The Structural and Electrical Study of Lu-Doped YBCO System

Abstract

We have prepared a series of bulk superconducting samples with the nominal composition of Y1−xLuxBa2Cu3Oy (where x=0.0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3) by the conventional solid-state reaction method. The samples were characterized structurally by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The electrical transport properties of the samples were analyzed in the temperature range between 20–140 K under magnetic fields up to 2 T. The superconducting transition temperature, Tc, and activation energy, U0, were found to decrease with Lu-doping and with increase in applied magnetic field.