Two-zone annealing of Tl0.5Pb0.5(Sr0.8Ba0.2)2Ca2Cu3Oy

Abstract

Stable conditions have been identified for two-zone processing of the superconducting thallium cuprate Tl0.5Pb0.5(Sr0.8Ba0.2)2Ca2Cu3Oy. With P(O2) of 0.8 atm, P(Tl2O) of 4.4 × 10−3 atm, and a sample temperature of 920 °C, single-phase Tl0.5Pb0.5(Sr0.8Ba0.2)2Ca2Cu3Oy, is produced with a Tc of 115 K, complete diamagnetic shielding, and Meissner fraction greater than 70%. Although a small amount of melting occurs under these conditions, a comparison of the low-field diamagnetic shielding for these samples with samples of Pb- and Sr-free TlBa2Ca2Cu3Oy and Tl2Ba2Ca2Cu3Oy, suggests that such melting is not necessary to produce the triple-CuO2-layer superconductors.