconducting phases as they are formulated in the two-fluid model needs to be modified to incorporate the new and special features of high temperature superconductors. Parameters describing the waveguide performance-conductivity, surface resistance and attenuation constant-will be computed. Potential applications in communications networks and large scale integrated circuits will be discussed. Some of the ongoing work will be reported. In particular, a brief proposal is made to investigate of the effects of electromagnetic interference and the concomitant notion of electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC) of high T{sub c} superconductors.

High temperature superconductors applications in telecommunications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, A.A.; Li, J.; Zhang, M.F.

1994-01-01

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to discuss high temperature superconductors with specific reference to their employment in telecommunications applications; and to discuss a few of the limitations of the normally employed two-fluid model. While the debate on the actual usage of high temperature superconductors in the design of electronic and telecommunications devices-obvious advantages versus practical difficulties-needs to be settled in the near future, it is of great interest to investigate the parameters and the assumptions that will be employed in such designs. This paper deals with the issue of providing the microwave design engineer with performance data for such superconducting waveguides. The values of conductivity and surface resistance, which are the primary determining factors of a waveguide performance, are computed based on the two-fluid model. A comparison between two models-a theoretical one in terms of microscopic parameters (termed Model A) and an experimental fit in terms of macroscopic parameters (termed Model B)-shows the limitations and the resulting ambiguities of the two-fluid model at high frequencies and at temperatures close to the transition temperature. The validity of the two-fluid model is then discussed. Our preliminary results show that the electrical transport description in the normal and superconducting phases as they are formulated in the two-fluid model needs to be modified to incorporate the new and special features of high temperature superconductors. Parameters describing the waveguide performance-conductivity, surface resistance and attenuation constant-will be computed. Potential applications in communications networks and large scale integrated circuits will be discussed. Some of the ongoing work will be reported. In particular, a brief proposal is made to investigate of the effects of electromagnetic interference and the concomitant notion of electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC) of high T c superconductors

Nuclear magnetic resonance in low-symmetry superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanagh, D. C.; Powell, B. J.

2018-01-01

We consider the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate 1 /T1 in superconductors with accidental nodes, i.e., zeros of the order parameter that are not enforced by its symmetries. Such nodes in the superconducting gap are not constrained by symmetry to a particular position on the Fermi surface. We show, analytically and numerically, that a Hebel-Slichter-like peak occurs even in the absence of an isotropic component of the superconducting gap. For a gap with symmetry-required nodes the Fermi velocity at the node must point along the node. For accidental nodes this is not, in general, the case. This leads to additional terms in spectral function and hence the density of states. These terms lead to a logarithmic divergence in 1 /T1T at T →Tc- in models neglecting disorder and interactions [except for those leading to superconductivity; here T is temperature, Tc-=limδ→0(Tc-δ ) , and Tc is the critical temperature]. This contrasts with the usual Hebel-Slichter peak which arises from the coherence factors due to the isotropic component of the gap and leads to a divergence in 1 /T1T somewhat below Tc. The divergence in superconductors with accidental nodes is controlled by either disorder or additional electron-electron interactions. However, for reasonable parameters, neither of these effects removes the peak altogether. This provides a simple experimental method to distinguish between symmetry-required and accidental nodes.

Conductive polymer/superconductor bilayer structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDevitt, J.T.; Haupt, S.G.; Riley, D.R.; Zhao, J.; Grassi, J.; Lo, R.K.; Jones, C.

1994-01-01

The preparation of a hybrid conducting polymer/high-temperature superconductor device consisting of a polypyrrole-coated YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-∂ microbridge is reported. Electrochemical techniques are exploited to alter the oxidation state of the polymer and, in doing so, it is found for the first time that superconductivity can be modulated in a controllable and reproducible fashion by a polymer layer. Whereas the neutral (insulating) polypyrrole only slightly influences the electrical properties of the underlying YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-∂ film, the oxidized (conductive) polymer depresses Tc by up to 50K. In a similar fashion, the oxidation state of the polymer is found to modulate reversibly the magnitude of J c , the superconducting critical current. Thus, a new type of molecular switch for controlling superconductivity is demonstrated. Electrochemical, resistance vs. temperature, conact resistance, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy measurements are utilized to explore the polymer/superconductor interactions

Growth and characterization of high-Tc Y1Ba2Cu3O7-x superconducting thin films by chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, A.

1992-01-01

In chapter I, the current status of high-Tc superconductors (especially Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-x ), their microstructures and their unique physical properties are reviewed. An introduction to the potential and importance of those high-Tc superconductors in practical applications, especially for the application of YBCO thin films in microelectronics, is given. A general description of the common YBCO thin film fabrication and characterization techniques is also presented in this first chapter. Chapter II describes a new CVD process, temperature-controlled chemical vapor deposition (TC-CVD) for the growth of YBCO superconducting thin films on substrates of practical importance, such as sapphire (Al 2 O 3 ) and on substrates of lattice matched perovskite-type single crystals, such as LaAlO 3 . In order to verify the viability of this new CVD process the qualities of YBCO superconducting thin films were examined by various characterization methods, such as resistivity vs. temperature (R vs. T), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and magnetic susceptibility (x) measurements. Chapter III deals with the effect of substrate temperature on the properties of YBCO thin films made by TC-CVD. The principle objective of this study is to raise the transition temperature and critical current densities of CVD YBCO superconducting thin films. Understanding the relations between YBCO film growth process and varying substrate temperatures proved to be crucial in reaching this goal. The authors present the characterization results of YBCO thin films produced by different temperature schemes, to illustrate the importance of varying substrate temperature during the film growth. In chapter IV, the Rutherford backscattering (RBS) channeling technique is described. They have used RBS channeling to characterize the epitaxial YBCO thin film's crystallinity and lattice alignment. Transmission electron microscopy studies are also included

Fabrication mechanism of FeSe superconductors with high-energy ball milling aided sintering process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Shengnan; Liu, Jixing; Feng, Jianqing; Wang, Yao; Ma, Xiaobo; Li, Chengshan; Zhang, Pingxiang

2015-01-01

FeSe Superconducting bulks with high content of superconducting PbO-type β-FeSe phase were prepared with high-energy ball milling (HEBM) aided sintering process. During this process, precursor powders with certain Fe/Se ratio were ball milled first then sintered. The influences of HEBM process as well as initial Fe/Se ratio on the phase evolution process were systematically discussed. With HEBM process and proper initial Fe/Se ratio, the formation of non-superconducting hexagonal δ-FeSe phase were effectively avoided. FeSe bulk with the critical temperature of 9.0 K was obtained through a simple one-step sintering process with lower sintering temperature. Meanwhile, the phase evolution mechanism of the HEBM precursor powders during sintering was deduced based on both the thermodynamic analysis and step-by-step sintering results. The key function of the HEBM process was to provide a high uniformity of chemical composition distribution, thus to successfully avoide the formation of intermediate product during sintering, including FeSe 2 and Fe 7 Se 8 . Therefore, the fundamental principal for the synthesis of FeSe superconductors were concluded as: HEBM aided sintering process, with the sintering temperature of >635 °C and a slow cooling process. - Highlights: • A novel synthesis technique was developed for FeSe based superconductors. • FeSe bulks with high Tc and high β-FeSe phase content has been obtained. • Phase evolution process for the HEBM aided sintering process was proposed

Entropy transport in high-Tc superconductors in the fluctuation regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maki, K.

1991-01-01

Making use of the expression for the heat current associated with the space-time-dependent order parameter for the s-wave superconductor, we calculate, in the clean limit, the heat current induced by an electric field. In the absence of a magnetic field we find an extra Peltier coefficient associated with the fluctuations, which diverges logarithmically as the temperature T approaches the transition temperature T c . In the presence of a magnetic field perpendicular to the ab plane, the fluctuation gives rise to the Ettingshausen effect. In a small magnetic field, the corresponding entropy transported by magnetic flux is calculated: left-angle S φ right-angle f =[2π 3 τT/21ζ(3)d](h/var-epsilon)(1 +2α) -1/2 where τ and d are the transport lifetime and the interlayer spacing, ζ(3)=1.202. . ., h=2eξ a 2 B, var-epsilon=ln(T/T c ), and α=2(ξ c /d) 2 var-epsilon -1 . The result is compared with a recent observation of the Ettinghausen effect in a single crystal of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7

Josephson effect in high-Tc superconductors and in structures using them

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kupriyanov, M.Yu.; Likharev, K.K.

1990-01-01

A review of the investigations of the Josephson effect in HTS materials and HTS Josephson structures is represented. The influence of the synthesis conditions and a surface etching on the surface properties of the HTS/Ag(Au) are briefly discussed. On the basis of these results the experimental data obtained in various types of the Josephson junctions (point contacts, tunnel junctions, weak links, break and bulk junctions and crystal type break junctions) are considered. These data are compared with theoretical results obtained from different BCS models of the Josephson junctions. It is concluded that now it is impossible to make either the conclusion on the applicability of the BCS theory for HTS superconductors or the unambiguous identification of the principal physical structure of the junctions. The directions of the future experimental investigations of the Josephson effect in HTS tunnel junctions and weak links are discussed

High-Temperature Cuprate Superconductors Experiment, Theory, and Applications

CERN Document Server

Plakida, Nikolay Maksimilianovich

2010-01-01

High-Temperature Cuprate Superconductors provides an up-to-date and comprehensive review of the properties of these fascinating materials. The essential properties of high-temperature cuprate superconductors are reviewed on the background of their theoretical interpretation. The experimental results for structural, magnetic, thermal, electric, optical and lattice properties of various cuprate superconductors are presented with respect to relevant theoretical models. A critical comparison of various theoretical models involving strong electron correlations, antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations, phonons and excitons provides a background for understanding of the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity. Recent achievements in their applications are also reviewed. A large number of illustrations and tables gives valuable information for specialists. A text-book level presentation with formulation of a general theory of strong-coupling superconductivity will help students and researches to consolidate their...

Electronic structure of the iron-based superconductor (La,Eu)FeAsO1-xFx investigated by laser photoemission spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Malaeb, Walid; Awad, Ramadan; Hibino, Taku; Kamihara, Yoichi; Kondo, Takeshi; Shin, Shik

2018-05-01

We have implemented laser photoemission spectroscopy (PES) to investigate the electronic structure of the iron-based superconductor (La,Eu)FeAsO1-xFx (LaEu1111) which is an interesting compound in the "1111" family showing a high value of the superconducting (SC) transition temperature (Tc) due to Eu doping. At least two energy scales were observed from the PES data in the SC compound: One at ∼14 meV closing around Tc and thus corresponding to the SC gap. Another energy scale appears at ∼35 meV and survives at temperatures above Tc which represents the pseudogap (PG). The non-SC sample (La,Eu)FeAsO shows a PG at ∼ 41 meV. These observations in this new superconductor are consistent with the general trend followed by other compounds in the "1111" family.

First-principles calculation of the transition temperature Tc for HgBa2CuO4+δ high-temperature superconductors via dipolon theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Downs, D.; Sharma, R.R.

1995-01-01

First numerical evaluations of T c for oxygenated and argon-reduced single-layered HgBa 2 CuO 4+δ superconductors have been presented. Our calculations are based on the dipolon theory and are found to provide an explanation for the occurrence of superconductivity in single-layered high-T c superconductors. Relevant expressions useful for the evaluation of T c have been given. Since the polarizabilities of the ions are not known exactly for the present systems we have performed calculations making use of Pauling's as well as Tessman, Kahn, and Shockley's polarizabilities in order to estimate the uncertainties in the calculated values of T c associated with uncertainties in the polarizabilities. The effective charges on the ions required for the evaluation of dipoles and dipolon frequencies have been obtained by means of the bond-valence sums. Without fitting with any parameters, our calculations yield T c values equal to 80±21 K for the oxygenated and 50±27 K for the argon-reduced HgBa 2 CuO 4+δ superconductors, in agreement with the corresponding experimental values 95 and 59 K. The uncertainties in the calculated values of T c arise because of the uncertainties in various physical parameters (including polarizabilities) used and due to errors involved in the calculations. The present results are consistent with the observed electronic Raman-scattering intensities which show anomalously broad peaks extended up to several electron volts in cuprate high-T c superconductors. Our calculated dipolon density of states predict four optical absorption peaks at about 77 cm -1 , 195 cm -1 , 1.6 eV, and 2.5 eV

An explanation of the irreversibility behavior in the highly- anisotropic high-temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gray, K.E.; Kim, D.H.

1991-01-01

The wide temperature range of the reversible, lossy state of the new high-temperature superconductors in a magnetic field was recognized soon after their discovery. This behavior, which had gone virtually undetected in conventional superconductors, has generated considerable interest, both for a fundamental understanding of the HTS and because it degrades the performance of HTS for finite-field applications. We show that recently proposed explanation of this behavior for the highly-anisotropic high-temperature superconductors, as a dimensional crossover of the magnetic vortices, is strongly supported by recent experiments on a Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O x single crystal using the high-Q mechanical oscillator techniques

Observation of an hexatic vortex glass in flux lattices of the high-Tc superconductor Bi sub 2. 1 Sr sub 1. 9 Ca sub 0. 9 Cu sub 2 O sub 8+. delta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bishop, D J; Gammel, P L; Murray, C A [AT and T Bell Labs., Murray Hill, NJ (USA); Mitzi, D B; Kapitulnik, A [Stanford Univ., CA (USA)

1991-02-01

We report observation of hexatic order in Abrikosov flus lattices in very clean crystals of the high-Tc superconductor Bi{sub 2.1}Sr{sub 1.9}Ca{sub 0.9}Cu{sub 2}O{sub 8+{delta}} (BSCCO). Our experiments consist of in situ magnetic decoration of the flux lattice at 4.2 K. Analysis of the decoration images shows that the positional order decays exponentially with a correlation length of a few lattice constants while the orientational order persists for hundreds of lattice constants and decays algebraically with an exponent {eta}{sub 6}=0.6{+-}0.01. Our results confirm recent theoretical speculation that the positional order should be far more sensitive to disorder than the orientational order and that the low-temperature ordered phase of the flux lines in these systems might be an hexatic glass. (orig.).

High temperature superconductivity the road to higher critical temperature

CERN Document Server

Uchida, Shin-ichi

2015-01-01

This book presents an overview of material-specific factors that influence Tc and give rise to diverse Tc values for copper oxides and iron-based high- Tc superconductors on the basis of more than 25 years of experimental data, to most of which the author has made important contributions. The book then explains why both compounds are distinct from others with similar crystal structure and whether or not one can enhance Tc, which in turn gives a hint on the unresolved pairing mechanism. This is an unprecedented new approach to the problem of high-temperature superconductivity and thus will be inspiring to both specialists and non-specialists interested in this field.   Readers will receive in-depth information on the past, present, and future of high-temperature superconductors, along with special, updated information on what the real highest Tc values are and particularly on the possibility of enhancing Tc for each member material, which is important for application. At this time, the highest Tc has not been...

High-temperature cuprate superconductors. Experiment, theory, and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plakida, Nikolay

2010-01-01

High-Temperature Cuprate Superconductors provides an up-to-date and comprehensive review of the properties of these fascinating materials. The essential properties of high-temperature cuprate superconductors are reviewed on the background of their theoretical interpretation. The experimental results for structural, magnetic, thermal, electric, optical and lattice properties of various cuprate superconductors are presented with respect to relevant theoretical models. A critical comparison of various theoretical models involving strong electron correlations, antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations, phonons and excitons provides a background for understanding of the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity. Recent achievements in their applications are also reviewed. A large number of illustrations and tables gives valuable information for specialists. A text-book level presentation with formulation of a general theory of strong-coupling superconductivity will help students and researches to consolidate their knowledge of this remarkable class of materials. (orig.)

Stress analysis in high-temperature superconductors under pulsed field magnetization

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Haowei; Yong, Huadong; Zhou, Youhe

2018-04-01

Bulk high-temperature superconductors (HTSs) have a high critical current density and can trap a large magnetic field. When bulk superconductors are magnetized by the pulsed field magnetization (PFM) technique, they are also subjected to a large electromagnetic stress, and the resulting thermal stress may cause cracking of the superconductor due to the brittle nature of the sample. In this paper, based on the H-formulation and the law of heat transfer, we can obtain the distributions of electromagnetic field and temperature, which are in qualitative agreement with experiment. After that, based on the dynamic equilibrium equations, the mechanical response of the bulk superconductor is determined. During the PFM process, the change in temperature has a dramatic effect on the radial and hoop stresses, and the maximum radial and hoop stress are 24.2 {{MPa}} and 22.6 {{MPa}}, respectively. The mechanical responses of a superconductor for different cases are also studied, such as the peak value of the applied field and the size of bulk superconductors. Finally, the stresses are also presented for different magnetization methods.

Effect of strong correlations on the high energy anomaly in hole- and electron-doped high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moritz, B; Johnston, S; Greven, M; Shen, Z-X; Devereaux, T P; Schmitt, F; Meevasana, W; Motoyama, E M; Lu, D H; Kim, C; Scalettar, R T

2009-01-01

Recently, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) has been used to highlight an anomalously large band renormalization at high binding energies in cuprate superconductors: the high energy 'waterfall' or high energy anomaly (HEA). This paper demonstrates, using a combination of new ARPES measurements and quantum Monte Carlo simulations, that the HEA is not simply the by-product of matrix element effects, but rather represents a cross-over from a quasi-particle band at low binding energies near the Fermi level to valence bands at higher binding energy, assumed to be of strong oxygen character, in both hole- and electron-doped cuprates. While photoemission matrix elements clearly play a role in changing the aesthetic appearance of the band dispersion, i.e. the 'waterfall'-like behavior, they provide an inadequate description for the physics that underlies the strong band renormalization giving rise to the HEA. Model calculations of the single-band Hubbard Hamiltonian showcase the role played by correlations in the formation of the HEA and uncover significant differences in the HEA energy scale for hole- and electron-doped cuprates. In addition, this approach properly captures the transfer of spectral weight accompanying both hole and electron doping in a correlated material and provides a unifying description of the HEA across both sides of the cuprate phase diagram.

Proceedings, phenomenology and applications of high temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bedell, K.S.

1991-01-01

Phenomenology and Applications of High Temperature Superconductors, The Los Alamos Symposium: 1991, was sponsored by the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Center for Materials Science, the Advanced Studies Program on High Temperature Superconductivity Theory (ASP) and the Exploratory Research and Development Center. This is the second symposium in the series. High Temperature Superconductivity, The Los Alamos Symposium: 1989, also published by Addison Wesley, focused on the cutting-edge theoretical and experimental issues in high temperature superconductors. This symposium, with its focus on the phenomenology and applications of high temperature superconductors, gives a complementary review of the aspects of the field closely related to the impact of high temperature superconductors on technology. The objective of ASP is to advance the field on a broad front with no specific point of view by bringing a team of leading academic theorists into a joint effort with the theoretical and experimental scientists of a major DOE national laboratory. The ASP consisted of fellows led by Robert Schrieffer (UCSB and now FSU) joined by David Pines (University of illinois), Elihu Abrahams (Rutgers), Sebastian Doniach (Stanford), and Maurice Rice (ETH, Zurich) and theoretical and experimental staff of Los Alamos National Laboratory. This synergism of academic, laboratory, theoretical and experimental research produced a level of interaction and excitement that would not be possible otherwise. This publication and the previous one in the series are just examples of how this approach to advancing science can achieve significant contributions

TECHNICAL TRAINING SEMINAR: High Temperature Superconductors: Progress and Issues

CERN Multimedia

Davide Vitè

2002-01-01

Monday 24 June from 14:30 to 15:30 - Training Centre Auditorium - bldg. 593-11 High Temperature Superconductors: Progress and Issues Prof. Jan Evetts / UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, UK Grappling with grain boundaries: Current transport processes in granular High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) The development of High Temperature Superconductors, seen from a materials scientist's point of view, is relevant to the superconductivity community at CERN: their possible high current applications can include high performance magnets for future accelerators. There is an urgent need to develop a quantitative description of HTS conductors in terms of their complex anisotropy, inhomogeneity and dimensionality. This is essential both for the practical specification of a conductor and for charting routes to conductor optimisation. The critical current, the n-value, dissipation and quenching characteristics are amongst most important parameters that make up an engineering specifi...

Quality criteria for high Tc superconductors and on the clarification of the superconducting mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haase, E.L.; Ruzicka, J.

1992-03-01

After the successful basic solution of the Nb 3 Ge and Nb 3 Si problems, optimization strategies and quality criteria were developed for high Tc superconducting (HTCS) samples in analogy. After improvements of the sputtering system, the preparation parameters were tightly controlled, leading to samples with a reproducible linear slope of the specific resistance ρ(T). Further improvements by us and Poppe et al. lead to the preparation of 123 films with non-linear ρ(T) curves above 120K. A generalization to a T 2 behavior of ρ(T) leads to the further generalization that defect free HTCS are essentially two dimensional in nature, with all ensuing consequences. The momentum transport of the moving charge cariers requires, because of momentum conservation, a mechanism to transfer momentum to the lattice (momentum relaxation). The qualitative theory developed for two dimensional (2D) systems shows that the electron-phonon interaction is strongly suppressed and hence that the weaker electron-electron interaction dominates. That theory makes numerous predictions, which so far are confirmed by experiments. In particular, it accounts for the extreme temperature dependence of the mean free path and the Hall effect. It is inferred that the mechanism of HTCS is predominantly due to electron-electron interaction - probably of bipolaron nature, as indicated by experiment. At this point experiment meets just a few theories, that conform with the experimental facts and above theory, all based on the quasi-particle theory of electron-electron interaction. The theory of Newns, Pattnaik and Tsuei should have a T 2 shape of ρ(T) and, because E F lies near a nearly logarithmic van Hove singularity, accounts for the high Tc. Ruvalds and Virosztek's theory predicts the T 2 shape of ρ(T). (orig./GSCH)

High-temperature superconductors, as seen through the eyes of neutrons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Yamani

2006-09-01

Full Text Available   Neutron scattering is proved to be a vital probe in unveiling the magnetic properties of high temperature superconductors (HTSC. Detailed information about the energy and momentum dependence of the magnetic dynamics of HTSC have been obtained directly by this technique. Over the past decade by improving the crystal growth methods, large and high quality single crystals of HTSC, which are essential for a neutron scattering experiment, have become available. The results of neutron scattering measurements on such crystals have considerably enhanced our understanding of the magnetism in HTSC both in the superconducting (SC and normal states. In this review, the neutron scattering results on two main HTSC families, La2-xSrxCuO4 (LSCOx and YBa2CuO3O6+x (YBCO6+x, are considered with an emphasis on the most prominent properties of these materials that are now widely accepted. These include the presence of strong antiferromagnetic (AF fluctuations even in optimally doped region of the phase diagram, neutron resonance peak that scales with SC transition temperature, Tc, incommensurate magnetic fluctuations (stripes, and a pseudogap in the normal state of underdoped materials.

Open questions in the magnetic behaviour of high-temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, L.F.; Jensen, Henrik Jeldtoft

1997-01-01

A principally experimental review of vortex behaviour in high-temperature superconductors is presented. The reader is first introduced to the basic concepts needed to understand the magnetic properties of type II superconductors. The concepts of vortex melting, the vortex glass, vortex creep, etc are also discussed briefly. The bulk part of the review relates the theoretical predictions proposed for the vortex system in high temperature superconductors to experimental findings. The review ends with an attempt to direct the reader to those areas which still require further clarification. (author)

Melting of the Abrikosov flux lattice in anisotropic superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, R. G.; Farrell, D. E.; Rice, J. P.; Ginsberg, D. M.; Kogan, V. G.

1992-01-01

It has been proposed that the Abrikosov flux lattice in high-Tc superconductors is melted over a significant fraction of the phase diagram. A thermodynamic argument is provided which establishes that the angular dependence of the melting temperature is controlled by the superconducting mass anisotropy. Using a low-frequency torsional-oscillator technique, this relationship has been tested in untwinned single-crystal YBa2Cu3O(7-delta). The results offer decisive support for the melting proposal.

Ceramic high temperature superconductor levitating motor with laser commutator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roslan Abd Shukor; Lee Keng Heong

1996-01-01

The design of a magnetically levitating motor using a ceramic high temperature superconductor with laser commutator is discussed. A YBa sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub 7-δ high temperature superconductor with 25 mm diameter and 6 mm thickness is used to levitate a Nd-Fe-B magnet (19.0 mm diameter and 4.8 mm thickness) which is attached symmetrically to a 150 mm long graphite rod. A smaller magnet (5.5 mm diameter and 2.0 mm thickness) is attached at each end of the rod with the appropriate poles arrangements. A suitable laser beam chopper is used to optically drive a solenoid which repels the smaller magnets thus driving the motor. A simple and efficient liquid nitrogen supply system is designed to cool the superconductor. The stability of the bearing is provided by the flux pinning in this type-II superconductor. Some characteristics of the motor are discussed

Interaction between light and superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Gilabert, Alain

In the first part of this review article we resume briefly the fundamental aspect of the photon-superconductor interaction. The emphase is focused on the characteristic times and on the phenomenological models (the T*, the μ* models and the model of the kinetics equations) describing the out of equilibrium superconductivity. The experiments made on classical illuminated superconductors especially on tunnel junctions are then reported. In the second part we present the applied aspect of the photon-superconductor interaction. The interaction of the light with the high Tc superconductors is reviewed in the last part. Dans la première partie de cet article de revue, on résume brièvement 1'aspect fondamental de l'action des photons sur les supraconducteurs en s'attachant surtout à rappeler les différents temps caractéristiques de cette interaction et les modèles phénoménologiques (le modèle T*, le modèle μ*, le modèle des équations cinétiques) décrivant la supraconductivité hors équilibre. La seconde partie rappelle les expériences réalisées sur les supraconducteurs classiques illuminés et spécialement les jonctions tunnel ainsi que certaines applications de la supraconductivité hors équilibre comme les liens faibles controllables par des moyens optiques. La dernière partie est consacrée aux nouvelles expériences qui démarrent concernant l'action de la lumière sur les supraconducteurs à hautes températures critiques.

Fast neutron induced flux pinning in Tl-based high-Tc single crystals and thin films, highly textured tapes and melt-textured bulk 123-superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandstaetter, G.; Samadi Hosseinalli, G.; Kern, C.; Sauerzopf, F.M.; Schulz, G.W.; Straif, W.; Yang, X.; Weber, H.W.; Hu, Q.Y.

1999-01-01

Various compounds (TI-2223, TI-1223, TI-2212) as well as material forms (single crystals, thin films, ceramics, tapes) of TI-based high temperature superconductors were investigated by magnetic and transport techniques. TI-2223 has a very 'low lying' irreversibility line (H parallel e) and negligible critical current densities J c at 77 K. However, the irreversibility line shifts to higher fields and temperatures and J c is strongly enhanced, even at 77 K, after fast neutron irradiation. In contrast, the related TI-1223 compound has a much steeper irreversibility line (H parallel c) similar to that of Y-123. J c is significant up to 77 K, even in the unirradiated state, and can be largely improved by neutron irradiation. Transport measurements made on TI-1223 tapes still show much lower critical current densities. TI-2212 and Tl-2223 thin films have J c 's at 77 K, which are comparable to those of TI-1223 single crystals. Transport measurements on highly textured Bi-2223 tapes as well as flux profile measurements on Nd-123 bulk superconductors confirm the beneficial effects of neutron induced defects (collision cascades) for flux pinning. (author)

Study of the glass formation of high temperature superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Ethridge, Edwin C.; Kaukler, William F.; Rolin, Terry

1992-01-01

A number of compositions of ceramic oxide high T(sub c) superconductors were elevated for their glass formation ability by means of rapid thermal analysis during quenching, optical, and electron microscopy of the quenched samples, and with subsequent DSC measurements. Correlations between experimental measurements and the methodical composition changes identified the formulations of superconductors that can easily form glass. The superconducting material was first formed as a glass; then, with subsequent devitrification, it was formed into a bulk crystalline superconductor by a series of processing methods.

The Born-Mayer-Huggins potential in high temperature superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Hempal; Singh, Anu; Indu, B. D.

2016-07-01

The Born-Mayer-Huggins potential which has been found the best suitable potential to study the YBa2Cu3O7-δ type high temperature superconductors is revisited in a new framework. A deeper insight in it reveals that the Born-Mayer parameters for different interactions in high temperature superconductor are not simple quantities but several thermodynamic and spatial functions enter the problem. Based on the new theory, the expressions for pressure, bulk modulus and Born-Mayer parameters have been derived and it is established that these quantities depend upon Gruneisen parameter which is the measure of the strength of anharmonic effects in high temperature superconductors. This theory has been applied to a specific model YBa2Cu3O7-δ crystal for the purpose of numerical estimates to justify the new results.

Resonant two-magnon Raman scattering in parent compounds of high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chubukov, A.V.; Frenkel, D.M.

1995-01-01

We propose a theory of two-magnon Raman scattering from the insulating parent compounds of high-T c superconductors, which contains information not only on magnetism, but also on the electronic properties in these materials. We use spin-density-wave formalism for the Hubbard model, and study diagrammatically the profile of the two-magnon scattering and its intensity dependence on the incoming photon frequency ω i both for ω i much-lt U and in the resonant regime, in which the energy of the incident photon is close to the gap between conduction and valence bands. In the nonresonant case, we identify the diagrams which contribute to the conventional Loudon-Fleury Hamiltonian. In the resonant regime, where most of the experiments have been done, we find that the dominant contribution to Raman intensity comes from a different diagram, one which allows for a simultaneous vanishing of all three of its dominators (i.e., a triple resonanc). We study this diagram in detail and show taht the triple resonance, combined with the spin-density-wave dispersion relation for the carriers, explains the unusual features found in the two-magnon profile and in the two-magnon peak intensity dependence on the incoming photon frequency. In particular, our theory predicts a maximum of the two-magnon peak intensity right at the upper edge of the features in the optical data, which has been one of the key experimental puzzles

High-temperature superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lynn, J.W.

1990-01-01

This book discusses development in oxide materials with high superconducting transition temperature. Systems with Tc well above liquid nitrogen temperature are already a reality and higher Tc's are anticipated. The author discusses how the idea of a room-temperature superconductor appears to be a distinctly possible outcome of materials research

Advanced technologies related to a high temperature superconductor for small laboratory experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogawa, Yuichi; Mito, Toshiyuki; Yanagi, Nagato

2006-01-01

Advanced technologies related to a high temperature superconductor materials and small refrigerator are reviewed. Mini-RT/RT-1 is designed and constructed as a plasma examination device. The element technology of low temperature apparatus, the results of performance tests and application examples are explained. The superconductors such as Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 (Bi-2212) for the low temperature phase, Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10 (Bi-2223) for the high temperature phase, and YBa 2 Cu 3 O y (YBCO or Y123) are described. Advanced 4K-Giford-Mcmahon (GM) refrigerator on the market put superconductor coil made of low temperature superconductor metals to practical use and extends its application field. Small laboratory is able to experiment on the high temperature superconductor materials. (S.Y.)

Theory of antiferromagnetic pairing in cuprate superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plakida, N.M.

2006-01-01

A review of the antiferromagnetic exchange and spin-fluctuation pairing theory in the cuprate superconductors is given. We briefly discuss a phenomenological approach and a theory in the limit of weak Coulomb correlations. A microscopic theory in the strong correlation limit is presented in more detail. In particular, results of our recently developed theory for the effective p-d Hubbard model and the reduced t-J model are given. We have proved that retardation effects for the antiferromagnetic exchange interaction are unimportant that results in pairing of all charge carriers in the conduction band and high Tc proportional to the Fermi energy. The spin-fluctuation interaction caused by kinematic interaction gives an additional contribution to the d-wave pairing. Dependence of Tc on the hole concentration and the lattice constant (or pressure) and an oxygen isotope shift are discussed

The effects of carbon nano filaments (CNT and CNF) doping on high temperature superconductors Y-123

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dadras, S.; Daadmehr, V.

2007-01-01

Full text: This paper is based on the effects of carbon nano filaments (carbon nano tubes and carbon nano fibers) doping on Y-123 studies. We synthesized Y-123 with different contents of CNT and CNF doping. The samples were prepared from powders of Y 2 O 3 , BaCO 3 and Cu O by the solid state reaction. After calcination in air, we mixed Y-123 powder with different percentage of carbon nano filaments weight, produced by the CVD method. For obtaining more homogenous mixing, we have suspended it in an organic solvent with an ultrasonic mixer to prevent agglomeration of CNT. The CNT-Y-123 powder was dried afterwards, and pressed as pellet samples, in about 1mm thick, 10mm diameter, and 1gr weight, and sintered in oxygen atmosphere. We tried to find the transport effects on CNT and CNF doping in 123 systems. The strong coupling between grains in CNT doped samples caused the flow of inter-granular currents. Therefore the presence of CNT in high temperature superconductor samples increases the critical current density. Among various carbon precursors, carbon nano tubes (CNT) are very interesting because of their nano meter diameter which may make them as effective pinning centers, compared to the ordinary carbon. The carbon nano tubes are functioning like columnar defects produced by heavy-ion irradiation. Nano phase particles or aggregates embodied in the superconductor matrix can pin the flux lines effectively and enhance the intra-grain transport critical current density in high applied magnetic fields. Nano phase size particles in the size range of about 5-10 nm can be used as flux pinning centers for low field applications. The effects of carbon and carbon dioxide in Y-123 were studied by several groups, but none of them argued the effects of carbon nano tubes doping on Y-123. Uno et al. found that Jc was related to the carbon concentration, but they showed that Tc value and other physical properties did not change. In carbon doped Y-123 samples, Tc decreases with

Second-Generation High-Temperature Superconductor Wires for the Electric Power Grid

Science.gov (United States)

Malozemoff, A. P.

2012-08-01

Superconductors offer major advantages for the electric power grid, including high current and power capacity, high efficiency arising from the lossless current flow, and a unique current-limiting functionality arising from a superconductor-to-resistive transition. These advantages can be brought to bear on equipment such as underground power cables, fault current limiters, rotating machinery, transformers, and energy storage. The first round of significant commercial-scale superconductor power-equipment demonstrations, carried out during the past decade, relied on a first-generation high-temperature superconductor (HTS) wire. However, during the past few years, with the recent commercial availability of high-performance second-generation HTS wires, power-equipment demonstrations have increasingly been carried out with these new wires, which bring important advantages. The foundation is being laid for commercial expansion of this important technology into the power grid.

Evidence of a spin resonance mode in the iron-based superconductor Ba(0.6)K(0.4)Fe2As2 from scanning tunneling spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Lei; Gong, Jing; Wang, Yong-Lei; Shen, Bing; Hou, Xingyuan; Ren, Cong; Li, Chunhong; Yang, Huan; Wen, Hai-Hu; Li, Shiliang; Dai, Pengcheng

2012-06-01

We used high-resolution scanning tunneling spectroscopy to study the hole-doped iron pnictide superconductor Ba(0.6)K(0.4)Fe(2)As(2) (T(c)=38 K). Features of a bosonic excitation (mode) are observed in the measured quasiparticle density of states. The bosonic features are intimately associated with the superconducting order parameter and have a mode energy of ~14 meV, similar to the spin resonance measured by inelastic neutron scattering. These results indicate a strong electron-spin excitation coupling in iron pnictide superconductors, similar to that in high-T(c) copper oxide superconductors.

Neutron scattering studies on the high Tc superconductor YBa2Cu306+x

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jurgens, M.J.G.M.

1990-01-01

The aim of the work described in this thesis is to clarify some of the magnetic aspects of high T c superconductors across the phase diagram as a function of doping and temperature, for which YBa 2 Cu 3 o 6+x has been chosen. Mainly the neutron scattering technique has been employed, which supplies a very powerful tool for this kind of research, for it directly shows the microscopic phenomena of the magnetism involved. First an introduction to the neutron scattering technique is given and a description of the spectrometers employed (ch. 2). The determination of the crystal structure of YBa 2 Cu 3 o 6+x is described, and the single crystals which were used during all the experiments on the magnetic properties as described in this thesis, are characterized (ch. 3). Ch. 4 deals with the phase diagram of the insulating antiferromagnetic phase in YBa 2 Cu 3 o 6+x , as obtained with neutron scattering. The inelastic scattering experiments on the magnetic excitations in this system are presented in ch. 5. In ch. 6 the total susceptibility, measure with a AQUID, is discussed. The local magnetizations, as determined with a polarized neutron scattering technique are the subject of ch. 7. (author). 254 refs.; 77 figs.; 25 tabs

High-temperature superconductors in application - fight for the top

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1990-01-01

For the superconductor market two-digit growth rates are predicted until after the year 2000. The decrosslinking of the high temperature superconductors initiated a worldwide race for first applications. The report considers the situation of raw materials and the application potentials in the USA, Japan and Western Europe. (orig.) [de

The Superconductors that Magnets Really Want: What Stands in the Way? (Superconductors for Accelerator Use: What Next and How Close is the Ideal Conductor?)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larbalestier, David

2009-01-01

There are over 5000 superconducting materials but only about 5 have ever been useful for applications in magnets, while HEP, which has been so vital for the development of superconducting magnet technology has made virtually every magnet out of just one, the simple bcc alloy Nb-Ti with Tc of 9 K and upper critical field ∼ 14T (at 2K). Significant demonstrations of the capability of the brittle intermetallic Nb3Sn have shown that fields of more than 15 T can be generated in dipole form. But Nb-Ti and Nb3Sn are staid, conventional superconductors, far from the cutting edge of superconducting science research where cuprates like YBa2Cu3O7-x and Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox remain at the scientific forefront and in 2008 were joined by the recently discovered Fe-As pnictide superconductors. What could it mean to have materials for magnets with 10 times the Tc of Nb-Ti (90-120 K) and 3 or more times the critical field (100-240 T)? One enormous barrier is that higher Tc so far always means more complexity and a more localized superconducting interaction which is sensitive to local loss of superconductivity. The issue that has made the cuprate high temperature superconductors so hard to apply is that grain boundaries which form a 3D network in any practical wire form, easily acquire degraded superconducting properties. But conductors can now be made with extreme texture so that grain boundaries are minimized. Moreover almost practical conductors of Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox and YBa2Cu3O7-x are now are in production and in late 2008 we were, at the Magnet Lab, able to make small solenoids operating at high current density in fields of 32 and almost 34 T respectively. Within the HEP community, there is enthusiasm to embrace HTS conductors for new very high field machines that could, like the Muon Collider, use fields of 30-50 T. In my talk I would like to explore the underlying science controlling such potential applications.

High Temperature Superconductor Machine Prototype

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mijatovic, Nenad; Jensen, Bogi Bech; Træholt, Chresten

2011-01-01

A versatile testing platform for a High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) machine has been constructed. The stationary HTS field winding can carry up to 10 coils and it is operated at a temperature of 77K. The rotating armature is at room temperature. Test results and performance for the HTS field...

Nonmonotonic critical temperature in superconductor ferromagnet bilayers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fominov, Ya. V.; Fominov, I.V.; Chtchelkatchev, N.M.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch

2002-01-01

The critical temperature Tc of a superconductor/ferromagnet (SF) bilayer can exhibit nonmonotonic dependence on the thickness df of the F layer. SF systems have been studied for a long time; according to the experimental situation, a ¿dirty¿ limit is often considered which implies that the mean free

Ultra-fast pump-probe determination of electron-phonon coupling in cuprate superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Mihailovic, Dragan

2010-03-01

Fresh femtosecond spectroscopy experiments show the electron-phonon interaction strength λ to be 0.7 and 1.4 for YBCO and LSCO respectively and not around 0.2 as previously reported [1]. The revised estimates arise primarily from improved time-resolution, and also partly from improved modeling. Comparison with classical superconductors and pnictides shows non-monotonic correlation of λ with Tc. Systematic new measurements of the condensate vaporization energy (Uv) in cuprates [2] and pnictides reveals a power-law dependence on Tc with exponent 2. However, Uc is 16-18 times greater than the BCS condensation energy Uc, implying that a significant heat capacity of the ``bosonic glue.'' In contrast, charge-density wave systems with electronically driven ordering transitions have Uv˜Uc. The data suggest BCS and Eliashberg-based models to be inappropriate for describing the physics of high-temperature superconductors, and point towards polaron models which consider strong or intermediate λ.[4pt] [1] C.Gadermeier et al., arXiv:0902.1636[0pt] [2] P.Kusar et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 227001 (2008)

Spectroscopy of metal "superatom" nanoclusters and high-Tc superconducting pairing

Science.gov (United States)

Halder, Avik; Kresin, Vitaly V.

2015-12-01

A unique property of metal nanoclusters is the "superatom" shell structure of their delocalized electrons. The electronic shell levels are highly degenerate and therefore represent sharp peaks in the density of states. This can enable exceptionally strong electron pairing in certain clusters composed of tens to hundreds of atoms. In a finite system, such as a free nanocluster or a nucleus, pairing is observed most clearly via its effect on the energy spectrum of the constituent fermions. Accordingly, we performed a photoionization spectroscopy study of size-resolved aluminum nanoclusters and observed a rapid rise in the near-threshold density of states of several clusters (A l37 ,44 ,66 ,68 ) with decreasing temperature. The characteristics of this behavior are consistent with compression of the density of states by a pairing transition into a high-temperature superconducting state with Tc≳100 K. This value exceeds that of bulk aluminum by two orders of magnitude. These results highlight the potential of novel pairing effects in size-quantized systems and the possibility to attain even higher critical temperatures by optimizing the particles' size and composition. As a new class of high-temperature superconductors, such metal nanocluster particles are promising building blocks for high-Tc materials, devices, and networks.

Intermediate phases in the formation of the Cu-Ba-Y high-Tc superconductor from xerogel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arcon, I.; Bele, M.; Hribar, M.; Kodre, A.; Stuhec, M.; Pejovnik, S.; Frahm, R.

1995-01-01

In the synthesis of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x superconductor ceramics by the sol-gel method, yttrium K EXAFS spectra of the intermediate products give evidence of the dynamics of the Y ion in the reaction. Together with previous data on Cu K and Ba L 3 EXAFS, the results give information on the processes in the amorphous phase, complementing the diffraction data on crystallite growth. ((orig.))

Probing High Temperature Superconductors with Magnetometry in Ultrahigh Magnetic Fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Lu [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

2017-07-26

The objective of this research is to investigate the high-field magnetic properties of high temperature superconductors, materials that conduct electricity without loss. A technique known as high-resolution torque magnetometry that was developed to directly measure the magnetization of high temperature superconductors. This technique was implemented using the 65 Tesla pulsed magnetic field facility that is part of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This research addressed unanswered questions about the interplay between magnetism and superconductivity, determine the electronic structure of high temperature superconductors, and shed light on the mechanism of high temperature superconductivity and on potential applications of these materials in areas such as energy generation and power transmission. Further applications of the technology resolve the novel physical phenomena such as correlated topological insulators, and spin liquid state in quantum magnets.

Fabrication of Nb_3Al superconductor by the optimized mechanical alloying method with low temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Y.; Lin, W.J.; Xu, L.Y.; Yang, D.W.; Chen, Y.L.; Li, P.Y.; Pan, X.F.; Yan, G.; Zhao, Y.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Due to a much better strain tolerance than Nb_3Sn, Nb_3Al has been considered as an excellent candidate for making high field magnets. At present, the Nb_3Al superconducting wires were prepared mainly by the Jelly-roll method combined with a rapid heating and quenching (RHQ) heat treatment at around 2000 °C. In this study, Nb_3Al superconductor with T_c of 15.6 K is directly prepared with a mechanical alloying method followed by a low temperature annealing at 800 to 900 °C. Our results hint the possibility that Nb_3Al superconducting wire with high performance can be prepared below the melting point of Cu (1080 °C) by a conventional powder in tube (PIT) method, thus effectively avoiding high temperature heat treatment and RHQ device. - Abstract: Mechanical alloying was used to synthesize Nb_3Al superconductor successfully, and the process was optimization under various preparation conditions. In the current study, Nb_3Al superconductor with T_c of 15.6 K was directly prepared from high quality Nb (Al) solid solution by mechanical alloying method and heat treatment at a low temperature of 800 to 900 °C. The results showed that Nb_3Al superconducting wire with high performance could be prepared after heat treatment below the melting point of Cu (1080°C) and using Nb (Al) solid solution and conventional powder in tube (PIT) method, thus effectively avoiding ultra-high temperature heat treatment and special rapid heating and quenching(RHQ) device.

Evidence for phononic pairing in extremely overdoped ``pure'' d-wave superconductor Bi2212

Science.gov (United States)

He, Yu; Hishimoto, Makoto; Song, Dongjoon; Eisaki, Hiroshi; Shen, Zhi-Xun

2015-03-01

Recent advancement in High Tc cuprate superconductor research has elucidated strong interaction between superconductivity and competing orders. Therefore, the mechanism behind the 'pure' d-wave superconducting behavior becomes the next stepping stone to further the understanding. We have performed photoemission study on extremely overdoped Bi2212 single crystal synthesized via high pressure method. In this regime, we demonstrate the much reduced superconducting gap and the absence of pseudogap. Clear gap shifted bosonic mode coupling is observed throughout the entire Brillouin zone. Via full Eliashberg treatment, we find the electron-phonon coupling strength capable of producing a transition temperature very close to Tc. This strongly implies bosonic contribution to cuprate superconductivity's pairing glue.

ASM Inaugural Lecture 2009: High temperature superconductors: Materials, mechanisms and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roslan Abdul Shukor

2009-01-01

A surprising variety of new superconducting materials has been discovered in recent years. Many compounds with light elements such as fullerenes, oxides, borides, nitrides, some organic materials and also heavy fermions have been found to superconductor at various temperatures. Hitherto, superconductors have proven to be highly varied in composition but elusive and mysterious. The juxtaposition of superconductivity and magnetism at the nano scale in some of these new materials has paved the way to a rich and exciting new field in condensed matter and materials research. An overview of superconductor research in Malaysian institutions is presented in this paper. Some of the new superconducting materials and their possible mechanisms, conventional and exotic, are presented. The possible role of lattice vibrations in the mechanisms of high temperature superconductivity and the study of this via acoustic methods are discussed. Frozen flux superconductors in a nano magnet-superconductor hybrid system are also discussed. (author)

Flux pinning and superconducting properties of melt-textured NEG-123 superconductor with TiO.sub.2./sub. addition

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Muralidhar, M.; Jirsa, Miloš; Tomita, M.

2010-01-01

Roč. 470, 13-14 (2010), s. 592-597 ISSN 0921-4534 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/08/0722 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100520 Keywords : flux pinning, NEG-123 * high-Tc superconductors * high temperature levitation Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.407, year: 2010

Measurement of the magnetic field inside the holes of a drilled bulk high-Tc superconductor

Science.gov (United States)

Lousberg, Gregory P.; Fagnard, Jean-François; Noudem, Jacques G.; Ausloos, Marcel; Vanderheyden, Benoit; Vanderbemden, Philippe

2009-04-01

We use macroscopic holes drilled in a bulk YBCO superconductor to probe its magnetic properties in the volume of the sample. The sample is subjected to an AC magnetic flux with a density ranging from 30 to 130 mT and the flux in the superconductor is probed by miniature coils inserted in the holes. In a given hole, three different penetration regimes can be observed: (i) the shielded regime, where no magnetic flux threads the hole; (ii) the gradual penetration regime, where the waveform of the magnetic field has a clipped sine shape whose fundamental component scales with the applied field; and (iii) the flux concentration regime, where the waveform of the magnetic field is nearly a sine wave, with an amplitude exceeding that of the applied field by up to a factor of two. The distribution of the penetration regimes in the holes is compared with that of the magnetic flux density at the top and bottom surfaces of the sample, and is interpreted with the help of optical polarized light micrographs of these surfaces. We show that the measurement of the magnetic field inside the holes can be used as a local characterization of the bulk magnetic properties of the sample.

Spin dynamics in the pseudo-gap state of a high-temperature superconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hinkov, V; Lin, C T; Chen, D P; Keimer, B [Max Planck Inst Solid State Res, D-70569 Stuttgart, (Germany); Bourges, P; Pailhes, S; Sidis, Y [CEA, CNRS, CE Saclay, Lab Leon Brillouin, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette, (France); Ivanov, A [Inst Max Von Laue Paul Langevin, F-38042 Grenoble, (France); Frost, C D; Perring, T G [Rutherford Appleton Lab, ISIS Facil, Didcot OX11 0QX, Oxon, (United Kingdom)

2007-07-01

The pseudo-gap is one of the most pervasive phenomena of high-temperature superconductors. It is attributed either to incoherent Cooper pairing setting in above the superconducting transition temperature, Tc, or to a hidden order parameter competing with superconductivity. Here, we use inelastic neutron scattering from under-doped YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6.6} to show that the dispersion relations of spin excitations in the superconducting and pseudo-gap states are qualitatively different. Specifically, the extensively studied 'hour glass' shape of the magnetic dispersions in the superconducting state is no longer discernible in the pseudo-gap state and we observe an unusual 'vertical' dispersion with pronounced in-plane anisotropy. The differences between superconducting and pseudo-gap states are thus more profound than generally believed, suggesting a competition between these two states. Whereas the high-energy excitations are common to both states and obey the symmetry of the copper oxide square lattice, the low-energy excitations in the pseudo-gap state may be indicative of collective fluctuations towards a state with broken orientational symmetry predicted in theoretical work. (authors)

High-temperature superconductors make major progress

CERN Multimedia

CERN Bulletin

2014-01-01

This month's Nature Materials featured an important breakthrough for high-temperature superconductors. A new method has been found for processing Bi-2212 high-temperature superconducting round wire in order to drastically increase its critical current density. The result confirms that this conductor is a serious candidate for future very-high-field magnets.   This image shows the cross-section of two Bi-2212 wires. The bottom wire has less leakage and void porosity due to a heat treatment done at an overpressure of 100 bar - about 100 times the pressure used to produce the top wire (image from [Nature Materials, Vol. 13 (2014), 10.1038/nmat3887]). The workhorse for building superconducting accelerator magnets has been, so far, the Niobium-Titanium (Nb-Ti) alloy superconductor. But with Nb-Ti having reached its full potential, other conductors must be used to operate in higher magnetic fields beyond those reached with the LHC magnets. Today, the intermetallic Niobium-Tin (Nb3Sn) is th...

Pressure and high-Tc superconductivity in sulfur hydrides.

Science.gov (United States)

Gor'kov, Lev P; Kresin, Vladimir Z

2016-05-11

The paper discusses fundamentals of record-TC superconductivity discovered under high pressure in sulfur hydride. The rapid increase of TC with pressure in the vicinity of Pcr ≈ 123GPa is interpreted as the fingerprint of a first-order structural transition. Based on the cubic symmetry of the high-TC phase, it is argued that the lower-TC phase has a different periodicity, possibly related to an instability with a commensurate structural vector. In addition to the acoustic branches, the phonon spectrum of H3S contains hydrogen modes with much higher frequencies. Because of the complex spectrum, usual methods of calculating TC are here inapplicable. A modified approach is formulated and shown to provide realistic values for TC and to determine the relative contributions of optical and acoustic branches. The isotope effect (change of TC upon Deuterium for Hydrogen substitution) originates from high frequency phonons and differs in the two phases. The decrease of TC following its maximum in the high-TC phase is a sign of intermixing with pairing at hole-like pockets which arise in the energy spectrum of the cubic phase at the structural transition. On-pockets pairing leads to the appearance of a second gap and is remarkable for its non-adiabatic regime: hydrogen mode frequencies are comparable to the Fermi energy.

Application of High Temperature Superconductors to Accelerators

CERN Document Server

Ballarino, A

2000-01-01

Since the discovery of high temperature superconductivity, a large effort has been made by the scientific community to investigate this field towards a possible application of the new oxide superconductors to different devices like SMES, magnetic bearings, flywheels energy storage, magnetic shielding, transmission cables, fault current limiters, etc. However, all present day large scale applications using superconductivity in accelerator technology are based on conventional materials operating at liquid helium temperatures. Poor mechanical properties, low critical current density and sensitivity to the magnetic field at high temperature are the key parameters whose improvement is essential for a large scale application of high temperature superconductors to such devices. Current leads, used for transferring currents from the power converters, working at room temperature, into the liquid helium environment, where the magnets are operating, represent an immediate application of the emerging technology of high t...

Higher critical current density achieved in Bi-2223 High-Tc superconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.S. Shalaby

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox (Bi-2223 were prepared using a solid state reaction method at different sintering times and temperatures. Structural phase identifications have been done using X-Ray analysis and refinement by Reitveld method which proves the coexistence of Bi-2223 and Bi-2212 phases. The critical transition temperature Tc and critical current density Jc values were measured using superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer (SQUID and by the magneto-optics technique. A remarkable rapid decrease to the diamagnetic signal in the magnetization versus temperature M(T at 110 K and Jc around 1.2 × 107 A/m2 at 5 K are confirmed for the Bi-2223 compound.

New organic superconductors beta-(BDA-TTP)2X [BDA-TTP + 2,5-bis(1,3-dithian-2ylidene)-1,3,4,6-tetrathiapentalene; X(-) = SbF6(-), AsF6(-), and PF6(-)].

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, J; Watanabe, M; Akutsu, H; Nakatsuji, S; Nishikawa, H; Ikemoto, I; Kikuchi, K

2001-05-09

The synthesis, electrochemical properties, and molecular structure of a new pi-electron donor, 2,5-bis(1,3-dithian-2-ylidene)-1,3,4,6-tetrathiapentalene (BDA-TTP), is described. In contrast to the hitherto-known tetrachalcogenafulvalene pi-donors providing organic superconductors, this donor contains only the bis-fused 1,3-dithiole-2-ylidene unit as a pi-electron system, yet produces a series of ambient-pressure superconductors beta-(BDA-TTP)2X [X = SbF6 (magnetic T(c) = 6.9 K, resistive T(c) = 7.5 K), AsF6 (magnetic T(c) = 5.9 K, resistive T(c) = 5.8 K), and PF6 (magnetic T(c) = 5.9 K)], which are isostructural. The values of the intermolecular overlap integrals calculated on the donor layers of these superconductors suggest a two-dimensional (2D) electronic structure with loose donor packing. Tight-binding band calculations also indicate that these superconductors have the 2D band dispersion relations and closed Fermi surfaces.

Processing of bulk Bi-2223 high-temperature superconductor

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Alexander Polasek

2005-12-01

Full Text Available The Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3 O10+x (Bi-2223 is one of the main high temperature superconductors for applications. One of these applications is the Superconductor Fault Current Limiter (SCFCL, which is a very promising high temperature superconducting device. SCFCL's can be improved by using bulk superconductors with high critical currents, which requires a sufficiently dense and textured material. In the present work, a process for improving the microstructure of Bi-2223 bulk samples is investigated. Pressed precursor blocks are processed by sintering with a further partial melting step, in order to enhance the Bi-2223 grain texture and to healing cracks induced by pressing. In order to improve the microstructure, the precursor is mixed with silver powder before pressing. Samples with and without silver powder have been studied, with the aim of investigating the influence of silver on the microstructure evolution. The phase contents and the microstructure obtained have been analyzed through XRD and SEM/EDS. The electromagnetic characterization has been performed by Magnetic Susceptibility Analysis. We present and discuss the process and the properties of the superconducting blocks. High fractions of textured Bi-2223 grains have been obtained.

Superconductivity. Quasiparticle mass enhancement approaching optimal doping in a high-T(c) superconductor.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramshaw, B J; Sebastian, S E; McDonald, R D; Day, James; Tan, B S; Zhu, Z; Betts, J B; Liang, Ruixing; Bonn, D A; Hardy, W N; Harrison, N

2015-04-17

In the quest for superconductors with higher transition temperatures (T(c)), one emerging motif is that electronic interactions favorable for superconductivity can be enhanced by fluctuations of a broken-symmetry phase. Recent experiments have suggested the existence of the requisite broken-symmetry phase in the high-T(c) cuprates, but the impact of such a phase on the ground-state electronic interactions has remained unclear. We used magnetic fields exceeding 90 tesla to access the underlying metallic state of the cuprate YBa2Cu3O(6+δ) over a wide range of doping, and observed magnetic quantum oscillations that reveal a strong enhancement of the quasiparticle effective mass toward optimal doping. This mass enhancement results from increasing electronic interactions approaching optimal doping, and suggests a quantum critical point at a hole doping of p(crit) ≈ 0.18. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Of the crystal chemistry of Ruddlesden-Porter type structures in high Tc ceramic superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dwivedi, A.; Cormack, A.N.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on atomistic computer simulation employed to examine the energetics and crystal chemistry of some Ruddlesden-Popper type oxide superconductors. Similar structural patterns have been noticed in the superconducting oxides. The formation of Ruddlesden-Popper type layers (alternating slabs of rocksalt and perovskite structures) is similar in many respects to that seen in the system Sr-Ti-O. However, there are some significant differences, for example, the rocksalt and perovskite blocks in the new superconducting compounds are not necessarily electrically neutral unlike in the Sr-Ti-O system and this may well lead to significant differences in their structural chemistry

Chemistry of high temperature superconductors

CERN Document Server

1991-01-01

This review volume contains the most up-to-date articles on the chemical aspects of high temperature oxide superconductors. These articles are written by some of the leading scientists in the field and includes a comprehensive list of references. This is an essential volume for researchers working in the fields of ceramics, materials science and chemistry.

High Temperature Superconductor Bolometers for Planetary Science

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This work is a design study of an instrument optimized for JPL's novel high temperature superconductor bolometers. The work involves designing an imaging...

Bottlenecks reduction using superconductors in high voltage transmission lines

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Daloub Labib

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Energy flow bottlenecks in high voltage transmission lines known as congestions are one of the challenges facing power utilities in fast developing countries. Bottlenecks occur in selected power lines when transmission systems are operated at or beyond their transfer limits. In these cases, congestions result in preventing new power supply contracts, infeasibility in existing contracts, price spike and market power abuse. The “Superconductor Technology” in electric power transmission cables has been used as a solution to solve the problem of bottlenecks in energy transmission at high voltage underground cables and overhead lines. The increase in demand on power generation and transmission happening due to fast development and linked to the intensive usage of transmission network in certain points, which in turn, lead to often frequent congestion in getting the required power across to where it is needed. In this paper, a bottleneck in high voltage double overhead transmission line with Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced was modeled using conductor parameters and replaced by Gap-Type Superconductor to assess the benefit of upgrading to higher temperature superconductor and obtain higher current carrying capacity. This proved to reduce the high loading of traditional aluminum conductors and allow more power transfer over the line using superconductor within the same existing right-of-way, steel towers, insulators and fittings, thus reducing the upgrade cost of building new lines.

On the applicability of the critical state model to the description of electromagnetic properties of high-Tc superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisher, L.M.; Il' in, N.V.; Voloshin, I.F. (All-Russian Electrical Engineering Inst., Moscow (Russia)); Makarov, N.M.; Yampol' skii, V.A. (Inst. for Radiophysics and Electronics, Ukr. Acad. Sci., Karkov (Ukraine)); Perez Rodriguez, F. (Inst. de Fisica, Univ. Autonoma de Puebla, Rue (Mexico)); Snyder, R.L. (New York State Coll. of Ceramics, Alfred Univ. (United States))

1993-02-20

The frequency dependence of the surface impedance of superconductors have been studied experimentally and theoretically in the radio frequency range. Its essential deviation was found from the linear law predicted by the usual critical state model. The character of this deviation depends qualitatively on the amplitude of the radio wave. We have established the frequency limits of applicability of the traditional critical state model. Results obtained print out an explanation in the frame of the modified model where we take into account the contribution of a dissipative term to the screening current. The value of this is connected with the V-I plot of the superconductor, so it is possible to obtain information about the V-I characteristics by the contactless method. (orig.).

High temperature superconductors

CERN Document Server

Paranthaman, Parans

2010-01-01

This essential reference provides the most comprehensive presentation of the state of the art in the field of high temperature superconductors. This growing field of research and applications is currently being supported by numerous governmental and industrial initiatives in the United States, Asia and Europe to overcome grid energy distribution issues. The technology is particularly intended for densely populated areas. It is now being commercialized for power-delivery devices, such as power transmission lines and cables, motors and generators. Applications in electric utilities include current limiters, long transmission lines and energy-storage devices that will help industries avoid dips in electric power.

New Intermetallic Ternary Phosphide Chalcogenide AP2-xXx (A = Zr, Hf; X = S, Se) Superconductors with PbFCl-Type Crystal Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Kitô, Hijiri; Yanagi, Yousuke; Ishida, Shigeyuki; Oka, Kunihiko; Gotoh, Yoshito; Fujihisa, Hiroshi; Yoshida, Yoshiyuki; Iyo, Akira; Eisaki, Hiroshi

2014-07-01

We have synthesized a series of intermetallic ternary phosphide chalcogenide superconductors, AP2-xXx (A = Zr, Hf; X = S, Se), using the high-pressure synthesis technique. These materials have a PbFCl-type crystal structure (space group P4/nmm) when x is greater than 0.3. The superconducting transition temperature Tc changes systematically with x, yielding dome-like phase diagrams. The maximum Tc is achieved at approximately x = 0.7, at which point the Tc is 6.3 K for ZrP2-xSex (x = 0.75), 5.5 K for HfP2-xSex (x = 0.7), 5.0 K for ZrP2-xSx (x = 0.675), and 4.6 K for Hfp2-xSx (x = 0.5). They are typical type-II superconductors and the upper and lower critical fields are estimated to be 2.92 T at 0 K and 0.021 T at 2 K for ZrP2-xSex (x = 0.75), respectively.

Effect of Zn on the structural and electrical properties of high temperature HgBa2Ca2Cu3O8+δ superconductor

Science.gov (United States)

Omar, Bilal A.; Fathi, Sabah J.; Jassim, Kareem A.

2018-05-01

Bulk polycrystalline HgBa2Ca2-yZnyCu3O8+δ compound samples with y =0.0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, and 0.3, are synthesized by a solid state reaction process. Study identifies Zinc partial substitution on superconductivity behavior. Structural properties are studied by using X-ray powder pattern, the high temperature phase superconductor (Hg-1223) of the tetragonal structure didn't change with the partial substitution of Zn ions in Ca site, lattice parameters c, c/a are established to vary Zn-substitution. The surface morphology has been studied by using atomic force microscopes (AFM), showed that all specimens have good crystalline and homogeneous surface. Also give a best nano size value is 83.29 nm at y=0.05. Four probe technique is used to measure Tc. The highest Tc and oxygen content were found to be Tc=132 K for y=0.05 after that, Tc decreases from 132 K to 115 K with increasing Zn. In addition, dielectric properties (dielectric constant, dielectric loss factor, and the alternating electrical conductivity) are characterized directly by relating with Zn concentration.

Pseudogap and the specific heat of high Tc superconductors: a Hubbard model in a n-pole approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calegari, E J; Lausmann, A C; Magalhaes, S G; Chaves, C M; Troper, A

2015-01-01

In this work the specific heat of a two-dimensional Hubbard model, suitable to discuss high-T c superconductors (HTSC), is studied taking into account hopping to first (t) and second (t 2 ) nearest neighbors. Experimental results for the specific heat of HTSC's, for instance, the YBCO and LSCO, indicate a close relation between the pseudogap and the specific heat. In the present work, we investigate the specific heat by the Green's function method within a n-pole approximation. The specific heat is calculated on the pseudogap and on the superconducting regions. In the present scenario, the pseudogap emerges when the antiferromagnetic (AF) fluctuations become sufficiently strong. The specific heat jump coefficient Δγ decreases when the total occupation per site (n T ) reaches a given value. Such behavior of Δγ indicates the presence of a pseudogap in the regime of high occupation

Structural changes between 100 and 300 K of the high-Tc superconductor Y-Ba-Cu-O studied by positron annihilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, S.J.; Li, X.H.; Chen, Y.L.; Li, S.Q.; Fong, G.H.; Wang, Z.

1989-01-01

The structural changes of the high-T c superconductor Y-Ba-Cu-O between 100 and 300 K are studied by positron lifetime and Doppler broadening measurements as a function of temperature. There are anomalous changes in the positron lifetimes and Doppler broadening S-parameters near 130 and 260 K, which is consistent with some reported experimental results. These anomalies may be caused by the lattice instabilities, such as the ordering readjustment of oxygen vacancies. (author)

Weak-link-induced thermoelectricity in U-shaped BSCCO superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doyle, R.A.; Gridin, V.V.

1992-01-01

The recently reported weak-link-induced analogue of the Fountain effect in high-Tc superconductors involves measurement of the response of a micro-bridge-shaped sample to superimposed electrical and thermal gradients. This geometry is however asymmetric since the current contacts are always at different temperatures. Consequently doubts might be expressed about the interference of Peltier effects at the current contacts with the measured symmetry in the I-V characteristics of the sample. We have studied the temrature dependence of the voltage response of U-shaped samples of polycrystalline BSCCO 2212 superconductor in the presence of a parallel applied temperature gradient and applied current when the current direction is reversed. It is shown that this method is directly complementary to the measurement of asymmetry in critical current density by use of I-V characteristics at fixed temperature. The U-shaped geometry employed here allows the current electrodes to be held equipotential and at the same temperature. Our results show that the Fountain effect, which is due to supercurrent-induced phase differences across weak links in the sample, is apparent in this material when measured using the U-shaped geometry. This provides further support for the importance of weak-link-related thermoelectric effects in high-temperature superconductors. (orig.)

Electrical Transport Through Tunnel Barriers and Thin Dielectric Layers and Physical Properties of the High Tc Oxide Superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

1990-03-26

Josephson Tipo Emparedado con Barrera de (Nb-Si)-Amorto," PhD. Thesis, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, May 1989. 17. E.S. Hellman, D.G...A15 Nb-Sn," Phys. Rev. B 30, p. 2590 (1984). 4. S.J. Bending, R.H. Hammond, and M.R. Beasley, "Superconductivity in the High-Tc A15 V-6a System," Bull

[Theory of exotic superconducting and normal states of heavy electron and high Tc materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

This paper discusses: quadrupole Kondo effect; heavy electron transport properties; quadrupolar fluctuation mechanism for high-T c superconductors; research accomplishments for the t--J model of high-T c superconductors; interpretation of high-T c superconductors experimental data; and dynamics of strongly correlated systems

High-Tc SNS Junctions: A New Generation of Proximity-Coupled Josephson Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinsasser, A. W.

1997-01-01

This paper reviews this evolution of proximity - coupled Josephson jucntion from the early investigations on low temperature superconductor-normal -superconductor junctions through the introduction of hybrid superconductor-semiconductor devices and the resulting interest in mesoscopic Josephson junctions, to the recent development of high temperature devices.

Compensated electron and hole pockets in an underdoped high- Tc superconductor

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastian, Suchitra E.; Harrison, N.; Goddard, P. A.; Altarawneh, M. M.; Mielke, C. H.; Liang, Ruixing; Bonn, D. A.; Hardy, W. N.; Andersen, O. K.; Lonzarich, G. G.

2010-06-01

We report quantum oscillations in the underdoped high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O6+x over a wide range in magnetic field 28≤μ0H≤85T corresponding to ≈12 oscillations, enabling the Fermi surface topology to be mapped to high resolution. As earlier reported by Sebastian [Nature (London) 454, 200 (2008)10.1038/nature07095], we find a Fermi surface comprising multiple pockets, as revealed by the additional distinct quantum oscillation frequencies and harmonics reported in this work. We find the originally reported broad low-frequency Fourier peak at ≈535T to be clearly resolved into three separate peaks at ≈460 , ≈532 , and ≈602T , in reasonable agreement with the reported frequencies of Audouard [Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 157003 (2009)10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.157003]. However, our increased resolution and angle-resolved measurements identify these frequencies to originate from two similarly sized pockets with greatly contrasting degrees of interlayer corrugation. The spectrally dominant frequency originates from a pocket (denoted α ) that is almost ideally two-dimensional in form (exhibiting negligible interlayer corrugation). In contrast, the newly resolved weaker adjacent spectral features originate from a deeply corrugated pocket (denoted γ ). On comparison with band structure, the d -wave symmetry of the interlayer dispersion locates the minimally corrugated α pocket at the “nodal” point knodal=(π/2,π/2) , and the significantly corrugated γ pocket at the “antinodal” point kantinodal=(π,0) within the Brillouin zone. The differently corrugated pockets at different locations indicate creation by translational symmetry breaking—a spin-density wave has been suggested from the suppression of Zeeman splitting for the spectrally dominant pocket. In a broken-translational symmetry scenario, symmetry points to the nodal (α) pocket corresponding to holes, with the weaker antinodal (γ) pocket corresponding to electrons—likely responsible

Simple method for resistance measurements on thin films and bulk of high T_c superconducting materials

Science.gov (United States)

Alzetta, G.; Arimondo, E.; Celli, R. M.; Fuso, F.

1994-08-01

Two experimental techniques for measuring resistivity behaviour of high T_c ceramic superconductors in bulk or thin films are described. Particular attention has been given to the development of a four point contact system, easy to use for reliable resistance measurements under repeated, wide thermal cycles. On expose deux méthodes de mesure de la résistivité des supraconducteurs HTc en forme de couches minces déposées sur un substrat ou des céramiques frittées. Le dispositif de mesure, qui a été réalisé avec quatre contacts élastiques, permet d'obtenir des résultats reproductibles dans de très larges intervalles de température.

Superconductores de alta Tc, diez años después

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Mariño Camargo

1996-07-01

Full Text Available This contribution is a short review of the current state of the high temperature superconductivity. After ten years of research in this field. A description of the common characteristics of the new sllperconducting materials is followed by the discussion of so me releva nt problems that limit their applications. Sorne aspects related to the determination of the mechanisms responsibles for the high Tc superconductivity are mentioned.

Basic aspects of high-Tc grain boundary devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mannhart, J.; Moler, K.A.; Sigrist, M.

1996-01-01

Grain boundaries are extensively used as high-quality Josephson junctions in high-T c superconductors. Their superconducting characteristics can generally be well described by conventional models of strongly coupled Josephson junctions. Here, we report on highly anomalous critical current vs. magnetic field dependencies of grain boundaries in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x . Direct imaging with scanning SQUID microscopy provides evidence of magnetic flux generated by single grain boundaries. Conventional Josephson junction models cannot explain these effects if a superconducting order parameter with a pure s-wave symmetry is assumed. The results have significant implications for our understanding of the properties of grain boundaries in high-T c superconductors and for their applications. (orig.)

On the force relaxation in the magnetic levitation system with a high-Tc superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smolyak, B M; Zakharov, M S

2014-01-01

The effect of magnetic flux creep on the lift force in a magnet/superconductor system was studied. It was shown experimentally that in the case of real levitation (when a levitating object bears only on a magnetic field) the suspension height and consequently the lift force did not change over a long period of time. When the levitating object is fixed for some time (i.e. a rigid constraint is imposed on it), the levitation height decreases after removal of the external constraint. It is assumed that free oscillations of the levitating object slow down the flux creep process, which is activated when these oscillations are suppressed. (paper)

Computer modelling of high-temperature superconductors using an A-V formulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruiz-Alonso, D; Coombs, T; Campbell, A M [Cambridge University Engineering Department, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ (United Kingdom)

2004-05-01

Numerical methods for calculating the current and field distribution in high-temperature superconductors under non-uniform time-varying fields are being investigated. The highly non-linear behaviour of superconductors makes them difficult to analyse and computationally expensive. This non-linear behaviour is often accounted for through a non-linear E-J constitutive law. This paper proposes a fast method based on the finite element method to solve 2D and axially symmetric problems that contain superconducting materials. An E-J power law together with an A-V formulation is used to calculate the induction of currents in the superconductor due to time-varying external magnetic fields or forced transport current. Experimental data of a magnet-above-superconductor system is obtained in order to validate the model. In the experimental set-up a magnet is brought towards a superconducting puck at different speed rates and is also vibrated on top of it. The force between the magnet and the superconductor is measured and is found to vary with both time and frequency of excitation.

Computer modelling of high-temperature superconductors using an A-V formulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruiz-Alonso, D; Coombs, T; Campbell, A M

2004-01-01

Numerical methods for calculating the current and field distribution in high-temperature superconductors under non-uniform time-varying fields are being investigated. The highly non-linear behaviour of superconductors makes them difficult to analyse and computationally expensive. This non-linear behaviour is often accounted for through a non-linear E-J constitutive law. This paper proposes a fast method based on the finite element method to solve 2D and axially symmetric problems that contain superconducting materials. An E-J power law together with an A-V formulation is used to calculate the induction of currents in the superconductor due to time-varying external magnetic fields or forced transport current. Experimental data of a magnet-above-superconductor system is obtained in order to validate the model. In the experimental set-up a magnet is brought towards a superconducting puck at different speed rates and is also vibrated on top of it. The force between the magnet and the superconductor is measured and is found to vary with both time and frequency of excitation

Development of (Nb,Ta3Sn multifilamentary superconductor wire for high current applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Durval Rodrigues Jr.

2000-10-01

Full Text Available The optimization of the energy generated by a MagnetoHydroDynamic (MHD channel using a superconducting magnet demands the optimization of the magnetic field of the system and of the critical points on the magnet winding. This work must include the development of a high performance superconductor wire suitable for this system. Aiming to the construction of improved performance MHD channel, it was developed a low cost superconductor wire, with the required characteristics. The wire was made using a technology compatible with the assembling steps and heat treatment conditions of the MHD superconducting magnets fabrication. It was used the internal Sn method in Nb-7.5wt%Ta tube to fabricate a 271-filament wire with a diameter of 0.81 mm and a Cu/nonCu ratio of 2.3. The wire was heat treated at 200 °C to diffuse the Sn into the Cu shell, producing bronze, followed by the final reaction at temperatures ranging from 670 °C to 730 °C during 25 to 150 h, to produce (Nb,Ta3Sn. The superconducting wire characterization was made measuring the critical current Ic versus the applied magnetic field in the range of 5 to 20 T, the critical temperature Tc and the residual resistivity ratio (RRR. The wire transported critical currents above those available in commercial superconducting wires. These values of Ic are higher than the expected values for the optimization of the MHD channel.

Studies of high temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narlikar, A.

1989-01-01

The high temperature superconductors (HTSCs) discovered are from the family of ceramic oxides. Their large scale utilization in electrical utilities and in microelectronic devices are the frontal challenges which can perhaps be effectively met only through consolidated efforts and expertise of a multidisciplinary nature. During the last two years the growth of the new field has occurred on an international scale and perhaps has been more rapid than in most other fields. There has been an extraordinary rush of data and results which are continually being published as short texts dispersed in many excellent journals, some of which were started to ensure rapid publication exclusively in this field. As a result, the literature on HTSCs has indeed become so massive and so diffuse that it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep abreast with the important and reliable facets of this fast-growing field. This provided the motivation to evolve a process whereby both professional investigators and students can have ready access to up-to- date in-depth accounts of major technical advances happening in this field. The present series Studies of High Temperature Superconductors has been launched to, at least in part, fulfill this need

High Temperature Superconductor Accelerator Magnets

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2079328; de Rijk, Gijs; Dhalle, Marc

2016-11-10

For future particle accelerators bending dipoles are considered with magnetic fields exceeding $20T$. This can only be achieved using high temperature superconductors (HTS). These exhibit different properties from classical low temperature superconductors and still require significant research and development before they can be applied in a practical accelerator magnet. In order to study HTS in detail, a five tesla demonstrator magnet named Feather-M2 is designed and constructed. The magnet is based on ReBCO coated conductor, which is assembled into a $10kA$ class Roebel cable. A new and optimized Aligned Block layout is used, which takes advantage of the anisotropy of the conductor. This is achieved by providing local alignment of the Roebel cable in the coil windings with the magnetic field lines. A new Network Model capable of analyzing transient electro-magnetic and thermal phenomena in coated conductor cables and coils is developed. This model is necessary to solve critical issues in coated conductor ac...

Direct images and unconventional dynamics of vortices in the high-Tc superconductors YBCO (123) and BSCCO (2212)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gammel, P.L.; Bishop, D.; Murray, C.; Huse, D.

1991-01-01

Static imaging has been used to complement transport I-V measurements in inferring the phase diagram and structure of the mixed state of the high T c superconductors YBCO(123) and BSCCO (2212). High resolution Bitter patterns reveal the static structure of the flux lattice in the low field mixed state of BSCCO (2212). For B parallel c, the in-plane effective mass anisotropy is found to distort the lattice. Rotation of the field away from the c axis results in the appearance of a unique structure: a striking array of vortex chains. At low fields, the pattern is otherwise amorphous. Increasing the field above ∼ 20G results in an abrupt transition into an hexatic phase. At high fields, I-V curves with picovolt resolution imply critical behavior within the mixed state, consistent in both 123 and 2212 with a three-dimensional vortex glass transition well below T c . In 2212, a field and temperature dependent crossover in the effective dimensionality of the vortex lattice is also found

The local structure of high-temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mustre de Leon, J.; Conradson, S.D.; Bishop, A.R.; Raistrick, I.D.

1992-01-01

We show how x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) has been successfully used in the determination of the local crystal structure of high-temperature superconductors, with advantages over traditional diffraction techniques. We review the experimental results that yielded the first evidence for an axial-oxygen-centered lattice instability connected with the superconductivity transition. The interpretation of this instability in terms of a dynamical tunneling model suggests the presence of polarons in these materials. XAFS on Tl 2 Ba 2 CuO 6 and other Tl-based superconductors indicate the presence of local instabilities in the CuO 2 planes of these materials, in addition to axial-oxygen instabilities

Influence of multiband sign-changing superconductivity on vortex cores and vortex pinning in stoichiometric high-Tc CaKFe4As4

Science.gov (United States)

Fente, Antón; Meier, William R.; Kong, Tai; Kogan, Vladimir G.; Bud'ko, Sergey L.; Canfield, Paul C.; Guillamón, Isabel; Suderow, Hermann

2018-04-01

We use a scanning tunneling microscope to study the superconducting density of states and vortex lattice of single crystals of CaKFe4As4 . This material has a critical temperature of Tc=35 K, one of the highest among stoichiometric iron based superconductors (FeBSCs), and is comparable to Tc found near optimal doping in other FeBSCs. We observe quasiparticle scattering from defects with a pattern related to interband scattering between zone centered hole sheets. We measure the tunneling conductance in vortex cores and find a peak due to Caroli-de Gennes-Matricon bound states. The peak is located above the Fermi level, showing that CaKFe4As4 is a clean superconductor with vortex core bound states close to the so-called extreme quantum limit. We identify locations where the superconducting order parameter is strongly suppressed due to pair breaking. Vortices are pinned at these locations, and the length scale of the suppression of the order parameter is of order of the vortex core size. As a consequence, the vortex lattice is disordered up to 8 T.

High-Tc superconducting electric motors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schiferl, R.; Stein, J.

1992-01-01

In this paper, the advantages and limitations of using superconductors in motors are discussed. A synchronous motor with a high temperature superconducting field winding for pump and fan drive applications is described and some of its unique design features are identified. A 10,000 horsepower superconducting motor design is presented. The critical field and current density requirements for high temperature superconducting wire in motors is discussed. Finally, recent progress in superconducting wire performance is presented

High-pressure effects on isotropic superconductivity in the iron-free layered pnictide superconductor BaPd2As2

Science.gov (United States)

Abdel-Hafiez, M.; Zhao, Y.; Huang, Z.; Cho, C.-w.; Wong, C. H.; Hassen, A.; Ohkuma, M.; Fang, Y.-W.; Pan, B.-J.; Ren, Z.-A.; Sadakov, A.; Usoltsev, A.; Pudalov, V.; Mito, M.; Lortz, R.; Krellner, C.; Yang, W.

2018-04-01

While the layered 122 iron arsenide superconductors are highly anisotropic, unconventional, and exhibit several forms of electronic orders that coexist or compete with superconductivity in different regions of their phase diagrams, we find in the absence of iron in the structure that the superconducting characteristics of the end member BaPd2As2 are surprisingly conventional. Here we report on complementary measurements of specific heat, magnetic susceptibility, resistivity measurements, Andreev spectroscopy, and synchrotron high pressure x-ray diffraction measurements supplemented with theoretical calculations for BaPd2As2 . Its superconducting properties are completely isotropic as demonstrated by the critical fields, which do not depend on the direction of the applied field. Under the application of high pressure, Tc is linearly suppressed, which is the typical behavior of classical phonon-mediated superconductors with some additional effect of a pressure-induced decrease in the electronic density of states and the electron-phonon coupling parameters. Structural changes in the layered BaPd2As2 have been studied by means of angle-dispersive diffraction in a diamond-anvil cell. At 12 GPa and 24.2 GPa we observed pressure induced lattice distortions manifesting as the discontinuity and, hence discontinuity in the Birch-Murnaghan equation of state. The bulk modulus is B0=40 (6 ) GPa below 12 GPa and B0=142 (3 ) GPa below 27.2 GPa.

Evolutions structurales et effets de pression dans des céramiques supraconductrices à haute T_c

Science.gov (United States)

Gavarri, J. R.; Carel, C.; Monnereau, O.; Vacquier, G.; Vettier, C.; Hewat, A. W.

1991-11-01

Using structural evolution data and a method permitting the calculation of elastic constants and Grüneisen parameters, the thermal expansion of two high T_c superconductors is interpreted. It is shown that the superconductors YBaCuO (123) and BiSrCaCuO (2212) present strongly different elastic and anharmonic properties. En appliquant une méthode déjà mise au point sur d'autres composés (Gavarri, 1981), l'évolution structurale de deux supraconducteurs à haute T_c est interprétée par le biais de leurs compressibilités anisotropes et de leurs coefficients de Grüneisen, obtenus par diffraction de neutrons et de rayons X. On montre ici que les supraconducteurs YBaCuO (123) et BiSrCaCuO (2212) diffèrent considérablement par leurs compressibilités anisotropes et par leurs coefficients de Grüneisen.

Epitaxial effects in thin films of high-Tc cuprates with the K2NiF4 structure

Science.gov (United States)

Naito, Michio; Sato, Hisashi; Tsukada, Akio; Yamamoto, Hideki

2018-03-01

La2-xSrxCuO4 (LSCO) and La2-xBaxCuO4 (LBCO) have been recognized as the archetype materials of "hole-doped" high-Tc superconductors. Their crystal structures are relatively simple with a small number of constituent cation elements. In addition, the doping level can be varied by the chemical substitution over a wide range enough to obtain the full spectrum of doping-dependent electronic and magnetic properties. These attractive features have dedicated many researchers to thin-film growth of LSCO and LBCO. The critical temperature (Tc) of LSCO and LBCO is sensitive to strain as manifested by a positive pressure coefficient of Tc in bulk samples. In general, films are strained if they are grown on lattice-mismatched substrates (epitaxial strain). Early attempts (before 1997) at the growth of LSCO and LBCO films resulted in depressed Tc below 30 K as they were grown on a commonly used SrTiO3 substrate (in-plane lattice parameter asub = 3.905 Å): the in-plane lattice parameters of LSCO and LBCO are ≤3.80 Å, and hence tensile epitaxial strain is introduced. The situation was changed by the use of LaSrAlO4 substrates with a slightly shorter in-plane lattice constant (asub = 3.756 Å). On LaSrAlO4 substrates, the Tc reaches 45 K in La1.85Sr0.15CuO4, 47 K in La1.85Ba0.15CuO4, and 56 K in ozone-oxidized La2CuO4+δ films, substantially higher than the Tc's of the bulk compounds. The Tc increase in La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 films on LaSrAlO4 and decrease on SrTiO3 are semi-quantitatively in accord with the phenomenological estimations based on the anisotropic strain coefficients of Tc (dTc/dεi). In this review article, we describe the growth and properties of films of cuprates having the K2NiF4 structure, mainly focusing on the increase/decrease of Tc by epitaxial strain and quasi-stable phase formation by epitaxial stabilization. We further extract the structural and/or physical parameters controlling Tc toward microscopic understanding of the variation of Tc by epitaxial strain.

High pressure study of high-temperature superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souliou, Sofia-Michaela

2014-09-29

The current thesis studies experimentally the effect of high external pressure on high-T{sub c} superconductors. The structure and lattice dynamics of several members of the high-T{sub c} cuprate and Fe-based superconductors families were investigated by means of Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction under well-controlled, hydrostatic high pressure and low temperature conditions. The lattice dynamics of the high-T{sub c} superconductor YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6+x} have been investigated systematically by Raman spectroscopy as a function of doping (x = 0.95, 0.75, 0.60, 0.55, and 0.45) and external pressure. Under ambient pressure conditions, in addition to the Raman modes expected from group theory, we observe new Raman active phonons upon cooling the underdoped samples, at temperatures well above the superconducting transition temperature. The doping dependence and the onset temperatures of the new Raman features suggest that they are associated with the incommensurate charge density wave (CDW) state recently discovered in underdoped cuprates using synchrotron X-ray scattering techniques. Under high pressure conditions (from 2 to 12 GPa), our Raman measurements on highly ordered underdoped YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6.55} samples do not show any of the new Raman phonons seen at ambient pressure. High pressure and low temperature Raman measurements have been performed on the underdoped superconductor YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 4}O{sub 8}. A clear renormalization of some of the Raman phonons is seen below T{sub c} as a result of the changes in the phonon self-energy upon the opening of the superconducting gap, with the most prominent one being that of the B{sub 1g}-like buckling phonon mode. The amplitude of this renormalization strongly increases with pressure, resembling the effect of hole doping in YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6+x}. At ∝ 10 GPa, the system undergoes a reversible pressure-induced structural phase transition to a non-centrosymmmetric structure (space group

High pressure study of high-temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souliou, Sofia-Michaela

2014-01-01

The current thesis studies experimentally the effect of high external pressure on high-T c superconductors. The structure and lattice dynamics of several members of the high-T c cuprate and Fe-based superconductors families were investigated by means of Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction under well-controlled, hydrostatic high pressure and low temperature conditions. The lattice dynamics of the high-T c superconductor YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+x have been investigated systematically by Raman spectroscopy as a function of doping (x = 0.95, 0.75, 0.60, 0.55, and 0.45) and external pressure. Under ambient pressure conditions, in addition to the Raman modes expected from group theory, we observe new Raman active phonons upon cooling the underdoped samples, at temperatures well above the superconducting transition temperature. The doping dependence and the onset temperatures of the new Raman features suggest that they are associated with the incommensurate charge density wave (CDW) state recently discovered in underdoped cuprates using synchrotron X-ray scattering techniques. Under high pressure conditions (from 2 to 12 GPa), our Raman measurements on highly ordered underdoped YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6.55 samples do not show any of the new Raman phonons seen at ambient pressure. High pressure and low temperature Raman measurements have been performed on the underdoped superconductor YBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 . A clear renormalization of some of the Raman phonons is seen below T c as a result of the changes in the phonon self-energy upon the opening of the superconducting gap, with the most prominent one being that of the B 1g -like buckling phonon mode. The amplitude of this renormalization strongly increases with pressure, resembling the effect of hole doping in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+x . At ∝ 10 GPa, the system undergoes a reversible pressure-induced structural phase transition to a non-centrosymmmetric structure (space group Imm2). The structural transition is clearly reflected in the high pressure

μSR-investigation of high-Tc superconductors at the LNP JINR phasotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bezhitadze, D.T.; Borovinskaya, I.P.; Burianek, J.

1989-01-01

High-T c superconductors La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 (x=0+0.25), Ho(Er)Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-y and Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O (the main phase 2212 with a small admixture of the 2223-phase) were investigated in the zero and 100+400 Oe transverse external magnetic fields in the temperature interval 4.2+300 K. The magnetic ordering for the La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 samples with x=0.00 and x=0.01 occurs below T N ∝250 K and T N ∝170 K respectively. A considerable increase in the distribution width of the magnetic field on the muon with an increase in the Sr-content indicates an enhancement of the Cu 2+ magnetic moment deviation from the magnetic ordering axis. The results of the analysis of the μSR spectra indicate the formation of the spin glass state in the La 1.93 Sr 0.07 CuO 4 sample. In contrast to the behaviour of the HoBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-y ceramic the magnetic ordering of the Er-atoms in the ErBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-y sample is not observed in the conparable temperature interval. Our data has also allowed the magnetic field penetration depth λ perpendicular (0) to be determined: 3200±70 A for La 1.9 Sr 0.1 CuO 4 , 2420±60 A for La 1.85 Sr 0.15 CuO 4 , 2000±50 A for Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O (phase 2212), 1600±50 A for ErBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-y . 20 refs.; 8 figs

Low-energy physics of high-temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emery, V.J.; Kivelson, S.A.

1992-01-01

It is argued that the low-energy properties of high temperature superconductors are dominated by the interaction between the mobile holes and a particular class of collective modes, corresponding to local large-amplitude low-energy fluctuations in the hole density. The latter are a consequence of the competition between the effects of long-range Coulomb interactions and the tendency of a low concentration of holes in an antiferromagnet to phase separate. The low-energy behavior of the system is governed by the same fixed point as the two-channel Kondo problem, which accounts for the ''universality'' of the properties of the cuprate superconductors. Predictions of the optical properties and the spin dynamics are compared with experiment. The pairing resonance of the two Kondo problem gives a mechanism of high temperature superconductivity with an unconventional symmetry of the order parameter

Improvement of maglev model using high Tc superconductors and soft magnetic materials; Koon chodendotai to nanjiseitai wo kumiawaseta jiki fujo kiko no kairyo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsutsui, Y [Yasukawa Electric Corp., Kitakyushu (Japan). Basic Research Lab.; Higuchi, T [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology, Kawasaki (Japan); Kondo, N [Univ. of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan)

1995-02-25

In this study, in a magnetic levitation system using pinning force of high temperature superconductors, for a propose of magnification of the stable contactless gap length and exclusion of mass regulation of a floater, a magnetic levitation model was improved. That is, the tangential component of an attractive force between a high temperature superconductor where magnetic flux was pinned and magnetic material is used for levitation and stable force in up and down directions, and restoring force generated due to pinned flux gathering was used for horizontal stabilization. For a floater made by using this principle, weight addition was necessary for letting the center of gravity down, however self-weight regulation of a floater is originally unnecessary. Thus, a magnetic levitation apparatus can be made without self-weight regulation of suspension and having a wide stable gap by using this levitation method. Since the floater was constructed under two rails, there are good points on easily dealing with the safety countermeasure in cases of which levitation would reduce or disappear. 4 refs., 7 figs.

Influence of lateral displacement on the levitation performance of a magnetized bulk high-Tc superconductor magnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, W.; Wang, J.S.; Ma, G.T.; Zheng, J.; Tuo, X.G.; Li, L.L.; Ye, C.Q.; Liao, X.L.; Wang, S.Y.

2012-01-01

Compared with the permanent magnet, the magnetized bulk high-T c superconductor magnet (MBSCM) can trap higher magnetic field due to its strong flux pinning ability, so it is a good candidate to improve the levitation performance of high-T c superconductive (HTS) maglev system. The trapped magnetic flux of a MBSCM is sustained by the inductive superconducting current produced by the magnetizing process and is susceptible to the current intensity as well as configuration. In the HTS maglev system, the lateral displacement is an important process to change the superconducting current within a MBSCM and then affects its levitation performance, which is essential for the traffic ability in curve-way, the loading capacity of lateral impact and so on. The research about influence of lateral displacement on the levitation performance of MBSCM is necessary when MBSCM is applied on the HTS maglev vehicle. The experimental investigations about the influence of lateral displacement on the levitation performance of a MBSCM with different trapped fluxes and applied fields are processed in this article. The analyses and conclusions of this article are useful for the practical application of MBSCM in HTS maglev system.

Boundary conditions in Ginsburg Landau theory and critical temperature of high-T superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Lykov, A. N.

2008-06-01

New mixed boundary conditions to the Ginsburg-Landau equations are found to limit the critical temperature ( T) of high- T superconductors. Moreover, the value of the pseudogap in these superconductors can be explained by using the method. As a result, the macroscopic approach is proposed to increase T of cuprate superconductors.

Theory of novel normal and superconducting states in doped oxide high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dzhumanov, S.

2001-10-01

A consistent and complete theory of the novel normal and superconducting (SC) states of doped high-T c superconductors (HTSC) is developed by combining the continuum model of carrier self-trapping, the tight-binding model and the novel Fermi-Bose-liquid (FBL) model. The ground-state energy of carriers in lightly doped HTSC is calculated within the continuum model and adiabatic approximation using the variational method. The destruction of the long-range antiferromagnetic (AF) order at low doping x≥ x cl ≅0.015, the formation of the in-gap states or bands and novel (bi)polaronic insulating phases at x c2 ≅0.06-0.08, and the new metal- insulator transition at x≅x c2 in HTSC are studied within the continuum model of impurity (defect) centers and large (bi)polarons by using the appropriate tight-binding approximations. It is found that the three-dimensional (3d) large (bi)polarons are formed at ε ∞ /ε 0 ≤0.1 and become itinerant when the (bi)polaronic insulator-to-(bi)polaronic metal transitions occur at x x c2 . We show that the novel pseudogapped metallic and SC states in HTSC are formed at x c2 ≤x≤x p ≅0.20-0.24. We demonstrate that the large polaronic and small BCS-like pairing pseudogaps opening in the excitation spectrum of underdoped (x c2 BCS =0.125), optimally doped (x BCS o ≅0.20) and overdoped (x>x o ) HTSC above T c are unrelated to superconductivity and they are responsible for the observed anomalous optical, transport, magnetic and other properties of these HTSC. We develop the original two-stage FBL model of novel superconductivity describing the combined novel BCS-like pairing scenario of fermions and true superfluid (SF) condensation scenario of composite bosons (i.e. bipolarons and cooperons) in any Fermi-systems, where the SF condensate gap Δ B and the BCS-like pairing pseudogap Δ F have different origins. The pair and single particle condensations of attracting 3d and two- dimensional (2d) composite bosons are responsible for

Superconductivity, critical current density, and flux pinning in MgB2-x(SiC)x/2 superconductor after SiC nanoparticle doping

Science.gov (United States)

Dou, S. X.; Pan, A. V.; Zhou, S.; Ionescu, M.; Wang, X. L.; Horvat, J.; Liu, H. K.; Munroe, P. R.

2003-08-01

We investigated the effect of SiC nanoparticle doping on the crystal lattice structure, critical temperature Tc, critical current density Jc, and flux pinning in MgB2 superconductor. A series of MgB2-x(SiC)x/2 samples with x=0-1.0 were fabricated using an in situ reaction process. The contraction of the lattice and depression of Tc with increasing SiC doping level remained rather small most likely due to the counterbalancing effect of Si and C co-doping. The high level Si and C co-doping allowed the creation of intragrain defects and highly dispersed nanoinclusions within the grains which can act as effective pinning centers for vortices, improving Jc behavior as a function of the applied magnetic field. The enhanced pinning is mainly attributable to the substitution-induced defects and local structure fluctuations within grains. A pinning mechanism is proposed to account for different contributions of different defects in MgB2-x(SiC)x/2 superconductors.

Unconventional Andreev reflection on the quasi-one-dimensional superconductor Nb2PdxSe5

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yeping Jiang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available We have carried out Andreev reflection measurements on point contact junctions between normal metal and single crystals of the quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D superconductor Nb2PdxSe5 (Tc ∼ 5.5 K. The contacts of the junctions were made on either self-cleaved surfaces or crystal edges so that the current flow directions in the two types of junctions are different, and the measurements provide a directional probe for the order parameter of the superconductor. Junctions made in both configurations show typical resistances of ∼20-30 Ohms, and a clear double-gap Andreev reflection feature was consistently observed at low temperatures. Quantitative analysis of the conductance spectrum based on a modified Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk (BTK model suggests that the amplitudes of two order parameters may have angular dependence in the a-c plane. Moreover, the gap to transition temperature ratio (Δ/TC for the larger gap is substantially higher than the BCS ratio expected for phonon-mediated s-wave superconductors. We argue that the anisotropic superconducting order parameter and the extremely large gap to transition temperature ratio may be associated with an unconventional pairing mechanism in the inorganic Q1D superconductor.

Research On Bi-Based High-Temperature Superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Banks, Curtis; Doane, George B., III; Golben, John

1993-01-01

Brief report describes effects of melt sintering on Bi-based high-temperature superconductor system, as well as use of vibrating-sample magnetometer to determine hysteresis curves at 77 K for partially melt-sintered samples. Also discussed is production of high-temperature superconducting thin films by laser ablation: such films potentially useful in detection of signals of very low power.

High temperature superconductors for fusion magnets -influence of neutron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chudy, M.; Eisterer, M.; Weber, H. W.

2010-01-01

In this work authors present the results of study of influence of neutron irradiation of high temperature superconductors for fusion magnets. High temperature superconductors (type of YBCO (Yttrium-Barium-Copper-Oxygen)) are strong candidates to be applied in the next step of fusion devices. Defects induced by fast neutrons are effective pinning centres, which can significantly improve critical current densities and reduce J c anisotropy. Due to induced lattice disorder, T c is reduced. Requirements for ITER (DEMO) are partially achieved at 64 K.

Optimization of superconductor--normal-metal--superconductor Josephson junctions for high critical-current density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golub, A.; Horovitz, B.

1994-01-01

The application of superconducting Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 wires or tapes to electronic devices requires the optimization of the transport properties in Ohmic contacts between the superconductor and the normal metal in the circuit. This paper presents results of tunneling theory in superconductor--normal-metal--superconductor (SNS) junctions, in both pure and dirty limits. We derive expressions for the critical-current density as a function of the normal-metal resistivity in the dirty limit or of the ratio of Fermi velocities and effective masses in the clean limit. In the latter case the critical current increases when the ratio γ of the Fermi velocity in the superconductor to that of the weak link becomes much less than 1 and it also has a local maximum if γ is close to 1. This local maximum is more pronounced if the ratio of effective masses is large. For temperatures well below the critical temperature of the superconductors the model with abrupt pair potential on the SN interfaces is considered and its applicability near the critical temperature is examined

Fracton pairing mechanism for unconventional superconductors: Self-assembling organic polymers and copper-oxide compounds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Milovanov, A.V.; Juul Rasmussen, J.

2002-01-01

Self-assembling organic polymers and copper-oxide compounds are two classes of unconventional superconductors, whose challenging behavior does not comply with the traditional picture of Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superconductivity in regular crystals. In this paper, we propose a theoretical...... or holes) exchange fracton excitations, quantum oscillations of fractal lattices that mimic the complex microscopic organization of the unconventional superconductors. For the copper oxides, the superconducting transition temperature T-c as predicted by the fracton mechanism is of the order of similar to......150 K. We suggest that the marginal ingredient of the high-temperature superconducting phase is provided by fracton coupled holes that condensate in the conducting copper-oxygen planes owing to the intrinsic field-effect-transistor configuration of the cuprate compounds. For the gate...

Application of high temperature superconductors for fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fietz, W.H.; Heller, R.; Schlachter, S.I.; Goldacker, W.

2011-01-01

The use of High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) materials in future fusion machines can increase the efficiency drastically. For ITER, W7-X and JT-60SA the economic benefit of HTS current leads was recognized after a 70 kA HTS current lead demonstrator was designed, fabricated and successfully tested by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT, which is a merge of former Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe and University of Karlsruhe). For ITER, the Chinese Domestic Agency will provide the current leads as a part of the superconducting feeder system. KIT is in charge of design, construction and test of HTS current leads for W7-X and JT-60SA. For W7-X 14 current leads with a maximum current of 18.2 kA are required that are oriented with the room temperature end at the bottom. JT60-SA will need 26 current leads (20 leads - 20 kA and 6 leads - 25.7 kA) which are mounted in vertical, normal position. These current leads are based on BiSCCO HTS superconductors, demonstrating that HTS material is now state of the art for highly efficient current leads. With respect to future fusion reactors, it would be very promising to use HTS material not only in current leads but also in coils. This would allow a large increase of efficiency if the coils could be operated at temperatures ≥65 K. With such a high temperature it would be possible to omit the radiation shield of the coils, resulting in a less complex cryostat and a size reduction of the machine. In addition less refrigeration power is needed saving investment and operating costs. However, to come to an HTS fusion coil it is necessary to develop low ac loss HTS cables for currents well above 20 kA at high fields well above 10 T. The high field rules BiSCCO superconductors out at temperatures above 50 K, but RE-123 superconductors are promising. The development of a high current, high field RE-123 HTS fusion cable will not be targeted outside fusion community and has to be in the frame of a long term development programme for

Survey of potential electronic applications of high temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammond, R.B.; Bourne, L.C.

1991-01-01

In this paper the authors present a survey of the potential electronic applications of high temperature superconductor (HTSC) thin films. During the past four years there has been substantial speculation on this topic. The authors will cover only a small fraction of the potential electronic applications that have been identified. Their treatment is influenced by the developments over the past few years in materials and device development and in market analysis. They present their view of the most promising potential applications. Superconductors have two important properties that make them attractive for electronic applications. These are (a) low surface resistance at high frequencies, and (b) the Josephson effect

Superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

The chapter 6.3 p. 143 to 153 of this book deals with superconductors 19 items are briefly presented with address of manufacturer or laboratory to contact, mainly in the USA or Japan. In particular magnets, films, high temperature superconductors and various applications are presented [fr

Design of High Field Solenoids made of High Temperature Superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bartalesi, Antonio; /Pisa U.

2010-12-01

This thesis starts from the analytical mechanical analysis of a superconducting solenoid, loaded by self generated Lorentz forces. Also, a finite element model is proposed and verified with the analytical results. To study the anisotropic behavior of a coil made by layers of superconductor and insulation, a finite element meso-mechanic model is proposed and designed. The resulting material properties are then used in the main solenoid analysis. In parallel, design work is performed as well: an existing Insert Test Facility (ITF) is adapted and structurally verified to support a coil made of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}, a High Temperature Superconductor (HTS). Finally, a technological winding process was proposed and the required tooling is designed.

Surface electrostatic waves in bounded high temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Averkov, Yu.O.; Yakovenko, V.M.

2008-01-01

The dispersion relations of surface electrostatic waves propagating along the surface of semi bounded layered superconductor and in the slab of layered superconductor are theoretically investigated. An arbitrary inclination of superconductor layers to the interface of a vacuum - crystal and an arbitrary direction of propagation of surface waves in the plane of the interface are taking into account. The possibility of initiation of an absolute instability during the propagation of a non-relativistic plasma stream above the surface of the layered superconductor is shown

Experimental evidence for importance of Hund's exchange interaction for incoherence of charge carriers in iron-based superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Fink, J.; Rienks, E. D. L.; Thirupathaiah, S.; Nayak, J.; van Roekeghem, A.; Biermann, S.; Wolf, T.; Adelmann, P.; Jeevan, H. S.; Gegenwart, P.; Wurmehl, S.; Felser, C.; Büchner, B.

2017-04-01

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy is used to study the scattering rates of charge carriers from the hole pockets near Γ in the iron-based high-Tc hole-doped superconductors KxBa1 -xFe2As2 , x =0.4 , and KxEu1 -xFe2As2 , x =0.55 , and the electron-doped compound Ba (Fe1-xCox) 2As2 , x =0.075 . The scattering rate for any given band is found to depend linearly on the energy, indicating a non-Fermi-liquid regime. The scattering rates in the hole-doped compound are considerably higher than those in the electron-doped compounds. In the hole-doped systems the scattering rate of the charge carriers of the inner hole pocket is about three times higher than the binding energy, indicating that the spectral weight is heavily incoherent. The strength of the scattering rates and the difference between electron- and hole-doped compounds signals the importance of Hund's exchange coupling for correlation effects in these iron-based high-Tc superconductors. The experimental results are in qualitative agreement with theoretical calculations in the framework of combined density functional dynamical mean-field theory.

High critical magnetic field superconductor La3S4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westerholt, K.; Bach, H.; Wendemuth, R.; Methfessel, S.

1979-01-01

A report is presented on electrical conductivity, specific heat and magnetization measurements on La 3 S 4 single crystals. The results show that La 3 S 4 is a strong coupling superconductor with a BCS coherence length of 132 A. This extremely low value makes La 3 S 4 an intrinsic high critical magnetic field superconductor with a Landau-Ginsburg parameter of 20. For the temperature gradient of the upper critical magnetic field at the transition temperature values are found up to 35 kG/K. (author)

Impact of high temperature superconductors on the possibility of radio-frequency confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dean, S.O.

1989-01-01

Recent discoveries of superconducting materials that operate at high temperatures may have both technical and economic consequences for magnetic confinement fusion. In addition, they could also open up the possibility of plasma confinement by radio-frequency fields. The new, high temperature superconductors may impact the feasibility of rf confinement in two important ways: (1) higher temperature superconductors should have higher critical B fields and consequently may allow higher critical electric fields to be sustained in the cavity, thus allowing the necessary confining pressure to be achieved; and (2) the higher temperature superconductors lower the refrigeration power necessary to maintain the superconducting cavity, thus allowing a favorable energy balance

Preparation of silver doped high temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stavek, Jiri; Zapletal, Vladimir

1989-01-01

High temperature superconductors were prepared by the controlled double-jet precipitation to manipulate the chemical composition, composition gradients, average grain size, grain size distribution, and other factors which contribute to the actual properties and performance of HTSC. The cations (Y-Ba-Cu or Bi-Pb-Ca-Sr-Cu) and oxalic anions solutions were simultaneously separately introduced to the crystallizer with a stirred solution of gelatin under conditions where the temperature, excess of oxalic anions in solution, pH, reactant addition rate, and other reaction conditions were tightly controlled to prepare the high sinterability powder. To increase the sinterability of submicron particles of produced precursor, the silver ions were introduced at the end of the controlled double-jet precipitation. This approach improves the electrical and mechanical properties of produced HTSC specimens. The controlled double jet precipitation provides a viable technique for preparation of oxide superconductors and the process is amenable for scaling up

Creation of the best performance high-$T_{c}$ superconductor based on Cu-1234

CERN Document Server

Ihara, H; Iyo, A; Kito, H; Terada, N; Tokumoto, M; Ishida, K; Sekita, Y; Yamamoto, H; Hayashi, H; Khan, N A; Sundaresan, A; Nie, J; Harashima, E; Ishiura, Y; Tateai, F; Kawamura, M

1999-01-01

The purpose of this project is to create the best performance superconductor on the basis of our original Cu-1234 (CuBa/sub 2/Ca /sub 3/Cu/sub 4/O/sub 12-y/) superconductor. Its best performance superconductor will be realized by the modification of superconducting wave function (MSWF) and application of new preparation techniques of thin films. The MSWF leads to the enhancement of coherence length along the c-axis and transformation from d-wave to (d+is)-wave, and then low superconducting anisotropy. The thin film techniques are APE (amorphous phase epitaxy) method and SAE (self assembling epitaxy) method by using a structure stabilizer such as Tl. The best superconductor with long coherence length, low anisotropy, high T/sub c/, high J/sub c/ and high H/sub irr/ will be realized for wire and Josephson junctions and microwave device application at 77 K. (16 refs).

Fe substitution and pressure effects on superconductor Re6Hf

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jinhu; Guo, Yang; Wang, Hangdong; Chen, Bin

2018-04-01

Polycrystalline samples of (Re1-xFex) 6Hf were synthesized by arc-melting method and the phase purity of the samples was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction method. In this paper, we report the Fe substitution and pressure effect on non-centrosymmetric superconductor Re6Hf. The superconducting transition temperature, TC, is confirmed by the measurements of magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity for x ≤ 0.22 samples with the temperature down to 2 K. We find that the TC is suppressed with the increase of Fe content. The upper critical field Hc2 is larger than the value predicted by the WHH theory and shows a linear temperature dependence down to 2 K. When upon the application of external pressure up to 2.5 GPa, the TC decreases monotonically at a rate dlnTC/dP of 0.01 GPa-1.

Least momentum space frustration as a condition for a ‘high Tc sweet spot’ in iron-based superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Usui, Hidetomo; Suzuki, Katsuhiro; Kuroki, Kazuhiko

2012-01-01

In the present paper, we describe how the band structure and the Fermi surface of iron-based superconductors vary as the Fe–As–Fe bond angle changes. We discuss how these Fermi surface configurations affect the superconductivity mediated by spin fluctuations, and show that, in several situations, frustration in the sign of the gap function arises due to the repulsive pairing interactions that requires a sign change of the order parameter. Such a frustration can result in nodes or very small gaps, and generally works destructively against superconductivity. Conversely, we propose that the optimal condition for superconductivity is realized for the Fermi surface configuration that gives the least frustration while maximizing the Fermi surface multiplicity. This is realized when there are three hole Fermi surfaces, where two of them have d XZ/YZ orbital character and one has d X 2 −Y 2 for all k z in the three-dimensional Brillouin zone. Looking at the band structures of various iron-based superconductors, the occurrence of such a ‘sweet spot’ situation is limited to a narrow window. (paper)

Superconductores de alta Temperatura Crítica a base de Hierro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O Rodríguez León

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The discovery in early 2008 of a new family of superconductors with a Tc~26K in an iron compound and fluorine doped, LaO1-xFxFeAs, has revived interest in the search for superconducting materials with high critical temperature. The discovery has led to an accelerated study of superconducting properties and many other physical properties, resulting in obtaining new compounds with critical temperatures between 26 - 55 K. In this article it is intended to summarize the main physical and chemist characteristics of this family and related compounds.

Investigations into the electronic structure of the high-Tc superconductors by means of photoelectron spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dauth, B.H.

1989-08-01

The electronic structure of various polycrystalline samples including the new YBaCuO- and BiCaSrCuO- high T c superconductors (HTSC) and related systems is investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy. Additional characterization is performed by conductivity measurements. In particular, the binding energy of the Cu-2p 3/2 - and the O-1s-levels of various HTSC is determined. For the first time the controversial 531 eV oxygen line was shown to be an intrinsic electronic structure effect. Sintered CuO-samples are obtained for the first time. The electronic structure of the sintered CuO turns out to be drastically different with respect to pressed CuO powder. For the first time a crossover resonance from a O-1s- into a Cu-3d-level was observed with synchrotron radiation. This is additional evidence for the strong hybridization between the Cu-3d and the O-2p states. Photoemission spectroscopy shows that the holes in the HTSC's are located at the oxygen p-band. Fe and Al overlayers on the HTSC-samples induce a drastic change in the electronic properties of the interface: apparently oxygen is removed from the HTSC to the overlayer. (orig./BHO)

Spins in the vortices of a high-temperature superconductor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lake, B.; Aeppli, G.; Clausen, K.N.

2001-01-01

Neutron scattering is used to characterize the magnetism of the vortices for the optimally doped high-temperature superconductor La2-xSrxCuO4 (x = 0.163) in an applied magnetic field. As temperature is reduced, Low-frequency spin fluctuations first disappear with the loss of vortex mobility......, but then reappear. We find that the vortex state can be regarded as an inhomogeneous mixture of a superconducting spin fluid and a material containing a nearly ordered antiferromagnet. These experiments show that as for many other properties of cuprate superconductors, the important underlying microscopic forces...

Second international Israeli conference on High Tc Superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The superconductivity fields covered in this conference are: theory, applications, devices, flux properties high frequencies, Josephson junctions, magnetism, material sciences and physical properties of superconductors, spectroscopy and resonances and thin films

Macroscopic phase separation in high-temperature superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Hai-Hu

2000-01-01

High-temperature superconductivity is recovered by introducing extra holes to the Cu-O planes, which initially are insulating with antiferromagnetism. In this paper I present data to show the macroscopic electronic phase separation that is caused by either mobile doping or electronic instability in the overdoped region. My results clearly demonstrate that the electronic inhomogeneity is probably a general feature of high-temperature superconductors. PMID:11027323

The high temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7-δ: symmetry of the order parameter, and gradiometers for biomagnetic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kouznetsov, Konstantin A.

1999-01-01

The cuprate YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ is the material that drives the majority of the technological applications of high transition temperature (Tc) superconductors, particularly in the area of superconducting electronics. Despite the widespread use of high-Tc superconducting materials in a variety of applications, the nature of the superconducting state in these materials remains unknown since their discovery more than a decade ago. Many properties of the high-Tc superconductors are determined by their order parameter, which is a wavefunction describing the superconducting condensate. The symmetry of the order parameter in cuprates has been the subject of intensive investigation, leading to conflicting sets of results. Some experiments supported conventional, s-wave symmetry of the order parameter, while others indicated an unconventional, d-wave symmetry. The first part of this thesis is an experimental study of the symmetry of the order parameter in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ . A new class of phase sensitive experiments is described that involve Josephson tunneling along the c-axis of twinned crystals of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ . These experiments showed that an s-wave component must reverse sign across the twin boundary, providing direct evidence for a mixed, s+d symmetry of the order parameter in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ , and thereby reconciling two conflicting sets of previous findings and establishing the dominant d-wave pairing symmetry. The second part of the thesis focuses on practical applications of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ in superconducting electronics. The authors introduce a novel Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) gradiometer. The principle of operation of these long baseline high-T c SQUID gradiometers is based on the inductive coupling of the input coil of a planar flux transformer to the pickup up loop of a directly coupled magnetometer. The long baseline of the gradiometer, 48 mm, and the intrinsic. Balance of better than 1 part in 100 make it an ideal candidate

Block copolymer self-assembly–directed synthesis of mesoporous gyroidal superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Robbins, Spencer W.; Beaucage, Peter A.; Sai, Hiroaki; Tan, Kwan Wee; Werner, Jörg G.; Sethna, James P.; DiSalvo, Francis J.; Gruner, Sol M.; Van Dover, Robert B.; Wiesner, Ulrich

2016-01-01

Superconductors with periodically ordered mesoporous structures are expected to have properties very different from those of their bulk counterparts. Systematic studies of such phenomena to date are sparse, however, because of a lack of versatile synthetic approaches to such materials. We demonstrate the formation of three-dimensionally continuous gyroidal mesoporous niobium nitride (NbN) superconductors from chiral ABC triblock terpolymer self-assembly–directed sol-gel–derived niobium oxide with subsequent thermal processing in air and ammonia gas. Superconducting materials exhibit a critical temperature (Tc) of about 7 to 8 K, a flux exclusion of about 5% compared to a dense NbN solid, and an estimated critical current density (Jc) of 440 A cm−2 at 100 Oe and 2.5 K. We expect block copolymer self-assembly–directed mesoporous superconductors to provide interesting subjects for mesostructure-superconductivity correlation studies. PMID:27152327

Investigation on the bisoliton mechanism of high-temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Lingyun; Li Bozang; Pu Fucho; Lin Jiatih

1996-01-01

Microscopic parameters in the Davydov model are calculated on the basis of the bisoliton idea. The energy gap is obtained from combining the condition for the solution of Davydov's equation with the condensation energy of the superconductive state in zero field, and some characteristic parameters of high-temperature superconductors such as coherence length, penetration depth, and density of critical current for a thin film in weak magnetic field are given. It is also proved that lattice displacement in Davydov's equation satisfies the φ 4 field form. The critical temperature and the coefficient of linear specific heat of high-temperature superconductors are studied from the statistics of lattice kinks. The agreement between theoretical and experimental values for YBaCuO oxide ceramics suggests that the bisoliton model gives a reasonable explanation of high-temperature superconductivity. (orig.)

Synthesis of highly phase pure BSCCO superconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Dorris, S.E.; Poeppel, R.B.; Prorok, B.C.; Lanagan, M.T.; Maroni, V.A.

1995-11-21

An article and method of manufacture (Bi, Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor are disclosed. The superconductor is manufactured by preparing a first powdered mixture of bismuth oxide, lead oxide, strontium carbonate, calcium carbonate and copper oxide. A second powdered mixture is then prepared of strontium carbonate, calcium carbonate and copper oxide. The mixtures are calcined separately with the two mixtures then combined. The resulting combined mixture is then subjected to a powder in tube deformation and thermal processing to produce a substantially phase pure (Bi, Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor. 5 figs.

Neutron spectroscopic investigations on crystalline-electric-field and exchange interactions on high-Tc superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staub, U.

1993-05-01

It is well known that in the high temperature superconductors of the type RBa 2 Cu 3 O x (123), with R=Y and most of the rare earths, superconductivity is believed to be controlled by the density of mobile charges in the copper oxide (CuO 2 ) planes. In particular, the charge transfer process from the chains to the planes seems to play an important role. In the 123, RBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 (1248) and the Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 1-x Ho x Cu 2 O 8+δ (Bi2212) systems, the R ions are sandwiched between the CuO 2 planes, thus the crystalline electric field (CEF) interaction at the R sites constitutes an ideal probe of the local symmetry and the charge distribution of the superconducting planes. The (2J+1)-fold degeneracy of the ground-state J-multiplet of the rare earth ions will be partially lifted under the action of the CEF potential. By means of inelastic neutron scattering experiments it is possible to observe directly the transitions between the CEF states. Therefrom we obtain useful information on both the structure and the charge distribution in the vicinity of the R ion. In order to quantify the charge transfer process from the chains to the planes, we performed a detailed analysis of the CEF of Ho 3+ in the 123, 1248 and Bi2212 systems. In addition, we present some experiments on a Cl doped 123 sample and some external pressure experiments on the 123 system. In nearly all high-T c compounds RBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ superconductivity and magnetic ordering of the R ion sublattice coexist at low temperatures. In order to understand the interplay of magnetism and superconductivity in these systems, information on both the electronic ground state of the R 3+ ions and the coupling mechanisms between the R 3+ ions is highly desirable. (author) figs., tabs., 73 refs

A high Tc superconducting liquid nitrogen level sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, J. X.; Liu, H. K.; Dou, S. X.; Grantham, C.; Beer, J.

1996-01-01

Full text: The dramatic resistance change in the superconducting-normal transition temperature range enables a high T c superconductor to be considered for designing a liquid nitrogen level sensor. A (Bi,Pb) 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10+x Ag clad superconducting wire is selected and tested as a continuous liquid nitrogen level sensor to investigate the possibility for this application. The (Bi,Pb) 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10+x Ag clad superconducting wire has approximately 110 K critical temperature, with more flexible and stable properties compared with bulk shape ceramic high T c superconductors. The voltage drops across the sensor are tested with different immersion lengths in liquid nitrogen. The accuracy of the HTS sensor is analysed with its dR/dT in the superconducting-normal transition range. The voltage signal is sensitive to liquid nitrogen level change, and this signal can be optimized by controlling the transport current. The problems of the Ag clad superconductor are that the Ag sheath thermal conductivity is very high, and the sensor normal resistance is low. These are the main disadvantages for using such a wire as a continuous level sensor. However, a satisfactory accuracy can be achieved by control of the transport current. A different configuration of the wire sensor is also designed to avoid this thermal influence

Magnetization hysteresis and history effects in conventional and high temperature superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaddah, P.

1990-01-01

The magnetization in hard superconductors is irreversible and history-dependent, and cannot be a priori compared with the equilibrium magnetization. These features have gained prominence in the high T c superconductors (HTSC) where the short coherence length presumably leads to intrinsic pinning. Various experimental features, first noticed in the HTSC, are explained by an extension of Bean's macroscopic model to include temperature variations and the field dependence of J c . This paper discusses recent measurements of history effects in niobium and show their similarities with other published data on HTSC. The authors also present our calculations of magnetization behaviour in hard superconductors of sample-shapes having a non-zero demagnetization factor

An Angle Resolved Photoemission Study of a Mott Insulator and Its Evolution to a High Temperature Superconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ronning, Filip

2002-03-19

One of the most remarkable facts about the high temperature superconductors is their close proximity to an antiferromagnetically ordered Mott insulating phase. This fact suggests that to understand superconductivity in the cuprates we must first understand the insulating regime. Due to material properties the technique of angle resolved photoemission is ideally suited to study the electronic structure in the cuprates. Thus, a natural starting place to unlocking the secrets of high Tc would appears to be with a photoemission investigation of insulating cuprates. This dissertation presents the results of precisely such a study. In particular, we have focused on the compound Ca{sub 2-x}Na{sub x}CuO{sub 2}Cl{sub 2}. With increasing Na content this system goes from an antiferromagnetic Mott insulator with a Neel transition of 256K to a superconductor with an optimal transition temperature of 28K. At half filling we have found an asymmetry in the integrated spectral weight, which can be related to the occupation probability, n(k). This has led us to identify a d-wave-like dispersion in the insulator, which in turn implies that the high energy pseudogap as seen by photoemission is a remnant property of the insulator. These results are robust features of the insulator which we found in many different compounds and experimental conditions. By adding Na we were able to study the evolution of the electronic structure across the insulator to metal transition. We found that the chemical potential shifts as holes are doped into the system. This picture is in sharp contrast to the case of La{sub 2-x}Sr{sub x}CuO{sub 4} where the chemical potential remains fixed and states are created inside the gap. Furthermore, the low energy excitations (ie the Fermi surface) in metallic Ca{sub 1.9}Na{sub 0.1}CuO{sub 2}Cl{sub 2} is most well described as a Fermi arc, although the high binding energy features reveal the presence of shadow bands. Thus, the results in this dissertation provide a