酸化物超伝導体Ｂｉ‐２２１２結晶の臨界電流密度におけるＭｇＯ微細粒子添加効果

Abstract

In order to investigate the MgO doping effects on critical current densities in oxide superconducting Bi-2212 crystals, crystals doped with and without sub-micron size MgO particles were prepared by the self-flux method using the large-temperature gradient technique. From scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation and energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, it was found that MgO particles in the crystal were condensed to large-size cubic particles with almost 1μm size and dispersed in the Bi-2212 matrix. With increasing MgO amount, cracks were observed. In the low-temperature region (i.e., from 5 to 10K) critical current density (Jc) for 1wt% MgO-doped crystal increased 3 times as much as that of MgO-free Bi-2212 single crystal. On the assumption that the cubic MgO particle works as a pinning center, the calculated Fp value based on the core interaction model was smaller than that of the observed value. This result suggests that the enhancement of Jc is due to defects or/and dislocation introduced by the MgO doping. Increase in the irreversibility field (Birr) due to MgO doping was observed over the entire temperature region measured (i.e., from 20 to 90K for 1wt% MgO-doped sample and from 20 to 29K for the 5wt% MgO-doped sample). The exponent n of the temperature dependence of Birr for all samples in the low-temperature region agreed with that of the calculated value based on the flux creep model. In the high-temperature region, the n values for the 1wt% MgO and 5wt% MgO-doped samples almost agreed with the calculated values assumed by the local model of a large normal precipitate as a pinning center. This result suggests that the doped MgO particles work as the pinning centers in the high-temperature region.