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Mg-doped Nd-Ba-Cu-O generic seed crystals for the top-seeded melt growth of large-grain (rare earth)-Ba-Cu-O bulk superconductors

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Abstract

We report the fabrication of Mg-doped NdBCO generic seed crystals, which have been developed recently for the fabrication of any rare earth (RE) based (RE)-Ba-Cu-O single-grain superconductor, with a wide range of Nd1+xBa2-xCu3-yMgyO7-δ compositions. Three basic characteristics of the seed crystals required for effective seeding of bulk (RE)BCO materials were studied in detail. We report the chemical, crystallographic, microstructural, and superconducting properties of the seeds and demonstrate clearly their potential to process various (RE)BCO superconductors in single-grain form. The melting point, volume fraction of Mg-rich inclusions in the bulk microstructure, and the chemical composition of the Nd1+xBa2-xCu3-yMgyO7-δ superconducting matrix of the seed crystals were studied as a function of initial MgO content. Finally, the suitable range of MgO-content within the generic seed crystal that controls effectively the orientation of the seeded grain without compromising its superconducting properties relative to those of the Mg-free compound is identified based on the wide range of seed crystal compositions investigated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IRC in Superconductivity and Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 OHE, UK

    Y. Shi, N. Hari Babu, K. Iida & D. A. Cardwell

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  1. Y. Shi
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  2. N. Hari Babu
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  3. K. Iida
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  4. D. A. Cardwell
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Correspondence to N. Hari Babu.

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Shi, Y., Babu, N.H., Iida, K. et al. Mg-doped Nd-Ba-Cu-O generic seed crystals for the top-seeded melt growth of large-grain (rare earth)-Ba-Cu-O bulk superconductors. Journal of Materials Research 21, 1355–1362 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2006.0167

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2006.0167

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