Ion Beam Analysis and Electric Properties of GdBa<SUB>2</SUB>Cu<SUB>3</SUB>O<SUB>7-δ</SUB> Added with Nanosized Ferrites ZnFe<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>4</SUB> and CoFe<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>4</SUB>

Abstract

In this study, superconducting samples of type GdBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ added with x wt% (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) nanoferrites Zn Fe 2 O 4 and CoFe 2 O 4 were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction technique. The prepared samples were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) in order to determine the volume fraction and lattice parameters. The elemental contents of the prepared samples were determined using particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE). In addition, the oxygen-content of these samples was obtained using non-Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) at 3 MeV proton beam. It is found that the Oxygen-content of GdBa 2 Cu <SUB>3</SUB> O 7-δ phase remains practically constant for low additions of both nanoferrites but it increases with high additions. The electrical resistivity of the prepared samples was measured by the conventional four-probe technique from room temperature down to the zero superconducting transition temperature (T0). An increase in the superconducting transition temperature Tc and the critical current density Jc is observed as x varies from 0.0 to 0.06 wt% of (ZnFe 2 O 4 )xGdBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ , followed by a systematic decrease with increasing x. On the other hand, the Tc values for (CoFe 2 O 4 )xGd Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ show a systematic decrease with x for both high and low additions while Jc is enhanced up to x = 0.01 wt% and decrease with further increase in x.