Zn doping in YBCO single crystal by the solute-rich liquid-crystal pulling method

Abstract

Zn-doped YBa2Cu3O6+δ (YBCO) single crystals were fabricated by the solute-rich liquid-crystal pulling (SRL-CP) method. The Zn content of x ranged from 0.0035–0.029 and almost uniformly distributed in YBa2(Cu1−xZnx)3O6+δ. There is a nearly linear relationship between the added Zn content in the liquid and the analyzed Zn content in the liquid/in the crystal. When the added Zn content Cl was 1.086 at. %, decreasing of growth temperature led to increasing growth rate. However, growth temperature had no obvious effect on the doped Zn content in the crystal Cs, the Zn content in the flux Cl, and the effective distribution ratio of k′. In addition, growth spirals on the grown crystal surface were observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). X-ray Laue pattern and RBS measurements are indicative of good crystallinity of YBa2(Cu1−xZnx)3O6+δ. Critical temperatures of Tc changed from 89 to 57 K when the Zn content x ranged 0.0035 to 0.029 after appropriate oxygenation.