The effect of neutron irradiation on the properties of Tl_{0.6}Pb_{0.3}Cd_{0.1}Ba_2Ca_2Cu_{3}O_{9-delta} superconductors

Authors: KAREEM ALI JASIM, TARIQ JAFFAR ALWAN, KHALID HADI MAHDI, HAZIM LOUIS MANSOUR

Abstract: The effect of neutron irradiation on phase purity, crystal structure, and electrical resistivity of Tl_{0.6}Pb_{0.3}Cd_{0.1} Ba_2Ca_2Cu_3O_{9-delta} superconductors has been studied before and after irradiation by electrical resistance measurements and X-ray diffraction techniques. The zero-resistance superconducting transition temperature, T_{c(offset)}, of samples systematically decreases by about 5 K with the increase of neutron irradiation fluence up 18.12 \times 10^{10} n cm^{-2}. The crystalline phases showed that the compounds have 2 phases, a high-Tc phase (1223) and low-Tc phase (1212), in addition to the impurity phase. The irradiation led to a decrease in oxygen content and volume fraction of high-Tc phase (1223).

Keywords: Irradiation, superconductors, crystal structure, X-ray diffraction, resistivity, T_c

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