O. Erdem

Effect of Er doping on the superconducting properties of porous MgB 2

MgB2 bulk sample with porous structure was produced by using the in-situ solid-state reaction method under argon (Ar) atmosphere of 10 bar. Elemental Er in powder form was doped into MgB2 with different compositions (Mg 1−xErx)B2, where x=0.00, 0.03 and 0.05, in order to investigate the effect of rare-earth (RE) element Er on the structural and electromagnetic properties of porous MgB2. The Er-doped samples result in small grain size structure compared to the undoped one. The lattice constants a and c of the doped samples, determined from X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, increase with the increasing Er content, and consequently the superconducting transition temperature (Tconset) of MgB2, determined from resistivity measurements, is slightly suppressed. Also, the upper critical field (Bc2), the irreversibility field (Birr) and the critical current density (Jc) values are significantly enhanced in the doped samples. For the best sample (x=0.03), at 15 K under a magnetic field of 4 T, the Jc value reaches 2.4 ×104 A cm−2, which is higher than that of the porous sample by an order of 103, and the Birr value at 20 K reaches 9.7 T. These results imply that the RE element Er fills the pores, enhances the density and the grain connectivity. Hence, the superconducting properties of the porous MgB2 sample improve by Er doping.

Effect of laser irradiation on activation energy, irreversibility field and upper critical magnetic field of bulk MgB2 superconductor

In this study, the role of laser irradiation on the upper critical field (Hc2), the irreversibility field (Hirr) and the activation energy (U0) of bulk MgB2 superconductor was first time investigated with the aid of magnetoresistivity measurements conducted at different applied magnetic fields in a range of 0–15xa0kOe as a function of temperature from 25 to 40xa0K. For this aim, a disk shaped MgB2 superconductor was produced and cut into two pieces. One of the pieces was irradiated under high vacuum conditions by using an Nd:YVO4 laser. The obtained results showed an increase in the critical temperature (Tc) by about 1xa0K after irradiation. Also, the values of Hc2(0) were respectively found to be around 143 and 151xa0kOe while the values of Hirr(0) were about 122 and 130xa0kOe for the reference and the irradiated samples. Using the thermally activated flux flow model the dependence of U0 on magnetic field was determined. The maximum U0 values of 0.43 and 0.83xa0eV in zero magnetic field were respectively obtained for the reference and the irradiated samples. Also, the magnetic field dependence of the critical current density Jc(B) values at different temperatures were slightly increased after the irradiation. These results point out that the superconducting properties of bulk MgB2 can be improved via laser irradiation.

Effect of laser irradiation on superconducting properties of bulk MgB2 sintered at different temperatures

The surfaces of MgB2 bulk samples produced by a pellet/closed tube method at two different sintering temperatures of 650 and 850u2009°C, after hot pressing at 200u2009°C, were irradiated with the same irradiation dose by using an Nd:YVO4 laser in order to study the possible potentiality of laser irradiation to improve pinning performances and critical current density of MgB2 superconductor. The measurements showed that the magnetic field dependence of the critical current density values of irradiated sample sintered at 650u2009°C slightly increased with a narrowing in superconducting transition region as compared to the reference sample sintered at same temperature. However, irradiated sample sintered at 850u2009°C showed a decrease in pinning performance and similar critical temperature values as compared to the corresponding reference sample. From these results it can be said that the same laser irradiation dose affects superconducting properties of bulk MgB2 in different ways depending on sintering temperature of the superconductor.

Influence of coronene addition on some superconducting properties of bulk MgB2

This study reports the effect of coronene (C24H12) addition on some superconducting properties such as critical temperature (Tc), critical current density (Jc), flux pinning force density (Fp), irreversibility field (Hirr), upper critical magnetic field (Hc2), and activation energy (U0), of bulk MgB2 superconductor by means of magnetisation and magnetoresistivity measurements. Disk-shaped polycrystalline MgB2 samples with varying C24H12 contents of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10xa0wt%, were produced at 850xa0°C in Ar atmosphere. The obtained results show an increase in field-Jc values at 10 and 20xa0K resulting from the strengthened flux pinning, and a decrease in critical temperature (Tc) because of C substitution into MgB2 lattice, with increasing amount of C24H12 powder. The Hc2(0) and Hirr(0) values are respectively found as 144, 181, 172xa0kOe, and 128, 161, 145xa0kOe for pure, 4xa0wt% and 10xa0wt% C24H12 added samples. The U0 depending on the magnetic field curves were plotted using thermally activated flux flow model. The maximum U0 values are respectively obtained as 0.20, 0.23 and 0.12xa0eV at 30xa0kOe for pure, 4xa0wt% and 10xa0wt% C24H12 added samples. As a result, the superconducting properties of bulk MgB2 at high fields was improved using C24H12, active carbon source addition, because of the presence of uniformly dispersed C particles with nanometer order of magnitude, and acting as effective pinning centres in MgB2 structure.