Effect of Fe Substitution for Cu on Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of Laser Floating Zone (LFZ) Grown Bi-2212 Rods.

In this paper, the laser floating zone (LFZ) technique has been used to fabricate BiSrCaCuFeO ( x=0,0.01,0.03,0.05,0.1) superconducting fibers. The effects of Fe substitution on grain alignment and superconducting properties of annealed fibers were studied using SEM/EDX microanalysis in addition to phase analysis and magnetic measurements realized through XRD, M- T, and M- H loops. In the same growth conditions, higher Fe contents lead to a more compact microstructure with lower porosity but also caused the formation of poor superconducting phases followed by the decrease of T and J. No evidence of enhanced pinning capability was found in the magnetic measurements. Annealed rods indicated a weakly ferromagnetic-like behavior at relatively high doping levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]