Microwave properties of epitaxial large-area Ca-doped YBa2Cu3O7−δ thin films on r-plane sapphire

Ca doping of YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ (YBCO) is well known to enhance the critical current density in large-angle grain boundaries for example of bicrystals. However, up to now no data are available on microwave properties of epitaxial Ca-doped YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ thin films on r-plane sapphire with CeO₂ buffer layer.Therefore, first results are presented for large-area pulsed laser deposition (PLD) grown Ca_xY_1−xBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ films on 3-in. diameter sapphire wafers. The PLD process is optimised for undoped YBCO thin films and shows high reproducibility for YBCO. The microwave surface resistance R_s at 8.5 GHz of Ca-doped YBCO (x=0.1) thin films shows clear reduction (up to 20%) with respect to that of YBCO for temperatures from about 20–50 K. In addition, microwave surface resistance R_s of Ca-doped YBCO is lower than that of YBCO even for enhanced microwave surface magnetic field up to about 20 mT for temperatures 20 and 40 K.     

The use of proline as a nitrogen source causes hypersensitivity to, and allows more economical use of 5FOA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The use of proline as a nitrogen source causes hypersensitivity to 5-fluoro-orotic acid (5FOA) and allows up to 40-fold less of this drug to be used to select for the loss of URA3 function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. 5FOA hypersensitivity is presumably due to the absence of nitrogen catabolite repression when proline is substituted for (NH4)2SO4 as a nitrogen source. There are two constraints to the use of the proline-5FOA combination: (1) S288c genetic background strains are hypersensitive to 5FOA when grown in proline as a nitrogen source but at least one other genetic background is resistant to low levels of 5FOA under these conditions. (2) The addition of some nutritional supplements confers phenotypic resistance to the 5FOA-proline combination.     

On the manufacture of silver-sheathed Bi-2212 high temperature superconducting wires

High temperature superconductors (HTS) are presently being considered for a variety of defense and commercial applications. However, problems associated with low critical current density (J_c) in long length conductors still need to be addressed. It is realized that success in the fabrication of long lengths of wire and tape (up to 1 km) with optimum superconducting properties relies on improved manufacturing technologies. Unfortunately, there is no systematic study concerning the effect of processing parameters on the green properties of wires and tapes during the deformation processes. The focus of this investigation centered on silver (Ag) sheathed Bi-2212 wire forming processes and use of the two most common techniques, wire drawing and hydrostatic extrusion. Billets of 6.35 mm outside diameter were reduced separately by five different die sequences to a final diameter of 1.63 mm. Wires made by these procedures were characterized for properties such as Bi-2212 relative packing density, sheath material thickness, deformation force, elongation, drawing friction, and microstructural and mechanical properties. These results indicated that the amount of reduction per pass has a significant impact on the characteristics of non-heat treated wires and on the mechanical aspects of the wire drawing operations.     

Thermal expansion of Bi2.2Sr1.8CaCu2Ox superconductor single crystals

Using a low-temperature stage X-ray diffractometer, we have investigated the temperature dependence of the lattice parameters of single crystal superconductors Bi₂Sr_1.8CaCu₂O_x. The experimental results show that (i) the lattice constants increase linearly with increasing temperature above about 100 K; (ii) thec-axis lattice parameter shows a kink in the superconducting transition region, while thea, b-axis parameters do not show any anomalous behavior in this region; (iii) botha, b, andc show negative thermal expansion coefficients below 40–50 K, which may be related to the characteristics of the Cu-O bond.     

DC and AC analysis of high current double barrier structures

We report a series of measurements on GaAs/Al_0.3Ga_0.7As double barrier heterostructures aimed at establishing a better understanding of resonant tunneling mechanisms. First, we have measured the temperature dependence of current-voltage characteristics from 77 K up to 400 K. The experimental findings are explained with a model which describes the effect of inelastic scatterings by means of a coherence length. From the fitted experimental curves, we find an effective inelastic scattering time of 0.13 ps. Second we report impedance measurements at microwave frequencies over a wide bias range. The question of an intrinsic self inductance effect is more specially adressed in the framework of the time response of resonant tunneling diode to a time varying potential.     

Microstructure and properties of melt-processed Bi-2212 (Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox)

Microstructural development and properties during melt processing of Bi-2212 were investigated with regard to the production of superconducting oxides in bulk shape for the application in electrical engineering. Oxygen loss during heating and melting leads to incongruent solidification on cooling and therefore multiphase microstructures. Phase compositions depend on oxygen stoichiometry, which is determined by oxygen partial pressure, maximum sintering temperature as well as cooling rate. During annealing, solid/liquid and subsequent solid/solid reactions yield high volume fractions of 2212. The oxygen absorption and the 2212 formation mechanism and its kinetics are strongly correlated. The11905→2212 transformation proceeds via intermediate states of high planar defect density and is promoted by frequent stacking faults, that allow diffusion of Ca- and Cu-atoms over short distance. Microstructures of the 2212 phase were also controlled by variations of the cation stoichiometry leading to an improvement of the superconducting properties.     

用正电子寿命谱研究铋系超导体的结构不稳定性

室温下测量下铋系２２１２相超导体的正电子寿命参数随时间的变化，发现正电子寿命，平均寿命和体寿命都随着时间的延长而减小，直到１３０天以后各个正电子寿命参数才稳定，这就明氧化物超导即使在室温下也是不稳定的，对由这种结构不稳定性经起的样品的电子结构，氧含量和空穴浓度等的变化进行了讨论。     

Phase relationships and crystallography in the pseudobinary system Gd5Si4---Gd5Ge4

A study of phase relationships and crystallography in the pseudobinary system Gd₅(Si_xGe_1−x)₄ revealed: (1) that both terminal binary compounds Gd₅Si₄ and Gd₅Ge₄ crystallize in the Sm₅Ge₄-type orthorhombic structure, and (2) the appearance of an intermediate (ternary) phase with a monoclinic crystal structure which is similar to both Gd₅Si₄ and Gd₅Ge₄. The formation of the monoclinic phase at 0.24≤x≤0.5 [between Gd₅(Si_0.96Ge_3.03)Gd₅(Si₁Ge₃) and Gd₅(Si₂Ge₂)] is probably due to the large difference in bonding characteristics of Si and Ge in the Gd₅Si₄-Gd₅Ge₄ pseudobinary system which limits the ability of the mutual substitution of Si for Ge and vice versa without a change of the crystal structure. For the composition Gd₅(Si₂Ge₂) the lattice parameters of the monoclinic structure (space group P112₁/a) are a=7.580865), b=14.802(1), c=7.7799(5)Å, γ=93.190(4)°. A distinct difference in the magnetic behaviors of the alloys from three different phase regions in this system follows the distinct difference in the crystal structures observed for the alloys from the three phase regions.     

高温超导带材的失超传播特性研究

对Bi-2223／Ag高温超导多芯带材在失超传播过程中的电压特性和温度特性进行了研究。测量了在液氮保护冷气氛(77K)环境下，零背景磁场时Bi-2223／Ag超导多芯带的纵向失超传播速度与传输电流的关系，并得到最小传播电流。同时采用有限元方法(finite elment method，简称。FEM)模拟出超导体失超传播过程中由超导态过渡到正常态的温度变化行为。另外，比较了在相同传输电流、不同猝灭(失超)能量下的失超传播特性。这对高温超导体磁体及电力系统中的应用有着重要的实际意义。     

Microstructures and thermoelectric properties of p-type pseudo-binary AgxBi0.5Sb1.5−xTe3 (x = 0.05–0.4) alloys prepared by cold pressing

The p-type pseudo-binary Ag_xBi_0.5Sb_1.5−xTe₃ (x = 0.05–0.4) alloys were prepared by cold pressing. The thermal conductivities (κ) were calculated from the values of heat capacities, densities and thermal diffusivities measured, and range approximately from 0.66 to 0.56 (W K^− 1 m^− 1) for the Ag_xBi_0.5Sb_1.5−xTe₃ alloy with molar fraction x being 0.4. Combining with the electrical properties obtained in the previous study, the maximum dimensionless figure of merit ZT of 1.1 was obtained at the temperature of 558 K.