Effects of Zn doping on YBaCuO superconductor

In this work we present a study of Zn impurity effects on the YBa2Cu3O7-δ high Tc superconducting ceramics prepared by the solid state reaction method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) techniques, and resistivity measurements are used to characterize the YBa(Cu1-xZnx)3O7-δ samples. The obtained results show that, for example, the value of the transition critical temperature is decreasing up to 80 K caused by the substitution of Zn for Cu in the interval 0≤x≤0.01. Also, the peritectic transformation of superconducting phase undergoes a displacement to lower temperatures compared with pure YBaCuO. On the basis of the obtained results, the effects of Zn doping on the structural and electronic properties are explained. (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)