Discovery of a new nontoxic cuprate superconducting system Ga-Ba-Ca-Cu-O

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a new non-toxic cuprate superconductor system Ga-Ba-Ca-Cu-O with transition temperatures up to 116K, characterized by resistivity, magnetization, and X-ray diffraction, revealing multiple superconducting phases.

Contribution

First synthesis and characterization of a non-toxic Ga-Ba-Ca-Cu-O superconducting system with high transition temperatures.

Findings

Superconductivity observed at 82K and 116K in Ga-Ba-Ca-Cu-O compounds.

Samples fabricated by high-pressure, high-temperature solid state reaction.

XRD confirms phases Ga-1256 and Ga-1234 as superconducting.

Abstract

Superconductivity is observed in a new nontoxic cuprate system Ga-Ba-Ca-Cu-O, with Tc = 82K for GaBa2Ca5Cu6O14+{\delta} (Ga-1256) and Tc = 116K probably for GaBa2Ca3Cu4O10+{\delta} (Ga-1234) or GaBa2Ca2Cu3O8+{\delta} (Ga-1223), respectively. All compounds are fabricated by solid state reaction method under high pressure and high temperature. Samples are characterized by resistivity, magnetization and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The temperature dependence of magnetization measured in both zero-field-cooled and field-cooled processes on one sample (S1) shows two superconducting transitions at about 82K and 113K. The estimated shielding fraction for the phase with Tc of 82K is about 67%, while the fraction for another phase with Tc of 113K is quite small. The XRD Rietveld refinement for S1 indicates two main phases existing in the sample, Ga-1256 with fraction of about 58% and non-superconducting Ca0.85CuO2 with fraction of about 42%, respectively. Thus, we can conclude the superconducting phase with transition temperature of 82K is due to Ga-1256. The resistivity measurement also confirms the superconductivity for S1, and the resistivity reaches zero at about 82K. The temperature dependence of magnetization for another sample (S2) shows much higher superconducting shielding fraction for the phase with Tc of 116K, which may be a promising prospective for the synthesis of Ga-1234 or Ga-1223 phase.