Critical Current of Bi-2212 Single Crystal by Doping Oxides as a Pinning Center

Abstract

It is necessary to formpinning centers in superconductors to allow the flow of large currents throughthe specimens. To clarify the properties of pinning centers, it is preferableto investigate single crystals. In this study, heat treatment was used to dopevarious oxides into Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox(Bi-2212) single crystals prepared by self-flux methods and the criticalcurrent (Ic) was measured. The oxides used in this study were Al2O3and the rare earth oxides Er2O3and Nd2O3. At 77K, Nd2O3and Er2O3 are magnetic, whereas Al2O3is nonmagnetic. The Ic of the samples were measured as a current per width of 1cm (Ics). The resulting Ics of the Bi-2212 single crystal was 2.8A/cm and thatof the Al2O3 doped Bi-2212 sample was 4.5A/cm. Comparedwith these samples, doping the other rare earth oxides gave Ics values inexcess 10A/cm. The results indicated that the doping oxides were effective inoperating as pinning centers in the samples. We assumed the current path in asingle crystal, and calculated the Ics by superconducting current simulation.The results indicated that the oxides permeated from a crystal surface in aporous shape. The oxides increase the current which flow in the Cu-O2planes that are parallel to the a-b plane.