Search

We report a comprehensive investigation of the suppression of the critical temperature Tc of NdFeAs(OF) single crystal by alpha-particle irradiation. Our data indicate that irradiation defects produce both nonmagnetic and magnetic scattering, resulting in the Kondo-like excess resistance $\Delta\rho(T)\propto ln T$ over 2 decades in temperatures above $T_c$. Despite high densities of irradiation defects, the dose at which $T_c$ is suppressed to zero is comparable to that for MgB2 but is well above the corresponding values for cuprates., Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures

Oxygen was systematically incorporated in MBE grown MgB2 films using in-situ post-growth anneals in an oxygen environment. Connectivity analysis in combination with measurements of the critical temperature and resistivity indicate that oxygen is distributed both within and between the grains. High values of critical current densities in field (~4x10^5 A/cm^2 at 8 T and 4.2 K), extrabolated critical fields (>45 T) and slopes of critical field versus temperature (1.4 T/K) are observed. Our results suggest that low growth temperatures (300oC) and oxygen doping (>0.65%) can produce MgB2 with high Jc values in field and Hc2 for high-field magnet applications., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures

The amount of oxygen incorporated into MgB2 thin films upon exposure to atmospheric gasses is found to depend strongly on the material's stoichiometry. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy was used to monitor changes in oxygen incorporation resulting from exposure to: (a) ambient atmosphere, (b) humid atmospheres, (c) anneals in air and (d) anneals in oxygen. The study investigated thin-film samples with compositions that were systematically varied from Mg0.9B2 to Mg1.1B2. A significant surface oxygen contamination was observed in all of these films. The oxygen content in the bulk of the film, on the other hand, increased significantly only in Mg rich films and in films exposed to humid atmospheres., Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 1 table

Our Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) study has found that concentrations up to 7 atomic percent of Rb and Cs can be introduced to a depth of ~700 A in MgB2 thin films by annealing in quartz ampoules containing elemental alkali metals at <350 degree centigrade. No significant change in transition temperature (Tc) was observed, in contrast to an earlier report of very high Tc (>50 K) for similar experiments on MgB2 powders. The lack of a significant change in Tc and intra-granular carrier scattering suggests that Rb and Cs diffuse into the film, but do not enter the grains. Instead, the observed changes in the electrical properties, including a significant drop in Jc and an increase in delta rho (rho300-rho40), arise from a decrease in inter-granular connectivity due to segregation of the heavy alkaline metals and other impurities (i.e. C and O) introduced into the grain boundary regions during the anneals.

MgB2 tunnel junctions (MgB2/barrier/MgB2) were fabricated using a native oxide grown on the bottom MgB2 film as the tunnel barrier. Such barriers therefore survive the deposition of the second electrode at 300oC, even over junction areas of ~1 mm2. Studies of such junctions, and those of the type MgB2/native or thermal oxide/metal (Pb, Au, or Ag) show that tunnel barriers grown on MgB2 exhibit a wide range of barrier heights and widths., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures

The effect of damage induced by 2-MeV alpha particles, followed by annealing, on the critical temperature (Tc), resistivity, and upper critical field (Hc2), of three MgB2 films made by different deposition processes has been studied. Damage creates a linear decrease in Tc with residual resistivity, and produces maxima in both Hc2(0)-perpendicular and Hc2(0)-parallel. Below Tcs of about 25 K, Hc2(0) depends roughly linearly on Tc, while the anisotropy of Hc2(0) decreases as Tc decreases. Annealing the films reproduces the Tc vs. residual resistivity dependence but not the Hc2(0) values induced by damage., Comment: 15 pages including one table and three figures; Submitted to Applied Physics Letters

We have studied the effect of damage induced by 2-MeV alpha particles on the critical temperature, Tc, and resistivity of MgB2 thin films. This technique allows defects to be controllably introduced into MgB2 in small successive steps. Tc decreases linearly as the intragrain resistivity at 40 K increases, while the intergrain connectivity is not changed. Tc is ultimately reduced to less than 7 K and we see no evidence for a saturation of Tc at about 20 K, contrary to the predictions of the Tc of MgB2 in the dirty limit of interband scattering., Comment: 14 pages and 3 figures; Submitted to Applied Physics Letters

We investigated the effect of alloying on the upper critical field $H_{c2}$ in 12 $MgB_2$ films, in which disorder was introduced by growth, carbon doping or He-ion irradiation, finding a significant $H_{c2}$ enhancement in C-alloyed films, and an anomalous upward curvature of $H_{c2}(T)$. Record high values of $H_{c2}^{\perp}(4.2) \simeq 35T$ and $H_{c2}\|(4.2) \simeq 51T$ were observed perpendicular and parallel to the ab plane, respectively. The temperature dependence of $H_{c2}(T)$ is described well by a theory of dirty two-gap superconductivity. Extrapolation of the experimental data to T=0 suggests that $H_{c2}\|(0)$ approaches the paramagnetic limit of $\sim 70T$.

The high resistivity of many bulk and film samples of MgB2 is most readily explained by the suggestion that only a fraction of the cross-sectional area of the samples is effectively carrying current. Hence the supercurrent (Jc) in such samples will be limited by the same area factor, arising for example from porosity or from insulating oxides present at the grain boundaries. We suggest that a correlation should exist, Jc ~ 1/{Rho(300K) - Rho(50K)}, where Rho(300K) - Rho(50K) is the change in the apparent resistivity from 300 K to 50 K. We report measurements of Rho(T) and Jc for a number of films made by hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition which demonstrate this correlation, although the "reduced effective area" argument alone is not sufficient. We suggest that this argument can also apply to many polycrystalline bulk and wire samples of MgB2., Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures

The thermal stability of MgB2 has been studied experimentally to determine the role of thermodynamic and kinetic barriers in the decomposition process. The MgB2 decomposition rate approaches one monolayer per second at 650 C and has an activation energy of 2.0 eV. The evaporation coefficient is inferred to be ~ 10(-4), indicating that this process is kinetically limited. These values were inferred from in-situ measurements using a quartz crystal microbalance and a residual gas analyzer, in conjunction with ex-situ measurements of re-deposited material by Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy. The presence of a large kinetic barrier to decomposition indicates that the synthesis of MgB2 thin films conditions may be possible with vacuum processing, albeit within a narrow window in the reactive growth conditions., Comment: 1 figure. Submitted to Applied Physics Letter (03/20/01)

Proposes a framework for religious educators to evaluate existing resources and plan curricular strategies addressing the spiritual needs of homosexuals and the destructive effects of homophobia. Discusses the interrelationships among personal wholeness, spirituality, and sexuality. Follows the curricular model, "fashioning a people," designed by Maria Harris. (MJP)

Described a probe that can assess the learners' understanding of scientific ideas in conditions that do not demand closure on a single interpretation, and where learners can demonstrate certainty or otherwise in several possible alternatives. Can be used in monitoring conceptual change when intuitive understanding of scientific phenomena is to be replaced by the scientific view. (16 references) (Author/JRH)