Application potential of Fe-based superconductors

open4siIn this paper we report basic properties of iron-based superconductors and review the latest achievements in the fabrication of conductors based on these materials. We compare state-of-the-art results with performances obtained with low-T c and high-T c technical superconductors, evidencing in particular the most significant differences with respect to high-T c cuprate coated conductors. Although the optimization of preparation procedures is yet to be established, a potential range of applications for iron-based superconductors in the high field low temperature regime can be envisaged, where they may become competitors to RE-123 coated conductors.openPallecchi, Ilaria; Eisterer, Michael; Malagoli, Andrea; Putti, MarinaPallecchi, Ilaria; Eisterer, Michael; Malagoli, Andrea; Putti, Marin

Orbital and spin magnetic moments of transforming 1D iron inside metallic and semiconducting carbon nanotubes

The orbital and spin magnetic properties of iron inside transforming metallic and semiconducting 1D carbon nanotube hybrids are studied by means of local x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and bulk superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements. Nanotube hybrids are initially ferrocene filled single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) of different metallicities. After a high temperature nanochemical reaction ferrocene molecules react with each other to form iron nano clusters. We show that the ferrocenes molecular orbitals interact differently with the SWCNT of different metallicities without significant XMCD response. This XMCD at various temperatures and magnetic fields reveals that the orbital and/or spin magnetic moments of the encapsulated iron are altered drastically as the transformation to 1D Fe nanoclusters takes place. The orbital and spin magnetic moments are both found to be larger in filled semiconducting nanotubes than in the metallic sample. This could mean that the magnetic polarizations of the encapsulated material is dependent on the metallicity of the tubes. From a comparison between the iron 3d magnetic moments and the bulk magnetism measured by SQUID, we conclude that the delocalized magnetisms dictate the magnetic properties of these 1D hybrid nanostructures

Specific heat of MgB_2 after irradiation

We studied the effect of disorder on the superconducting properties of polycrystalline MgB_2 by specific-heat measurements. In the pristine state, these measurements give a bulk confirmation of the presence of two superconducting gaps with 2 Delta 0 / k_B T_c = 1.3 and 3.9 with nearly equal weights. The scattering introduced by irradiation suppresses T_c and tends to average the two gaps although less than predicted by theory. We also found that by a suitable irradiation process by fast neutrons, a substantial bulk increase of dH_{c2}/dT at T_c can be obtained without sacrificing more than a few degrees in T_c. The upper critical field of the sample after irradiation exceeds 28 T at T goes to 0 K.Comment: 11 pages text, 6 figures, accepted by Journal of Physics: Condensed Matte

Effect of Silver Doping on the Superconducting and Structural Properties of YBCO Films Grown by PLD on Different Templates

We report the local structural and superconducting properties of undoped and Ag-doped YBa2Cu3O6+x (YBCO) films with a thickness of up to 1 µm prepared by pulsed laser deposition on SrTiO3 (STO) single crystals and on ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) and rolling-assisted biaxially textured substrate (RABiTS)-based metal templates. X-ray diffraction demonstrates the high crystalline quality of the films on both single crystalline substrates and metal-based templates, respectively. Although there was only a slight decrease in Tc of up to 1.5 K for the Ag-doped YBCO films on all substrates, we found significant changes in their transport characteristics. The effect of the silver doping mainly depended on the concentration of silver, the type of substrate, and the temperature and magnetic field. In general, the greatest improvement in Jc over a wide range of magnetic fields and temperatures was observed for the 5%Ag-doped YBCO films on STO substrates, showing a significant increase compared to undoped films. Furthermore, a slight Jc improvement was observed for the 2%Ag-doped YBCO films on the RABiTS templates at temperatures below 65 K, whereas Jc decreased for the Ag-doped films on IBAD-MgO-based templates compared to undoped YBCO films. Using detailed electron microscopy studies, small changes in the local microstructure of the Ag-doped YBCO films were revealed; however, no clear correlation was found with the transport properties of the films

Structure and superconducting characteristics of magnesium diboride, substitution of boron atoms by oxygen and carbon

An x-ray analysis of MgB2-based materials shows that they contain MgB2 and MgO phases. According to a quantitative Auger analysis (taken after removing the oxidized surface layer by Ar ion etching in the microscope chamber) the MgB2 phase contains some amount of oxygen that approximately corresponds to the composition MgB2.2-1.7O0.4-0.6. Rietveld refinement of the MgB2 phase, based on EDX data with varying B/O content, leads to the composition MgB1.68-1.8O0.2-0.32. Ab-initio modelling of boron substitution by oxygen in MgB2 (ΔH f = -150.6 meV/atom) shows that this is energetically favourable up to the composition MgB1.75O0.25 (ΔH f = -191.4 meV/atom). In contrast to carbon substitution, where very small levels of doping can dramatically affect the superconducting characteristics of the material with concomitant changes in the electron density, oxygen substitution results in very little change in the superconducting properties of MgB2. The formation of vacancies at the Mg site of both MgB2 and substituted MgB1.75O0.25 was modelled as well, but has shown that such processes are energetically disadvantageous (ΔHf of Mg0.875B2 and Mg0.75B1.75O0.25 are equal to -45.5 and -93.5 meV/atom, respectively)

Structure and superconducting characteristics of magnesium diboride, substitution of boron atoms by oxygen and carbon

An x-ray analysis of MgB2-based materials shows that they contain MgB2 and MgO phases. According to a quantitative Auger analysis (taken after removing the oxidized surface layer by Ar ion etching in the microscope chamber) the MgB2 phase contains some amount of oxygen that approximately corresponds to the composition MgB2.2-1.7O0.4-0.6. Rietveld refinement of the MgB2 phase, based on EDX data with varying B/O content, leads to the composition MgB1.68-1.8O0.2-0.32. Ab-initio modelling of boron substitution by oxygen in MgB2 ([Delta]Hf =-150.6 meV/atom) shows that this is energetically favourable up to the composition MgB1.75O0.25 ([Delta]Hf =-191.4 meV/atom). In contrast to carbon substitution, where very small levels of doping can dramatically affect the superconducting characteristics of the material with concomitant changes in the electron density, oxygen substitution results in very little change in the superconducting properties of MgB2. The formation of vacancies at the Mg site of both MgB2 and substituted MgB1.75O0.25 was modelled as well, but has shown that such processes are energetically disadvantageous ([Delta]Hf of Mg0.875B2 and Mg0.75B1.75O0.25 are equal to -45.5 and -93.5 meV/atom, respectively)

Structure and superconducting characteristics of magnesium diboride, substitution of boron atoms by oxygen and carbon

An x-ray analysis of MgB2-based materials shows that they contain MgB2 and MgO phases. According to a quantitative Auger analysis (taken after removing the oxidized surface layer by Ar ion etching in the microscope chamber) the MgB2 phase contains some amount of oxygen that approximately corresponds to the composition MgB2.2-1.7O0.4-0.6. Rietveld refinement of the MgB2 phase, based on EDX data with varying B/O content, leads to the composition MgB1.68-1.8O0.2-0.32. Ab-initio modelling of boron substitution by oxygen in MgB2 ([Delta]Hf =-150.6 meV/atom) shows that this is energetically favourable up to the composition MgB1.75O0.25 ([Delta]Hf =-191.4 meV/atom). In contrast to carbon substitution, where very small levels of doping can dramatically affect the superconducting characteristics of the material with concomitant changes in the electron density, oxygen substitution results in very little change in the superconducting properties of MgB2. The formation of vacancies at the Mg site of both MgB2 and substituted MgB1.75O0.25 was modelled as well, but has shown that such processes are energetically disadvantageous ([Delta]Hf of Mg0.875B2 and Mg0.75B1.75O0.25 are equal to -45.5 and -93.5 meV/atom, respectively)

Higher borides and oxygen-enriched Mg-B-O inclusions as possible pinning centers in nanostructural magnesium diboride and the influence of additives on their formation

The study of high pressure (2 GPa) synthesized MgB2-based materials allows us to conclude that higher borides (with near MgB12 stoichiometry) and oxygen-enriched Mg-B-O inclusions can be pinning centers in nanostructural magnesium diboride matrix (with average grain sizes of 15-37 nm). It has been established that additions of Ti or SiC as well as manufacturing temperature can affect the size, amount and distribution of these inclusions in the material structure and thus, influence critical current density. The superconducting behavior of materials with near MgB12 stoichiometry of matrix is discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figues, presented at VORTEX VI-2009, accepted for Physica