An efficient technique for growing (Bi,Pb)-2223 single crystals

An efficient KCl-flux technique is presented for growing large amounts of (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+δ or (Bi,Pb)-2223 single crystals with high reproducibility. In this technique single-phase (Bi0.85Pb0.15)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+δ coarse-grain powder is added to act as seeds for growing single crystals in the Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O solute that otherwise contains as little as possible the (Bi,Pb)-2223 and (Bi,Pb)-2212 phases. The (Bi,Pb)-2223 seed powder, the Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O solute powder and KCl were mixed with a weight ratio of (0.01-0.1):1:4, and heated in an alumina crucible in air at 845 deg. C for 100 h to yield high-quality single crystals with an average size of 80 x 80 x 8 μm3. Using ∼200 single crystals having the c-axis aligned, anisotropic magnetization characteristics were successfully evaluated. Oxygen-annealing effects (both in 1 and 10 atm O2) on the H irr characteristics were investigated as well but found rather negligible