An efficient technique for growing (Bi,Pb)-2223 single crystals

Abstract

An efficient KCl-flux technique is presented for growing large amounts of (Bi,Pb) 2Sr 2Ca 2Cu 3O 10+ δ or (Bi,Pb)-2223 single crystals with high reproducibility. In this technique single-phase (Bi 0.85Pb 0.15) 2Sr 2Ca 2Cu 3O 10+ δ coarse-grain powder is added to act as seeds for growing single crystals in the Bi–Pb–Sr–Ca–Cu–O solute that otherwise contains as little as possible the (Bi,Pb)-2223 and (Bi,Pb)-2212 phases. The (Bi,Pb)-2223 seed powder, the Bi–Pb–Sr–Ca–Cu–O solute powder and KCl were mixed with a weight ratio of (0.01–0.1):1:4, and heated in an alumina crucible in air at 845 °C for 100 h to yield high-quality single crystals with an average size of 80 × 80 × 8 μm 3. Using ∼200 single crystals having the c-axis aligned, anisotropic magnetization characteristics were successfully evaluated. Oxygen-annealing effects (both in 1 and 10 atm O 2) on the H irr characteristics were investigated as well but found rather negligible.