National Institute Of Materials Physics - Romania

For further enhancement of critical currents density J(c) and irreversibility field H-irr of (Cu1-xCx) Ba2Can-1CunO2n+4-delta ((Cu,C)-(n - 1)n, n = 3, 4 and 5) family, pinning centers were introduced by ion and neutron irradiation in these compounds. The polycrystalline samples were irradiated with 3.6 x 10(17) neutrons/cm(2) or with Au15+ ions (240 MeV energy) at a fluence of 1 x 10(11) ions/cm(2). J(c) and H-irr were determined for the irradiated samples as well as unirradiated samples. The intragrain J(c) was evaluated from M-H curves using Bean's critical state model. In (Cu,C-12(n - 1) n, J(c) (77 K, 1 T) shows a remarkable increase from 3.9 x 10(4) to 9.1 x 10(5) A/cm(2) for neutron irradiated (Cu,C- 1234 and from 3.9 x 10(4) to 4.1 x 10(6) A/cm(2) for heavy-ion irradiated (Cu,C)-1234. These results indicate the possibility of further enhancement of J(c) and of achieving a very high H-irr of (Cu,C)-1234 in (Cu,C)-12(n - 1)n family. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

We studied the YBa2Cu3O7-x bulk superconductor doped with BaZrO3 up to 50 wt.%, obtained by solid-state reaction powder technology. From DC magnetization loops and low frequency AC susceptibility measurements we determined the influence of the BaZrO3 doping level on the critical temperature, critical current density, field for full penetration, and intergrain lower critical field. The results show that even high content of BaZrO3 does not lead to degradation of the superconducting properties of bulk YBa2Cu3O7-x.

A slice of the (Cu,C)Ba2Ca3Cu4O12-y bulk superconductor grown by high-pressure synthesis was polished down to a thickness of 50 mum, and then irradiated with high-energy (240 MeV) Au15+, ions (10 11 cm(-2)). Since the length of the ion tracks was estimated to be 12.2 mum, our sample consists of two different types of grain, with and without columnar defects, having very different critical current densities. Using the third-harmonic response of the sample, we were able to separate the small dissipation in the irradiated grains from the much larger dissipation in the non-irradiated grains, in a certain experimental range of temperature, field and current density. The critical current density was estimated from critical state models. For temperatures in the range of 85-105 K, we observed a peak effect at high dc magnetic fields, suggesting the possibility of a record irreversibility field at 77.3 K.

Superconducting samples with a starting composition Cu0.5TlxBa2Ca3Cu4O12 (x = 1-0.35) were prepared in Au tubes from oxides by using different heating rates. The optimum heating rate was 0.11 degreesC min(-1) applied between 860 and 880 degreesC. These samples show the highest content of 1234 phase and the lowest of Ba-Cu-O phases as well as the highest critical temperatures. The highest values were T-c = 119.2 K and T-c0 = 115.1 K. All samples show J(c) values around 6 x 10(5) A cm(-2), at 60 K and 0.5 T. In the rest of the samples, heated by using lower or higher heating rates, a high concentration of 1223 and/or 1245 phases is detected. The content of the 1234 phase and of Ba(Ca.Tl)-Cu-O residual liquid phase, in the samples synthesized for the optimum heating rate, depends on the Tl content in the starting mixture. The influence of the oxygen content in the starting mixture on phase composition is not as strong as of Tl, but it has a major role in establishing the superconducting behaviour of the 1234 grains. Some arguments that suggest the dependence of the transport properties of the non-superconducting matrix on oxygen content will be discussed. In our technological arrangement the determined optimum heating rate can be applied to the synthesis of other single-layered superconducting phases, e.g. 1212 phase from a Cu0.25Tl0.75Ba2CaCu2O8.115 starting composition.

After a presentation of structural aspects of iron-based nanocrystalline alloys, the magnetic behaviours of those two-phase magnetic structures are conceptually discussed at high temperatures as a function of the crystalline volumetric fraction, on the basis of the magnetic correlation length compared to the distances between crystalline grains. In addition, some results predicted by an approach based on Monte-Carlo simulation are then briefly presented: they show a qualitative agreement with experimental results.

Temperature and time dependence of the phase formation in the (Cu-0.5,Tl-0.5)-1234 composition have been studied. The liquid-vapour deposition mechanism for the formation of 12(n - 1)n superconducting phases is presented. XRD, SEM, EDS and weight loss data are discussed. Samples were superconducting with maximum T-c and J(c) (at 60 K and 0.5 T), determined from M(H) loops of 118 K and 4 x 10(5) A cm(-2), respectively.

Thin films of Tl(Ba, Sr)(2)Ca2Cu3Oy superconductor have been grown on CeO2 buffered r-cut sapphire substrate with the use of a template TlSr2CaCu2Oy by the amorphous phase epitaxy method. By using this template containing Sr, we have overcome the problem of chemical reactions between Ba and Cc present in the superconducting and buffer layers, respectively, at the normal processing temperatures of 840-890 degreesC. Films grown by this method have an excellent c-axis orientation as well as in-plane alignment with the TlSr2CaCu2Oy template, which in turn is aligned with the CeO2 layers. These films have superconducting critical temperature values up to 104 K and critical current density values as high as 1 MA cm(-2) at 77.3 K and 0 T.

The magnetic behavior of nanocrystalline alloys has been modeled using atomic Monte Carlo simulation. The model consists of a cubic lattice composed of a ferromagnetic nanograin in a ferromagnetic matrix. The magnetizations of nanograin core, surface and interface regions and matrix were studied as a function of the exchange coupling between the nanograin and the matrix, as well as of the nanograin/matrix volume ratio, equivalent to the crystalline fraction in the nanocrystalline alloys. The mechanism of polarization of the matrix by fields penetrating from the nanograin is discussed and correlated with the matrix-nanograin exchange coupling. Competition between interface anisotropy and magnetocrystalline anisotropy produces spin-glass-like magnetic order of the interfacial regions. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

The magnetic properties of a ferromagnetic cylinder containing an antiphase boundary with antiferromagnetic interactions are studied using atomic Monte Carlo simulation. The approach to saturation shows a reduced magnetization compared with the completely ferromagnetic sample, even in huge applied fields. The magnetization profiles are studied as a function of the number of ferromagnetic planes in the cylinder with 80 atoms per plane and also as function of the ratio of the bulk-to-antiphase exchange coupling. Hysteresis appears after removing the applied field for relatively low antiphase boundary densities. It is shown that the antiferromagnetic coupling across the antiphase boundary leads to a progressive rotation of spins as the two half "domain walls" at the boundary with opposite chirality narrow with increasing applied field. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

The effect of surface anisotropy on the magnetic ground state of a ferromagnetic nanoparticle is investigated using atomic Monte Carlo simulation for spheres of radius R=6a and R=15a, where a is the interatomic spacing. It is found that the competition between surface and bulk magnetocrystalline anisotropy imposes a "throttled" spin structure where the spins of outer shells tend to orient normal to the surface while the core spins remain parallel to each other. For large values of surface anisotropy, the spins in sufficiently small particles become radially oriented either inward or outward in a "hedgehog" configuration with no net magnetization. Implications for FePt nanoparticles are discussed. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.