Nondestructive interactions of carbon nanotubes with Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8

Experimental evidence is presented for the intercalation of carbon nanotubes (CNs) in polycrystalline Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 (BSCCO) samples at the 12 wt.%-CN doping level, based on high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray diffraction measurements. Magnetization measurements performed on BSCCO samples with various CN doping levels do not indicate a change in the critical current density Jc within experimental error. The embedding process did not have any detrimental effects on the superconducting critical temperature of any of the samples. In contrast to previous work, the temperatures and widths of the superconducting transition of all the samples were similar