Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-txr5j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-08T05:30:39.719Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mg-doped Nd-Ba-Cu-O generic seed crystals for the top-seeded melt growth of large-grain (rare earth)-Ba-Cu-O bulk superconductors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2006

Y. Shi ,
N. Hari Babu ,
K. Iida  and
D.A. Cardwell
Y. Shi
Affiliation:
IRC in Superconductivity and Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 OHE, United Kingdom
N. Hari Babu*
Affiliation:
IRC in Superconductivity and Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 OHE, United Kingdom
K. Iida
Affiliation:
IRC in Superconductivity and Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 OHE, United Kingdom
D.A. Cardwell
Affiliation:
IRC in Superconductivity and Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 OHE, United Kingdom
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: Nhb24@cam.ac.uk
Get access

Abstract

We report the fabrication of Mg-doped NdBCO generic seed crystals, which have been developed recently for the fabrication of any rare earth (RE) based (RE)-Ba-Cu-O single-grain superconductor, with a wide range of Nd1+xBa2-xCu3-yMgyO7-δ compositions. Three basic characteristics of the seed crystals required for effective seeding of bulk (RE)BCO materials were studied in detail. We report the chemical, crystallographic, microstructural, and superconducting properties of the seeds and demonstrate clearly their potential to process various (RE)BCO superconductors in single-grain form. The melting point, volume fraction of Mg-rich inclusions in the bulk microstructure, and the chemical composition of the Nd1+xBa2-xCu3-yMgyO7-δ superconducting matrix of the seed crystals were studied as a function of initial MgO content. Finally, the suitable range of MgO-content within the generic seed crystal that controls effectively the orientation of the seeded grain without compromising its superconducting properties relative to those of the Mg-free compound is identified based on the wide range of seed crystal compositions investigated.

Keywords

Crystal growthSuperconductingElectron microprobe
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 21 , Issue 6 , June 2006 , pp. 1355 - 1362
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1.Morita, M., Takebayashi, S., Tanaka, M., Kimura, K., Miyamoto, K. and Sawano, K.: Advanced Superconductors Vol. III (Springer-Verlag, Tokyo, 1991), p. 733.Google Scholar
2.Cardwell, D.A.: Processing and properties of large grain (RE)BCO. Mater. Sci. Eng. B 53, 1 (1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Gautier-Picard, P., Chaud, X., Beaugnon, E., Erraud, A., Tournier, R.: Growth of YBaCuO single-domains up to 7 cm. Mater. Sci. Eng. B 53, 66 (1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Tomita, M., Murakami, M.: High temperature superconductor bulk magnets that can trap magnetic fields of over 17 T at 29 K. Nature 421, 517 (2003).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Nariki, S., Sakai, N., Murakami, M.: Melt-processed Gd-Ba-Cu-O superconductor with trapped field of 3 T at 77 K. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 18, S126 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Yoo, S.I., Sakai, N., Takaichi, H., Murakami, M.: Melt processing for obtaining NdBa2Cu3Oy with high Tc and large Jc. Appl. Phys. Lett. 65, 633 (1994).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Babu, N. Hari, Lo, W., Cardwell, D.A., Campbell, A.M.: The irreversibility behavior of NdBaCuO fabricated by top-seeded melt processing. Appl. Phys. Lett. 75, 2981 (1999).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Muralidhar, M., Sakai, N., Chikumoto, N., Jirsa, M., Machi, T., Nishiyama, M., Wu, Y., Murakami, M.: New type of vortex pinning structure effective at very high magnetic fields. Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 237001 (2002).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Nariki, S., Sakai, N., Murakami, M., Hirabayashi, I.: High critical current density in RE-Ba-Cu-O bulk superconductors with very fine RE2BaCuO5 particles. Phys. C 412–414, 557 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Babu, N. Hari, Lo, W., Shi, Y., Cardwell, D.A.: The effect of undercooling and Nd422 phase content on the nucleation of large Nd-Ba-Cu-O grains fabricated by top-seeded melt processing. J. Mater. Res. 14, 3859 (1999).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Ikuta, H., Hosokawa, T., Yoshikawa, M., Mizutani, U.: Synthesis and superconducting properties of c-axis aligned, single-domain NdBCO/Ag melt processed superconductors. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 13, 1559 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Chauhan, H.S., Murakami, M.: Hot seeding for the growth of c-axis-oriented Nd-Ba-Cu-O. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 13, 672 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Kambara, M., Babu, N. Hari, Shi, Y., Cardwell, D.A.: Growth of melt-textured Nd-123 by hot seeding under reduced oxygen partial pressure. J. Mater. Res. 16, 1163 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Smith, P.J., Cardwell, D.A., Haribabu, N., Kambara, M., Shi, Y.: Self seeded melt growth of Au-doped Nd-Ba-Cu-O. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 14, 624 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Shi, Y., Babu, N. Hari, Cardwell, D.A: Development of a generic seed crystal for the fabrication of large grain (RE)-Ba-Cu-O bulk superconductor. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 18, 13 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Babu, N. Hari, Shi, Y., Iida, K., Cardwell, D.A.: A practical route for the fabrication of large single-crystal (RE)-Ba-Cu-O superconductors. Nat. Mater. 4, 476 (2005).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.http://rsb.info.nih.gov/nih-image/. Accessed May 18, 2005.Google Scholar
18.Figueras, J., Puig, T., Carrillo, A.E., Obradors, X.: In-plane Mg doping in YBa2Cu3O7: Influence on the superconducting anisotropy. Supercond. Sci. Technol. 13, 1067 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar