Structure and Properties of MgB2Bulks, Thin Films, and Wires

Abstract

This paper describes the established correlations between the characteristics of MgB2-based superconducting materials and their structural features, in particular the oxygen distribution and content. As indicated by SEM and Auger analysis, a sizeable amount of oxygen is usually present in superconducting MgB2 -based materials (bulks, thin films, and wires). The matrix phase of bulk MgB2 contains rather small amounts of oxygen, but contains a high amount of dispersed inclusions or areas with compositions close to MgBO. X-ray phase analysis with Rietveld refinement (using the FullProf Suite program package) of several highly dense MgB2 -based bulk samples (with high critical current densities) showed that the superconducting phase had a composition within the range MgB1.68O0.26 and MgB1.74O0.32 instead of pure MgB2 . Besides, a small amount of a phase with MgO structure was observed in the materials by X-rays as well. The calculation of the enthalpy of formation confirms the possibility of oxygen solubility in MgB2 and shows that the formation of MgB1.75B0.25 is most favorable. The results of ab initio calculations of the electronic structure and stability of the MgB2 compounds with partial oxygen substitution for boron show that it is energetically preferable for oxygen atoms to replace boron pairwise.