Effect of PVA doping on flux pinning in Bulk MgB2

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that PVA doping in MgB2 superconductors enhances flux pinning, increases critical current density and upper critical field, despite a slight decrease in transition temperature, due to carbon substitution at boron sites.

Contribution

It introduces PVA as a carbon source for doping MgB2, showing significant improvements in superconducting properties through carbon substitution.

Findings

Jc increased by nearly 3 times at low fields and tenfold at high fields.

Hc2 and Hirr values significantly improved with PVA doping.

Tc decreased slightly from 37K to 36K due to doping.

Abstract

The synthesis and characterization of PVA (Poly Vinyl Acetate) doped bulk MgB2 superconductor is reported here. PVA is used as a Carbon source. PVA doping effects made two distinguishable contributions: first enhancement of Jc field performance and second an increase in Hc2 value, both because of carbon incorporation into MgB2 crystal lattice. The susceptibility measurement reveals that Tc decreased from 37 to 36 K. Lattice parameter a decreased from 3.085 A to 3.081 A due to the partial substitution of Carbon at Boron site. PVA doped sample exhibited the Jc values greater than 10^5 A/cm2 at 5 & 10 K at low fields; which is almost 3 times higher than the pure one, while at high fields the Jc is increased by an order of magnitude in comparison to pure MgB2. From R(T)H measurements we found higher Tc values under magnetic field for doped sample; indicating an increase in Hc2. Also the magnetization measurements exhibited a significant enhancement in Hirr value. The improved performance of PVA doped MgB2 can be attributed to the substitution of carbon at boron site in parent MgB2 and the resulting impact on the carrier density and impurity scattering. The improved flux pinning behavior could easily be seen from reduced flux pinning force plots.