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Effect of Sintering Temperature on the Microstructural and Flux Pinning Characteristics of Bi 1.6 Pb 0.5 Sr 1.8 La 0.2 Ca 1.1 Cu 2.1 O 8+δ Ceramics
Author(s) -
Sarun Pallian Murikoli,
Vinu Surendran,
Shabna Razia,
Biju Alikunju,
Guruswamy Perumal,
Syamaprasad Upendran
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2008.02895.x
Subject(s) - sintering , flux pinning , microstructure , materials science , flux (metallurgy) , electrical resistivity and conductivity , doping , activation energy , superconductivity , analytical chemistry (journal) , pinning force , condensed matter physics , high temperature superconductivity , metallurgy , critical current , chemistry , physics , optoelectronics , organic chemistry , chromatography , quantum mechanics
We evaluated the microstructure, superconducting, and flux pinning properties of La‐doped (Bi,Pb)‐2212 bulk sample by varying its sintering temperature ( T sinter ) between 846° and 860°C. Significant variations in microstructure, self‐ and in‐field J C s at 64 K and flux pinning properties have been observed for La‐substituted samples with respect to T sinter . The sample sintered at 858°C shows best self‐field J C while that sintered at 846°C shows the best in‐field J C due to the changes in microstructure. The activation energy of flux motion (pinning potential U o ) is estimated from the field dependent resistivity–temperature curves, and the flux pinning force ( F P ) from the field‐dependent J C values. It is found that the La‐doped samples, sintered at 846°C show maximum F P and U o of 463 kN/m 3 and 0.380±0.001 eV as against 93.6 k/Nm 3 and 0.140±0.001 eV, respectively, for the sample sintered at 858°C. The undoped (Bi,Pb)‐2212 shows a maximum F P and U o of 12.7 k/Nm 3 and 0.074±0.001 eV, respectively. The origin of these enhanced properties is mainly from the normal‐like defects introduced by optimum La‐doping at the Sr‐site, at an optimum sintering temperature.