Microstructure and Physical Properties of Bi1.9+<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis>Sr1.7−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis>La0.4CuO6 System

The crystal microstructure, superconductivity, and normal state transport properties of Bi_1.9+xSr_1.7?xLa_0.4CuO_6+δ(0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) system were investigated by means of electron diffraction (ED), resistivity, and TEP. Analyses of the experimental results indicate that with the increase of Bi content, the incommensurate modulation wavelength decreases and the distortion of CuO₆ octahedron enhances. Increasing Bi content decreases the carrier concentration rapidly, and induces an MI transition. The destruction of superconductivity mainly derives from two aspects: the enhancement of structural distortion due to the introduction of more Bi and the variation of the carrier concentration of the system.     

Phonon Vibration and Conduction of La2 ? xSrxCuO4 ? δ and La1.85 ? xSr0.15 + xCu1 ? xCoxO4 ? δ

Polycrystalline samples La_{2 – x} Sr _x CuO_{4 –} (0.06 x 0.5) and La_{1.85 – x} Sr_{0.15 + x} Cu_{1 – x} Co _x O_{4 –} (0 x 1) were synthesized by a conventional solid state reaction method. The structure, phonon vibration, and conduction were investigated by means of XRD, infrared (IR) spectra, and resistance. It is found that the increase of itinerant hole carriers could mask the in-plane stretching vibration mode (689 cm^–1). The softening of the phonon vibration mode gives an index of the weakening of hybridization. The distortion of CuO₆ octahedron and the microstructural inhomogeneity induced by Co doping lead to the widening of the IR absorption peaks.     

The Transport Properties of Bi-Riched Bi2Sr2CuO6+δ Single Crystal

As-grown superconducting Bi-riched Bi₂Sr₂CuO₆₊ single crystals have been grown by the traveling solvent floating zone technique. The superconducting transition temperature T _c was about 6 K and the room temperature resistivity was about 2×10^–3 Ohm-cm. Transport properties, such as resistivity, magnetoresistance and Hall effect were measured from overdoped to underdoped samples annealed in inert atmosphere at 650°C. The transition temperature can be raised to 12 K after post annealing. The Hall measurement shows that the hole carrier density decrease after annealing. The temperature dependence of Hall angle is T ^1.5, not quadratic as observed for most high-T _c superconducting oxides such as YBa₂Cu₃O₇. The variation of onset T _c with different external magnetic field is very different from high-T _c superconductors. The in-plane conductivity shows the dependence of ln T and can be explained by weak localization theory.     

Impurity Resonance States in Bi2Sr1.6La0.4CuO6+δ

Using scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) at 4.2?K, we observed impurity resonance in single crystals of Zn doped Bi₂Sr_1.6La_0.4CuO_6+?? (T _C =28?K) (Bi2201). Many impurity resonances characterized by the peak structure near E _F were observed. We found that the number of the resonances was less than that of the doped impurities (0.45?% determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry). The resonance peaks were observed only in the region having smaller gap less than ??_cut??26?meV. This ??_cut was about half of that reported in Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+?? .     

XRD and PES Studies of the Bi2Sr2Ca1?xPrxCu2O8+δ System

The Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈₊ system samples doped with Pr on Ca sites were synthesized. Resistivity measurements, x-ray powder diffraction, and photoemission experiments were performed. The experiment results show that Pr ions entered the lattice and chemical environment plays a major role in the shift of core-level spectra and valence-band spectra.     

Effect of ZrO2 Addition on Microstructure, Transport and Magnetic Properties of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ System

The influence of zirconium (Zr) addition to the Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ (Bi2212) system on its phase formation, microstructure, transport, and magnetic properties is investigated. Samples have been characterized by means of X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive of X-ray analysis (SEM/EDX), and resistivity versus temperature measurement. The results show an increase of the critical temperature of superconductive transition T _c for x=0.01 and in all the samples containing Zr the Bi2212 phase is the majority. SEM observations show whiskers grains randomly distributed and microstructural change due to the addition of Zr. Resistivity measurement show that the temperature of the onset of transition T _c increases by 9 K for x=0.005, 0.02, and 5 K for x=0.01 of ZrO₂. An improvement of the normal state conductivity is obtained for the lowest content of Zr (x=0.005). In the normal state, all the samples exhibit a metallic behavior except the sample with x=0.01, which exhibit a semiconductor character.     

Effect of Zn, Ni and Fe Impurities on Bi2Sr1.6La0.4CuO6+��

We measured the change of T _c with the doping of the magnetic and nonmagnetic impurity in Bi₂Sr_1.6La_0.4CuO_6+?? (Bi2201). The reduction of T _c is about 20% in samples with Zn (1.1%), Ni (1.0%), and Fe (1.2%), and a slight difference was observed among these samples. We also observed the resonance peak at the Zn-impurity site by scanning tunneling spectroscopy at 4.2 K. The observed resonance peak showed the four-fold symmetry, and appeared at approximately ?1.5 meV.     

Out-of-Plane Negative Magnetoresistance of Bi2Sr1.6La0.4CuO6+δ Single Crystals in the Underdoped Region

In order to investigate a relationship between the carrier concentration and negative magnetoresistance in the underdoped region, we have performed out-of-plane electrical resistivity measurements for underdoped Bi ₂ Sr _1.6 La _0.4 CuO ₆₊ single crystals. Giant negative magnetoresistance has been observed in the most abundant carrier sample with = 0.12 in our experiment. The negative magnetoresistance reduces with decreasing carrier concentration.     

Substitution Effect of Sn for Cu in the Bi2Sr2CaCu2?xSnxO8+δ System

The Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈₊ system samples doped with Sn on Cu sites were synthesized. Resistivity temperature dependence, X-ray powder diffraction and photoemission experiments have been performed. Suppression of superconductivity in the Sn-doped Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈₊ system has been observed. X-ray photoemission measurements show that Sn ion enters the lattice. Our results reveal that Sn ions are mostly in bivalent states.     

Mechanical Properties of Bi1.6Pb0.4Sr1.8Ba0.2Ca2Cu3?x Ni x O10+δ Superconducting System

Samples of Bi_1.6Pb_0.4Sr_1.8Ba_0.2Ca₂Cu_3?x Ni _x O_10+?? were prepared by solid-state reaction methods. Mechanical properties (Vickers microhardness, Young modulus, yield strength, fracture toughness and surface energy) by Vickers microhardness measurements have been carried out to examine the effects of Ni substitution. The results showed a deterioration of the mechanical properties with the enhancement of Ni content.     

Magnetic and transport properties of Mn3+xGa1?xN compounds

Mn_3+x Ga_1−x N compounds with x = 0.0 and 0.1 were prepared by re-sintering Mn₂N_0.86, Ga bulk and Mn powders. These compounds are deduced to be the N-deficiency ones. In Mn₃GaN, a step-like magnetic transition, from frustrated antiferromagnetism to paramagnetism with increasing temperature, occurs at 370 K, while the same magnetic transition of Mn_3.1Ga_0.9N is far above 380 K. The enhanced magnetization of Mn₃GaN at low temperatures is ascribed to the fast lowering of antiferromagnetism. The electrical resistivity of Mn₃GaN exhibits a typically metallic conducting behavior with a positive magnetoresistance of 4–7%.     

Comparative Studies of the Superconducting Properties of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ and Bi1.7Pb0.3Sr2CaCu2O8+δ/Ag Random Composites

We report the results of the study of the resistive transition and the screening effect on similar random composites made of a silver matrix containing sintered superconducting grains of bismuth phase with two different stoichiometries. We show that most of the observed behaviors are compatible with a phenomenological approach in which the intergrain junctions behave as weak links whose the state depends strongly on temperature and field. We find that these links a much weaker in one of the series of samples.     

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Dy-α-sialon/Nano-size SiC Composites

The composite of Dy-α-sialon/10 wt pct nano-size SiC particles has been prepared from precursor powders of Si3N4, AIN, Al2O3, Dy2O3 and nano-size β-SiC. The hardness, toughness and bending strength of the composite at ambient temperature are a little higher than those of Dy-α-sialon.while the bending strength is maintained up to 1000℃ and about 2 times more than that of Dy-α-sialon at the same temperature. The fracture surfaces show that the grain size of the composite is smaller than that of Dy-α-sialon, and both Of them have predominately transgranular mode of fracture. It is believed that the decrease of the bending strength of Dy-α-sialon at elevated temperature is caused by the viscous flow of the grain boundary phase, while the addition of nanosize SiC particles effectively increases the viscosity of the grain boundary phase and therefore prevents the strength loss of Dy-α-sialon/nano-size SiC composites at elevated temperature     

Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Diamond–SiC Nanocomposites

A bulk composite material close in hardness to diamond was fabricated from nanocrystalline diamond and SiC. The mechanical properties and microstructure of the composite were studied. Young's modulus of the composite is found to be notably lower than the one following from the additivity rule, which is attributable to the influence of structural defects present in the interfacial zone between SiC and diamond. SiC consists of nanometer-scale grains near the interface and submicron grains in the pores.     

Structure and Diamagnetic Properties of (Pb0.6SnyCu0.4 ? y)Sr2(Y1 ? xCax)Cu2Oz

The effect of Sn doping in (Pb_0.6Sn _y Cu_{0.4 – y} )Sr₂(Y_{1 – x} Ca _x )Cu₂O _z with 0 y 0.3 and 0 x 0.7 was investigated. It was established that a nearly pure 1212 phase can be obtained at 0 y 0.1 and 0 x 0.3. The obtained XRD patterns as well as the results of the EDX and ICP-AES analyses showed that Sn substitution is possible in the (Pb,Cu)-1212 phase. Superconductivity was observed at 0.4 x 0.7. The onset of the diamagnetic transitions varied from 10 to 30 K. The influence of the strong Pb deficiency on the superconducting properties of the samples was discussed.     

Systematic Evolution of the Magnetotransport Properties of Bi2Sr2−x La x CuO6 with Carrier Concentration

We report that it is possible to obtain a series of high-quality crystals of Bi ₂ Sr _2–x La _x CuO ₆ , of which the transport properties have been believed to be dirtier than those of other cuprates. In our crystals, the normal-state transport properties display behaviors which are in good accord with other cuprates; for example, in the underdoped region the in-plane resistivity _ab shows the pseudogap feature and in the overdoped region the T dependence of _ab changes to T ⁿ with n>1. The characteristic temperatures of the pseudo-gap deduced from the resistivity and the Hall coefficient data are presented.     

Electron Spectroscopy of Single-Layer (n = 1) Bi2Sr2?xLaxCuO6+δ Crystals at Optimal Doping

On single crystals of the single-layer (n = 1) high-T _c superconductor Bi₂Sr_2–x La _x CuO₆₊ at optimal doping (x = 0.4), the electron spectroscopies x-ray absorption (XAS) and high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) were performed. The XAS gives the intensity of the so-called prepeak of the O 1s line what is due to the unoccupied part of the Zhang–Rice (ZR) singlet band. For ARPES, the advantages of single-layer material are the absence of bilayer effects and the possibility to study the electronic properties of the normal state at a sample temperature where the thermal broadening is extremely small (<10 meV). The controlled variation of the polarization vector of the synchrotron radiation made it possible to resolve a distinct fine-structure of the occupied part of the ZR singlet band at the Fermi level. These observations have enormous consequences for line shape analyses and the determination of pseudogaps, and thus the mechanism of high-T _c superconductivity.     

c-axis Superfluid Response and Quasiparticle Conductivity in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ and Bi2Sr2CuO6+δ

Josephson plasma resonance for underdoped Bi ₂ Sr ₂ CaCu ₂ O ₈₊ and Bi ₂ Sr ₂ CuO ₆₊ have been measured by sweeping the microwave, frequency continuously. The resonance enables us to determine the superfluid density and quasiparticle conductivity in the c-axis accurately. We show that the. superfluid response and the low energy excitations out of the condensate in the c-axis of these materials are very different from those in the ordinary Josephson multilayer tunnel junctions. The Josephson coupling energy in single layer Bi ₂ Sr ₂ CuO ₆₊ is more than 5000 times smaller than is predicted in interlayer tunneling model.     

Preparation and Magnetic Properties of?(La1?xSr1+x)(Mn0.5Co0.5)O4

A series of single phase (La_1−x Sr_1+x ) (Mn_0.5Co_0.5)O₄ (0≤x≤0.40) materials with a tetragonal K₂NiF₄ structure was prepared by a solid state reaction method at 1400 or 1450 °C with a short period of heating time. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the Rietveld refinement method were employed for the structural analysis. Unit cell a- and c-axes decrease with increasing amount of Sr substitution. A discrepancy between the zero-field-cooled and the field-cooled magnetization is observed in all samples investigated below a characteristic temperature, T ^*, which likely arises from the canted nature of spins or the random freezing of spins. It appears that T ^* decreases with increasing amount of Sr substitution, which is possibly due to the enhancement of chemical pressure induced by Sr and a corresponding increases of the valence of Mn and/or Co.