Effect of gamma irradiation and silver doping on YBCO superconductor

The effect of -irradiation and silver doping on the properties of YBCO superconductors has been studied by electrical resistance measurements and x-ray diffraction techniques. The zero-resistance superconducting transition temperature of (YBCO)_1–xAg _x systematically increase by about 2 K with an increase of Ag content up tox=0.04. Further increase in Ag content decreases the transition temperature. The normal-state resistance decreases up to a factor of 3.4 with an increase of Ag content. No significant change in the transition width has been observed due to silver addition up tox=0.30. Undoped YBCO and the Ag-doped specimens of (YBCO)_1.96Ag_0.04 were irradiated with-rays up to an integrated-dose of 77 MR. The normal-state resistance of the specimens gradually increases and the transition temperature slightly decreases with increase of-dose. The intensities of the x-ray diffraction peaks of the monolayers of the sample powders decrease with -irradiation without noticeable change of diffraction angles or peak widths. These observations indicate that the high-T _c supconductor YBCO is quite sensitive to-irradiation but drastic lattice expansion does not occur up to a-dose of 77 MR.