TITLE:
Ion Beam Analysis and Electric Properties of GdBa2Cu3O7-δ Added with Nanosized Ferrites ZnFe2O4 and CoFe2O4
AUTHORS:
Hadi Basma, Mohamad Roumié, Ramadan Awad, Salem Marhaba, Mohamad Albast, Ali Abualy
KEYWORDS:
Gd-123, Nanoferrites, X-Ray Diffraction, PIXE and RBS, Critical Current Density
JOURNAL NAME:
Materials Sciences and Applications,
Vol.6 No.9,
September
29,
2015
ABSTRACT: In this study, superconducting samples of type GdBa2Cu3O7-δ added with x wt% (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) nanoferrites
ZnFe2O4 and CoFe2O4 were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction technique.
The prepared samples were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) in order to determine
the volume fraction and lattice parameters. The elemental contents of the prepared samples
were determined using particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE). In addition, the oxygen-content
of these samples was obtained using non-Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) at 3
MeV proton beam. It is found that the Oxygen-content of GdBa2Cu3O7-δ phase remains practically
constant for low additions of both nanoferrites but it increases with high additions. The electrical
resistivity of the prepared samples was measured by the conventional four-probe technique from
room temperature down to the zero superconducting transition temperature (T0). An increase in
the superconducting transition temperature Tc and the critical current density Jc is observed as x
varies from 0.0 to 0.06 wt% of (ZnFe2O4)xGdBa2Cu3O7-δ, followed by a systematic decrease with
increasing x. On the other hand, the Tc values for (CoFe2O4)xGdBa2Cu3O7-δ show a systematic decrease
with x for both high and low additions while Jc is enhanced up to x = 0.01 wt% and decrease
with further increase in x.