SEM, STM/STS and heavy ion irradiation studies on magnesium diboride superconductor

H. Narayan; S. B. Samanta; A. Gupta; A. V. Narlikar; R. Kishore; K. N. Sood; D. Kanjilal; T. Muranaka; J. Akimitsu

doi:10.1016/S0921-4534(02)01162-0

SEM, STM/STS and heavy ion irradiation studies on magnesium diboride superconductor

H. Narayan, S. B. Samanta, A. Gupta, A. V. Narlikar, R. Kishore, K. N. Sood, D. Kanjilal, T. Muranaka, J. Akimitsu

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16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We have presented here the results of SEM and STM/STS investigations carried out on MgB₂ superconductor. The SEM pictures show porous surface and well-linked granular structure in which bigger grains (few micrometer size) seem to be agglomeration of smaller, nearly hexagonal grains (size nearly 100 nm). Hexagonal structure of Mg and B layers have been directly observed in atomically resolved STM images. The lattice constants have been determined to be a_Mg = 3.1 Å, a_B = 1.7 Å and c = 3.5 Å. Grain boundaries (GB) of width ranging from 50 to 200 Å have been observed. Absence of weak link effects despite wide GBs has been attributed to the metallic nature of the amorphous region of the GB interior as inferred from STS analysis. Irradiation with 200 MeV¹⁰⁷ Ag ions gives tracks of about 65 Å in the bulk of the sample. This is expected to give higher value of critical current density owing to the flux pinning mechanism, which is related to possibility of wide practical application of this material.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-6
Number of pages	6
Journal	Physica C: Superconductivity and its applications
Volume	377
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-4534(02)01162-0
Publication status	Published - 2002
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Grain boundaries
Ion irrdiation
Magnesium diboride
Scanning electron microscopy
Scanning tunneling microscopy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Energy Engineering and Power Technology
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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10.1016/S0921-4534(02)01162-0

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title = "SEM, STM/STS and heavy ion irradiation studies on magnesium diboride superconductor",

abstract = "We have presented here the results of SEM and STM/STS investigations carried out on MgB2 superconductor. The SEM pictures show porous surface and well-linked granular structure in which bigger grains (few micrometer size) seem to be agglomeration of smaller, nearly hexagonal grains (size nearly 100 nm). Hexagonal structure of Mg and B layers have been directly observed in atomically resolved STM images. The lattice constants have been determined to be aMg = 3.1 {\AA}, aB = 1.7 {\AA} and c = 3.5 {\AA}. Grain boundaries (GB) of width ranging from 50 to 200 {\AA} have been observed. Absence of weak link effects despite wide GBs has been attributed to the metallic nature of the amorphous region of the GB interior as inferred from STS analysis. Irradiation with 200 MeV107 Ag ions gives tracks of about 65 {\AA} in the bulk of the sample. This is expected to give higher value of critical current density owing to the flux pinning mechanism, which is related to possibility of wide practical application of this material.",

keywords = "Grain boundaries, Ion irrdiation, Magnesium diboride, Scanning electron microscopy, Scanning tunneling microscopy",

author = "H. Narayan and Samanta, {S. B.} and A. Gupta and Narlikar, {A. V.} and R. Kishore and Sood, {K. N.} and D. Kanjilal and T. Muranaka and J. Akimitsu",

note = "Funding Information: Part of this work was financially supported by CSIR grants (No.: 31/1/(179)/2000-EMR-I). The technical helps rendered by the staff at pelletron group at NSC, New Delhi, during irradiation experiments is also gratefully acknowledged. One of us (AVN), further thanks the emeritus scheme, CSIR, New Delhi.",

year = "2002",

doi = "10.1016/S0921-4534(02)01162-0",

language = "English",

volume = "377",

pages = "1--6",

journal = "Physica C: Superconductivity and its applications",

issn = "0921-4534",

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number = "1-2",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - SEM, STM/STS and heavy ion irradiation studies on magnesium diboride superconductor

AU - Narayan, H.

AU - Samanta, S. B.

AU - Gupta, A.

AU - Narlikar, A. V.

AU - Kishore, R.

AU - Sood, K. N.

AU - Kanjilal, D.

AU - Muranaka, T.

AU - Akimitsu, J.

N1 - Funding Information: Part of this work was financially supported by CSIR grants (No.: 31/1/(179)/2000-EMR-I). The technical helps rendered by the staff at pelletron group at NSC, New Delhi, during irradiation experiments is also gratefully acknowledged. One of us (AVN), further thanks the emeritus scheme, CSIR, New Delhi.

PY - 2002

Y1 - 2002

N2 - We have presented here the results of SEM and STM/STS investigations carried out on MgB2 superconductor. The SEM pictures show porous surface and well-linked granular structure in which bigger grains (few micrometer size) seem to be agglomeration of smaller, nearly hexagonal grains (size nearly 100 nm). Hexagonal structure of Mg and B layers have been directly observed in atomically resolved STM images. The lattice constants have been determined to be aMg = 3.1 Å, aB = 1.7 Å and c = 3.5 Å. Grain boundaries (GB) of width ranging from 50 to 200 Å have been observed. Absence of weak link effects despite wide GBs has been attributed to the metallic nature of the amorphous region of the GB interior as inferred from STS analysis. Irradiation with 200 MeV107 Ag ions gives tracks of about 65 Å in the bulk of the sample. This is expected to give higher value of critical current density owing to the flux pinning mechanism, which is related to possibility of wide practical application of this material.

AB - We have presented here the results of SEM and STM/STS investigations carried out on MgB2 superconductor. The SEM pictures show porous surface and well-linked granular structure in which bigger grains (few micrometer size) seem to be agglomeration of smaller, nearly hexagonal grains (size nearly 100 nm). Hexagonal structure of Mg and B layers have been directly observed in atomically resolved STM images. The lattice constants have been determined to be aMg = 3.1 Å, aB = 1.7 Å and c = 3.5 Å. Grain boundaries (GB) of width ranging from 50 to 200 Å have been observed. Absence of weak link effects despite wide GBs has been attributed to the metallic nature of the amorphous region of the GB interior as inferred from STS analysis. Irradiation with 200 MeV107 Ag ions gives tracks of about 65 Å in the bulk of the sample. This is expected to give higher value of critical current density owing to the flux pinning mechanism, which is related to possibility of wide practical application of this material.

KW - Grain boundaries

KW - Ion irrdiation

KW - Magnesium diboride

KW - Scanning electron microscopy

KW - Scanning tunneling microscopy

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SEM, STM/STS and heavy ion irradiation studies on magnesium diboride superconductor

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Keywords

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