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Crystal Structure and Superconductivity of YBa2Cu3O7-x

Brent Allen Howe
Minnesota State University - Mankato

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Crystal Structure and Superconductivity
of YBa2Cu3O7−x

by
Brent A. Howe

A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Degree of
Master of Science
in
Physics

Minnesota State University, Mankato

Mankato, Minnesota
July 2014
Crystal Structure and Supercoductivity of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x
Brent A. Howe

This thesis has been examined and approved by the following members of the
student’s committee on May 7, 2014.

Dr. Youwen Xu, Advisor

Dr. Sungwon S. Kim, Committee Member

Dr. Hai-Sheng Wu, Committee Member

 Abstract

Crystal Structure and Superconductivity of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x

Brent A. Howe

Master of Science in Physics

Minnesota State University, Mankato

2014

The crystal structure and superconducting properties of samples of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x

with oxygen contents 0.21 ≤ x ≤ 0.67 were investigated. The crystal structure

and magnetic properties change with oxygen content. All samples were found

to have orthorhombic crystal structure. The lattice parameters a and c were

observed to monotonically increase while b nearly monotonically decreases with

decreasing oxygen content. The unit cell volume increases with decreasing oxy-

gen content as well. The critical temperature, Tc , and the superconducting

volume fraction of the samples decreased with decreasing oxygen content.

 i

Contents

1 Introduction 1
1.1 Motivation for This Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Early Developments in Superconductivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.3 General Properties of Superconductivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3.1 BCS Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.4 Type I and Type II Superconductors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.5 High-Temperature Superconductors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.6 YBa2 Cu3 O7−x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.7 Crystal Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.8 X-ray Diffraction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

2 Experimental Procedures 19
2.1 Sample Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.1.1 The Original Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.1.2 The Oxygen–Deficient Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2.2 X-ray Diffraction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2.3 Magnetic Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

3 Results 27
3.1 Samples Synthesized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.2 Crystal Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3.3 Superconducting Transition Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

4 Discussion 49
4.1 Crystal Stucture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4.2 Superconducting Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
 ii

5 Conclusion 54

A Material List 59
 iii

List of Figures

1 Crystal structure of YBa2 Cu3 O7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2 A crystal unit cell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3 Illustration of the (100) and (222) crystal planes. . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4 Diagram of the Bragg Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5 Schematic of X-ray diffractometer utilizing Bragg-Brentano geometry. 24
6 X-ray Diffraction pattern of sample BH-5-YBCO with composition
YBa2 Cu3 O7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
7 X-ray Diffraction pattern of sample BH-5-YBCO-14 with composition
YBa2 Cu3 O6.79 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
8 X-ray Diffraction pattern of sample BH-5-YBCO-15 with composition
YBa2 Cu3 O6.65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
9 X-ray Diffraction pattern of sample BH-5-YBCO-2 with composition
YBa2 Cu3 O6.54 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
10 X-ray Diffraction pattern of sample BH-5-YBCO-8 with composition
YBa2 Cu3 O6.46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
11 X-ray Diffraction pattern with indexed peaks of sample BH-5-YBCO-6
with composition YBa2 Cu3 O6.33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
12 Lattice parameters (a) a and b, and (b) c of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x as a function
of oxygen composition 7 − x. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
13 Unit cell volume, V , versus oxygen composition 7 − x. . . . . . . . . . 38
14 Magnetic moment measurements for sample BH-5-YBCO with compo-
sition YBa2 Cu3 O7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
15 Magnetic moment measurements for sample BH-5-YBCO-14 with com-
position YBa2 Cu3 O6.79 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
 iv

16 Magnetic moment measurements for sample BH-5-YBCO-15 with com-

position YBa2 Cu3 O6.65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
17 Magnetic moment measurements for sample BH-5-YBCO-2 with com-
position YBa2 Cu3 O6.54 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
18 Magnetic moment measurements for sample BH-5-YBCO-8 with com-
position YBa2 Cu3 O6.46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
19 Magnetic moment measurements for sample BH-5-YBCO-6 with com-
position YBa2 Cu3 O6.33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
20 Superconducting transition temperature, Tc , plotted as a function of
oxygen composition, 7 − x, for samples of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x . . . . . . . . 48
21 X-ray diffraction peaks (006), (020), and (200) in samples of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x
are shown for samples with oxygen content 7.00, 6.79, 6.65, 6.54, 6.46,
and 6.33 between 46◦ < 2θ < 49◦ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
 v

List of Tables

1 The seven crystal systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

2 Summary of box furnace settings for production of oxygen deficient
samples YBa2 Cu3 O7−x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3 Lattice parameters and unit cell volume for oxygen-deficient samples
of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
4 Superconducting transition temperatures for oxygen-deficient samples
of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
5 List of starting materials used for the synthesis of YBa2 Cu3 O7 and for
X-ray diffraction measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
 vi

Acknowledgements

My most sincere gratitude goes to my advisor, Dr. Youwen Xu, for her knowledge,
guidance, and patience through the research, the experimentation, and the writing
of this thesis. I also want to thank my graduate committee members Dr. Hai-Sheng
Wu and Dr. Kim for their advice on my thesis.
Many thanks go to Mr. Michael Peters for helping acquire and operate laboratory
equipment as well as Ms. Cindy Flitter for always happily assisting me in the Physics
Department office. I am grateful to Dr. R.W. McCallum and K. Dennis for allowing us
to use the Quantum Design Magnetometer in Ames National Laboratory to measure
the magnetic properties of my samples, and their help interpreting some of the results.
I would like to thank Dr. Michael Lusch of the Chemistry department as well as Dr.
Penny Knoblich and Mr. Anthony Kopari, both of the Biology department, for their
assistance in acquiring liquid nitrogen, .
I am eternally grateful for the enduring love and support from my wife, Ashley.
She has made many sacrifices so that I could pursue my education in order to have a
career in physics.
 1

1 Introduction

1.1 Motivation for This Study

A great deal of research has been done to determine how the structural and magnetic
properties affect the mechanisms of superconductivity in YBa2 Cu3 O7−x . Despite
extensive research on YBa2 Cu3 O7−x spanning nearly three decades, there are still
inconsistencies between studies. Therefore, it is important that further research be
conducted to resolve those inconsistencies. In a recent paper by Biscaras et al. [1],
magnetization measurements were performed on oxygen-deficient YBCO samples in
normal state in order to study the interchange betwen hole doping and magnetic
properties. The intention of this study is to synthesize samples of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x and
determine how the crystal structure and critical temperature, Tc , change with oxygen
content as the first stage for studying the normal state of the samples in the future. In
doing this, we will compare results of this study with those of past studies and create
a starting point that complements the work by Biscaras et al. Crystal structures of
the samples were determined by using X-ray diffraction technique, while magnetic
moment measurements were made to determine Tc of each sample.

1.2 Early Developments in Superconductivity

Superconductivity is a phenomenon where a material loses all electrical resistance and

becomes perfectly diamagnetic below a certain temperature. In 1911, Heike Kamer-
lingh Onnes first observed superconductivity in Hg wire after finding that resistivity
dropped sharply to an immeasurable value upon cooling the metal to 4.2 K [2]. The
discovery of superconductivity earned Onnes the 1913 Nobel Prize in Physics. In
1933, Walther Meissner and Robert Ochsenfeld found that magnetic fields are com-
 2

pletely expelled from the interior of superconductors [3]. This property is called the
Meissner effect and it established that superconductors are not just perfect conduc-
tors. The two key properties of superconductors - the expulsion of magnetic fields
and perfect conductivity - were explained phenomenologically through the London
theory developed by Fritz and Heinz London in 1935 [4]. In 1950, Ginzburg and Lan-
dau [5] developed a phenomenological theory that successfully explained macroscopic
properties of superconductivity. It was not until 1957 that Bardeen, Cooper, and
Schrieffer established a fundamental microscopic quantum theory explaining super-
conductivity [6]. The work for the appropriately named BCS theory earned the trio
the 1972 Nobel Prize.

1.3 General Properties of Superconductivity

~ in a metal establishes a current. The current density J~ and the
An electric field E
~ are related by Ohm’s Law:
electric field E

J~ = σ E,
~ (1)

where σ is the electrical conductivity. The reciprocal of conductivity is electrical re-

sistivity ρ. The charge carriers in metals are electrons that are in conduction bands,
which are partially filled energy bands, so they are called conduction electrons. Re-
sistance of electrical conduction in metals is caused intrinsically by collisions between
electrons and discrete vibrational modes in crystal lattices (phonons) and extrinsically
by collisions between conduction electrons and imperfections as well as impurities in
the crystal lattice [7]. The resistances from these types of collisions are largely in-
dependent of each other. They are described by the empirical expression for net
 3

resistivity called Matthiessen’s rule [8]:

ρ = ρL + ρi , (2)

where ρL is the resistivity due to electron-phonon scattering and ρi is the resistivity

from imperfections. In general, resistivity decreases with decreasing temperature in
conductors.
A superconductor exhibits zero resistance for direct currents, an ordered state of
~
electron pairs is responsible for the supercurrent. Conductivity σ → ∞ for finite J,
~ → 0. Electrical conduction is not described by Ohm’s Law in superconductors.
E
Instead, In the absence of an applied magnetic field, certain materials become su-
perconducting when the temperature is lowered to a specific value called the critical
temperature, Tc . The superconducting state disappears when the temperature of the
material is raised above Tc .
~ = 0. The expulsion of
Within a bulk superconductor, the magnetic induction B
magnetic fields does not come as a natural consequence of perfect conductivity. This
can be shown by first examining Newton’s second law in a perfect conductor, within
~ and, thus,
which charge carriers with charge e and mass m are in an electric field E
experience a force
~ =m d~v
−eE . (3)
dt

The current density J~ is defined as

J~ = −ne~v , (4)
 4

~
where n is the density of conduction electrons. Since ~v = −J/ne, we have

~ = m ∂ J~
eE . (5)
ne ∂t

Faraday’s law states that

~
∇ ~ = − ∂B
~ ×E (6)
∂t
~ from (5) into Faraday’s law, we obtain
Substituting E

!
m ~ ~
~ × ∂J
∇ =−
∂B
. (7)
ne2 ∂t ∂t

Using Ampère’s law

~ ×B
∇ ~ = µ0 J,
~ (8)

and taking the time derivative of (8), We obtain

~ ~
~ × ∂ B = µ0 ∂ J .
∇ (9)
∂t ∂t

~
Substituting ∂ J/∂t ~ × ∂ B/∂t
= (1/µ0 )∇ ~ into (7) we find that

! !
m ~ 1 ~ ~
∂B m ~ ~ ~
∇× ∇× = ∇× ~ × ∂B
∇ =−
∂B
. (10)
ne2 µ0 ∂t µ0 ne2 ∂t ∂t

With the fact that

! !
~ ~ ~
~ ×
∇ ~ × ∂B
∇ ~ ·
=∇ ~ · ∂B
∇ − ∇2
∂B
, (11)
∂t ∂t ∂t

and that !
~
∂B ∂ ~ ~ 
~ ·
∇ = ∇ · B = 0, (12)
∂t ∂t
 5

we have
m ~ ~
2 ∂B ∂B
− ∇ = − . (13)
µ0 ne2 ∂t ∂t

rearranging Equation (13), we find that

~
∂B ~
µ0 ne2 ∂ B ~
1 ∂B
∇2 = = 2 , (14)
∂t m ∂t λ ∂t

where λ is defined as
m
λ2 = . (15)
µ0 ne2

The solution to Equation (14) is

~
∂ B(z) ~
∂ B(0)
= e−z/λ , (16)
∂t ∂t

where the constant λ is the penetration depth and z is the distance from the surface
~ is constant of time in the interior of the
of the conductor. This result implies B
perfect conductor, but not necessarily zero. If a perfect conductor was in a magnetic
field and then reached a perfect conducting state, that magnetic flux is maintained
inside the material. In a superconductor, the magnetic flux density is always zero.
Fritz and Heinz London developed the phenomenological theory that explained the
Meissner effect. Using ns as the superconducting electron density and Js as the
superconducting current density, Equation (5) becomes

~
~ = m ∂ Js .
E (17)
ns e2 ∂t
 6

This is the first London equation. Then, Equation (7) becomes

!
m ~ ~
~ × ∂ Js
∇ =−
∂B
. (18)
ns e2 ∂t ∂t

This result can be rewritten as

 
∂ m ~ 
∇ × J~s + B
~ = 0. (19)
∂t ns e2

Choosing the solution

m ~ 
~ = 0,
~s + B
∇ × J (20)
ns e2

leads to the second London equation:

m ~ 
~s = B.
~
− ∇ × J (21)
ns e2

Together with J~s = 1 ~

µ0
∇ ~ one finds that
× B,

~ = µ0 ns e2 ~ 1 ~
∇2 B B = 2 B, (22)
m λL

where λL is the London penetration depth and is defined as

m
λ2L = . (23)
µ0 ns e2

The solution to the differential equation in (22) is

~
B(z) ~
= B(0)e−z/λL
. (24)

The difference between this result and (16) for perfect conductors is that the magnetic
 7

field which penetrates the superconductor drops off exponentially. Thus, not only
~
∂ B/∂t ~ = 0 at all times inside the superconductor. Values of the London
= 0, but B
penetration depth have been found to be on the order of 100 nm [9]. On the surface
of a superconductor, currents are formed which generate a magnetic field to exactly
cancel any effect the external applied magnetic field has inside the superconductor.
The expulsion of magnetic fields is a bulk property of a superconducting material.
Within a magnetic material, the magnetic flux density B, the applied magnetic field
strength Ha , and the magnetization M are related by

B = µ0 (Ha + M ). (25)

~ = 0 inside a superconductor, Equation (25) gives us

Since B

M = −Ha , (26)

and the magnetic susceptibility by:

dM
χ= = −1. (27)
dHa

1.3.1 BCS Theory

The BCS theory developed by Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer is the foundation of
the microscopic quantum theory of superconductivity. According to the BCS theory,
an electron-phonon interaction causes a net attraction between electrons that results
in the formation of pairs of electrons of opposite spin and momentum. The electron-
phonon interaction starts when one electron moves through a crystal lattice and
deforms it as a result of the Coulomb attraction. The deformed lattice creates an
 8

area of greater positive charge, so it is energetically favorable for a second electron to

move closer to this area of greater positive charge. The consequence is an attractive
interaction between the two electrons. The now correlated pair of electrons is referred
to as a Cooper pair. Cooper pairs occupy a collective state and move through the
crystal lattice unimpeded. The formation of Cooper pairs causes the observed (ex.
Townsend and Sutton [10]) energy gap above the Fermi energy that was predicted by
Frölich [11] in 1950. The electron-phonon interaction is suggested by the observation
that the critical temperature depends on isotopic mass [12, 13].
The net momentum of Cooper pairs remains constant in the superconducting
state, otherwise the Cooper pairs could not exist as a single coherent wavefunction
that extends over the volume of the superconductor [14]. When sufficient energy is
supplied to Cooper pairs, they will decouple and the superconducting state ceases.
Since the momentum is proportional to current density, the energy required to break
Cooper pairs implies the existence of a critical current density Jc [15]. When Jc is
exceeded, the Cooper pairs are destroyed. The energy required to break Cooper pairs
also comes in the form of thermal energy from the vibrations of the crystal lattice
and magnetic energy from magnetic fields. The former implies the existence of a
critical temperature Tc , mentioned above, while the latter suggests the existence of a
critical magnetic field Hc . The critical field depends on material and is temperature-
dependent according to the following equation [16], [17]:

"  2 #
T
Hc = H0 1 − , (28)
Tc

where H0 is the value of the critical field strength as T → 0.

 9

1.4 Type I and Type II Superconductors

Magnetic measurements on superconducting alloys and metals with impurities in the

1930’s [18–20] showed different behavior in the superconducting state than those of
pure metals. In particular, magnetic flux penetration occurred over a large range of
applied magnetic fields while the material still showed zero electrical resistance. The
experimental data were explained in a 1957 paper by A. A. Abrikosov [21]. There
are two types of superconductors: Type I and Type II. Superconductors classified as
Type I exhibit the Meissner effect and zero resistance below a critical field Hc and
critical temperature Tc . Type II superconductors have two critical magnetic fields
Hc1 and Hc2 . When a Type II material is cooled below the critical temperature
Tc and subjected to a magnetic field Ha < Hc1 , it exhibits no resistance and interior
magnetic fields are completely expelled like a Type I superconductor. With Ha > Hc2 ,
the material is no longer superconducting, again, like a Type I superconductor. For
Ha between Hc1 and Hc2 , however, a Type II superconducting material is in a mixed
state or vortex state where part of the material is penetrated by the field. Filaments of
material are penetrated by quantized magnetic flux which are encircled by quantized
supercurrents. In the vortex state the material still maintains zero resistance.

1.5 High-Temperature Superconductors

In 1986, J. G. Bednorz and K. A. Müller [22] reported that the metal oxide ce-
ramic La2−x Bax CuO4 becomes superconducting above 30 K. Up to that point, the
compound Nb3 Ge had the highest critical temperature of 23.2 K [23]. The supercon-
ductivity of La2−x Bax CuO4 initiated a flurry of research on a new family of materials
referred to as high-temperature superconductors. M. K. Wu et al. [24] found that an-
other copper oxide YBa2 Cu3 O7 (YBCO) is superconducting with a critical tempera-
 10

ture of 92 K. YBCO was the first superconductor found to have a critical temperature
above the boiling point of nitrogen at 77 K. Many more copper-oxide, or cuprate, high-
temperature superconductors were subsequently discovered including Bi2 Sr2 CaCu2 O8
with Tc ≈ 105 K [25], Tl2 Ba2 Ca2 Cu3 O10 with Tc ≈ 120 K [26], and HgBa2 Ca2 Cu3 O8
with the highest critical temperature to date of Tc ≈ 134 K [27]. The existence of
many copper oxide superconductors is a consequence of the versatility of copper ox-
ide in forming perovskite structured oxides when combined with alkaline earth, rare
earth, and lone-pair ion oxides [28]. The general structure of cuprate superconductors
consists of layers of CuO2 separated by intermediary AO-type layers and MO2 -type
layers stacked in different sequences [28] with “A” representing alkaline earth metals
and “M” representing a transition or other metals. Certain iron-based materials are
also high-temperature superconductors. Iron-based superconductors contain layers of
iron and elements from group 15 of the periodic table called pnictogens. Examples
include the family ReFeAsO1−δ (Re = Sm, Nd, Pr, Ce, La) with critical temperatures
ranging from 26 K to 55 K [29]. All high-temperature superconductors known at the
present time are classified as type II superconductors.
 11

1.6 YBa2 Cu3 O7−x

The crystal structure of YBa2 Cu3 O7 (“Y123”) is characterized by the arrangement

of copper-oxygen planes and copper-oxygen chains [31]. The stacking sequence of
YBCO layers along the c-axis of the crystal goes as follows: CuO–BaO–CuO2 –Y–
CuO2 –BaO [32]. The perovskite structure layers of YBCO are separated by planes
of CuO2 with yttrium atoms between the copper-oxygen planes. The planes consist
of a square lattice of copper atoms bridged by oxygen atoms [33]. Chains of CuO are
parallel to the copper-oxygen planes with barium atoms located between the planes
and chains. The unit cell of YBa2 Cu3 O7 is shown in Figure 1.
Varying the oxygen content of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x results in significant changes of its
physical properties. Many studies have shown that the critical temperature and crys-
tal structure of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x change with oxygen content [31, 33, 34, 36–42]. Neu-
tron diffraction and magnetic measurements have shown that Tc is dependent on
the charge balance between the copper-oxygen chains and copper-oxygen planes [34].
The chain sites serve as charge reservoirs from which electrons are transferred to the
copper-oxygen planes as the oxygen content decreases. It is within the copper-oxygen
planes that superconductivity originates. As the oxygen content of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x de-
creases, so does Tc . The material goes through a structural change and the material’s
superconductivity disappears when the oxygen content is below 6.3.
 12

Figure 1: Crystal structure of YBa2 Cu3 O7 .

 13

1.7 Crystal Structure

Solid matter exhibiting crystal structure consists of atoms or molecules arranged in a

regular, repeating pattern in three dimensions. The crystal lattice is a mathematical
construction of points in space that describes the periodic array of atoms in a crystal.
The atom or group of atoms that forms this array is called the basis. The lattice is
defined by lattice vectors a, b, and c that are invariant under translation, that is to
say for an observer located at a basis site, the crystal looks exactly the same from
any other site. The parallelepiped that is formed by the lattice vectors is a minimum-
volume cell called a unit cell [8]. The lengths of the lattice vectors are referred to as
lattice constants a, b, and c and the angles formed by the lattice vectors are α, β, and
γ. Figure 2 shows a crystal unit cell labeled with lattice constants and angles. Listed
in Table 1 are the seven crystal systems in three dimensions along with each system’s
restrictions on unit cell lattice constants and angles. The orthorhombic system, for
example, requires that a 6= b 6= c and α = β = γ = 90◦ .

Figure 2: A crystal unit cell.

 14

Figure 3: Illustration of the (100) and (222) crystal planes, indicated by shaded
regions, and where they intersect the x-, y-, and z-axis.

Crystal planes are defined by three non-collinear points. The orientation of a set
of crystal planes is characterized by Miller indices (hkl). The h, k, and l indices are
the reciprocal intercepts that a crystal plane makes with the crystallographic axes
in a unit cell. Figure 3 gives two examples of crystal planes intercepting the crystal
axes. The distance between crystal planes is dhkl and can be expressed in terms of
Miller indices and lattice constants. For example, dhkl for orthrhombic structure is
given by
1
dhkl = p . (29)
(h/a) + (k/b)2 + (l/c)2
2
 15

Table 1: The seven crystal systems in three dimensions with restrictions on unit cell
axial lengths and interaxial angles.

Crystal System Unit cell axial length Interaxial angles Illustration

Triclinic a 6= b 6= c α 6= β 6= γ

Monoclinic a 6= b 6= c α = γ = 90◦ 6= β

Orthorhombic a 6= b 6= c α = β = γ = 90◦

Tetragonal a = b 6= c α = β = γ = 90◦

Cubic a=b=c α = β = γ = 90◦

Trigonal a=b=c α = β = γ < 120◦ , 6= 90◦

Hexagonal a = b 6= c α = β = 90◦ , γ = 120◦

 16

1.8 X-ray Diffraction

X-ray wavelengths are comparable to the interplanar distances dhkl of the crystalline
solids. As a result, monochromatic X-rays incident upon crystalline matter are scat-
tered by crystal planes. Constructive interference of diffracted X-ray beams occurs if
the Bragg Law is satisfied:
nλ = 2d sin θ, (30)

where n is an integer, λ is the X-ray wavelength, θ is the angle between the incident
X-rays and the crystal plane, and d is the interplanar distance. By considering all
orders of diffraction as first order diffraction, the Bragg Law can be rewritten as

λ = 2d sin θ. (31)

The Bragg Law is illustrated in Figure 4. For a particular X-ray wavelength λ,

when d-spacing of crystal planes and scattering angle θ satisfy the Bragg law, a peak
of intensity will appear in the diffraction pattern. Diffraction peak positions are
determined by the crystal symmetry and the lattice parameters of the crystal. The
intensity of diffracted X-ray beams, however, is directly related to the position and
number of electrons associated with each atom in the unit cell [44].
X-ray diffraction measurements can be produced from a fine powder of crystalline
material. Since the powder consists of many randomly oriented crystal grains, each
grain diffracts incident X-rays and generates diffraction peaks that correspond to
specific sets of (hkl) crystal planes as the scattering angle 2θ is varied. The large
number of grains and the random orientation of the grains assure that all (hkl) planes
are observed as diffraction peaks.
A crystalline material produces a characteristic diffraction pattern depending on
 17

Figure 4: Diagram of the Bragg Law showing the relationship between the diffraction
angle θ and the distance between crystal planes dhkl .
 18

the composition and crystal structures which are referred to as phases. From the
diffraction data, the peak positions and relative intensities can be used to distinguish
crystalline phases as well as determine the crystal structures. The lattice parameters
of a crystalline phase can be calculated by using the Rietveld refinement method [43].
Rietveld refinement is a least squares fit method that attempts to fit the experimental
powder diffraction data with a diffraction pattern calculated from the composition
and crystal structure of a compound.
 19

2 Experimental Procedures

2.1 Sample Synthesis

Oxygen deficient samples used in this study were created from a single batch of
YBa2 Cu3 O7 . Starting materials were ground, mixed and subjected to several heat
treatments that facilitate the necessary chemical reactions for the creation of the final
single-phase product. Long annealing time was necessary to produce fully oxygenated
sample. It was crucial to repeatedly grind the sample to promote homogeneity of the
constituent compounds so that chemical reactions proceed in a uniform manner [7].
To prevent contamination, care has been taken to make sure all instruments used in
the sample synthesis were cleaned thoroughly.

2.1.1 The Original Sample

Starting materials consisted of yttrium oxide (Y2 O3 ), barium carbonate (BaCO3 ), and
copper oxide (CuO). Yttrium oxide was dried by heating the powder in a box furnace
at 800◦ C for 40 hours and then cooled before it was stored in a desiccator. Copper
oxide was heated at 820◦ C in a tube furnace for 56 hours in oxygen atmosphere to
ensure complete oxygenation. The powders were combined in stoichiometric ratio to
form a 12g mixture and ground in an agate mortar with a pestle for 50 minutes. After
pouring the mixture into a clean die, a hydraulic press was used to press the mixture
to a pellet under an approximate pressure of 8000-psi. The pellet was placed on an
alumina (Al2 O3 ) plate and put in an alumina crucible. The sample was calcined in
air at 900◦ C for 24 hours three times with intermediate grindings. The final heat
treatment was done in a tube furnace in flowing oxygen with a flow rate of ≈15
cc/min. The sample was sintered at 965◦ C for 40 hours, then annealed at 665◦ C for
8 hours and 400◦ C for 24 hours before cooled to room temperature.
 20

The initial heat treatments facilitate three essential chemical reactions. Two re-
actions take place in the process of calcination:1) solid (s) BaCO3 decomposes into
solid BaO and gaseous (g) CO2 and 2) solid BaCO3 reacts with solid CuO to form
gaseous CO2 and solid BaCuO2 [7]:

BaCO3 (s) → BaO(s) + CO2 (g) (32)

BaCO3 (s) + CuO(s) → CO2 (g) + BaCuO2 (s). (33)

In the process of sintering, adjacent particles in a powder mixture react and bond
[7]. In the final chemical reaction, BaCuO2 reacts with Y2 O3 and CuO to form
YBa2 Cu3 O7 and gaseous oxygen:

4BaCuO2 (s) + Y2 O3 (s) + 2CuO(s) + O(g) → 2YBa2 Cu3 O7 (s). (34)

Annealing in oxygen serves to fully oxygenate the sample and stabilize the crystal
structure.

2.1.2 The Oxygen–Deficient Samples

Oxygen deficient samples YBa2 Cu3 O7−x (where 0 < x < 1) were made by annealing
small pieces removed from the fully-oxygenated sample (BH-5-YBCO) in air at tem-
peratures ranging from 575◦ C to 780◦ C. After the annealing period, the sample was
quenched in liquid nitrogen and stored in a desiccator for at least 12 hours to remove
moisture that may have condensed on the sample’s surface. The change in mass was
measured to determine the final oxygen content of the samples. It was assumed that
all of the loss in mass is entirely due to change in oxygen content from the initial
stoichiometric value of 7.00. The initial number of moles for the sample, Ni , is the
 21

same as the number of moles in every oxygen deficient sample, Nf :

Ni = Nf = N (35)

The molar mass of YBa2 Cu3 O7 , M (Y123), is

M (Y123) = M (Y) + 2M (Ba) + 3M (Cu) + 7M (O), (36)

where M (Y), M (Ba), M (Cu), and M (O) are the molar masses of yttrium, barium,
copper, and oxygen, respectively. The molar mass of the oxygen deficient samples,
M (YBCO), with x fewer oxygen atoms per mole is

M (YBCO) = M (Y) + 2M (Ba) + 3M (Cu) + (7 − x)M (O). (37)

The mass of a sample is just the number of moles of the sample multiplied by the
molar mass of the compound in the sample. Therefore, the initial mass of the sample,
mi , is
mi = Ni [M (Y) + 2M (Ba) + 3M (Cu) + 7M (O)] . (38)

After the high-temperature anneal, the final mass, mi , of the oxygen-deficient sample
is
mf = Nf [M (Y) + 2M (Ba) + 3M (Cu) + (7 − x)M (O)] . (39)

Using the fact that Ni = Nf = N , the change in mass mi − mf = ∆m is

∆m = xN M (O). (40)
 22

Solving for the oxygen loss, x, in Equation (40), we have

∆m
x= . (41)
N M (O)

The uncertainty in oxygen content of the oxygen deficient samples follows from the
variance formula:
s 2  2
∂x ∂x
δx = (δ(∆m))2 + (δN )2 , (42)
∂∆m ∂N

where δx, δ(∆m), and δN are the uncertainty in oxygen loss, change in mass, and
number of moles, respectively. We assume there is no uncertainty in M (O). Since

mi
N= , (43)
M (Y123)

the uncertainty in the number of moles is

δmi δmi
δN = = N. (44)
M (Y123) mi

The last step in (44) comes from the fact that M (Y123) = mi /N . Then, the two
partial derivative terms inside the radical of (42) can be rewritten as

∂x 1
= , (45)
∂∆m N M (O)

and
∂x ∆mM (O)
=− . (46)
∂N (N M (O))2
 23

The square of the uncertainty in the change in mass is

(δ(∆m))2 = (δmi )2 + (δmf )2 . (47)

Using the results of (44) through (47), equation (42) can be rewritten as

s 2  2  2
1 ∆mM (O) δmi
δx = [(δmi )2 + (δmf )2 ] + − N
N M (O) (N M (O))2 mi
s  2
1 2 2
∆m
= (δmi ) + (δmf ) + (δmi )2 . (48)
N M (O) mi

The term ∆m/mi ∼ 10−2 , which means (∆m/mi )2 (δmi )2  (δmi )2 + (δmf )2 . There-
fore, the uncertainty in oxygen content is

1
q
δx ≈ (δmi )2 + (δmf )2 . (49)
N M (O)

The uncertainty in sample mass measurements was designated as

δmi = δmf = δm = 0.2 mg though the scales used for these measurements are
sensitive to 0.1 mg. This was done to account for observed fluctuations in the digital
readout of the scale during measurements. Therefore,

√
2δm
δx ≈ . (50)
N M (O)
 24

Figure 5: Schematic of X-ray diffractometer utilizing Bragg-Brentano geometry.

2.2 X-ray Diffraction

X-ray diffraction was conducted using a Rigaku Ultima IV X-ray diffractometer. Fig-
ure 2.2 illustrates the configuration of this diffractometer. Approximately 50 mg to
100 mg of YBCO sample was sprinkled on a Vaseline-greased glass slide. Silicon
powder was used as an internal standard. Measurements of X-ray intensity versus
scattering angle, 2θ, were executed with Cu Kα radiation (λ = 1.5406Å) between
angles 20◦ < 2θ < 60◦ . The D/teX Ultra X-ray detector was used while the samples
were scanned at a rate of 2.0◦ /min while sampling at every 0.02◦ .
To ensure our samples did not contain unwanted phases, the diraction patterns
 25

were indexed by comparing peak positions and intensities with the diraction patterns
from the International Center for Diraction Data (ICDD) database. Lattice parame-
ters were determined from the diffraction patterns using Rietveld structure refinement
method [43] which comes with Rigaku PDXL software. Cell parameters and atom
positions of YBa2 Cu3 O7 from a calculated pattern were put in as a starting point for
refinement. For each sample, the silicon phase peak profile was refined first and then
set as the internal standard. Subsequent refinements only permitted certain refining
parameter settings for YBCO and not silicon. For each YBCO refinement, the fol-
lowing refining parameters were selected: lattice constant, profile, crystal structure,
temperature factor, and peak shift under the axial displacement model. Since previ-
ous research [34], [37] indicates that only one atom site in the YBCO crystal varies
significantly in occupancy, the only atom occupancy that was allowed to refine was
the O(4) site located along CuO chain (labeling of site follows from [32]). Refine-
ments were considered acceptable upon reaching a goodness of fit value of S . 2. The
goodness of fit value is the ratio of the residual whole pattern (Rwp) to minimum
residual whole pattern (Re).
The diffraction patterns for each sample were indexed by comparing peak positions
and intensities with the diffraction patterns from the ICDD.

2.3 Magnetic Measurements

Magnetic moment as a function of temperature was measured to determine the su-

perconducting transition temperature of the sample. The measurements were done at
Ames Laboratory, Iowa State University using a Quantum Design MPMS-5S SQUID
(Superconducting QUantum Interface Device) magnetometer. SQUID magnetome-
ters use DC Josephson effect to measure sample magnetic moments, and is sensitive
 26

to 10−11 Am2 . A user-defined sequence can precisely control the temperature and the
magnetic field in the instrument’s superconducting solenoid. Magnetic fields from 0
T to 5 T can be generated and temperatures ranged from 2 K to 400 K for magnetic
moment measurements.
Magnetic moment as a function of applied field and temperature was measured
under two controlled sequences: zero field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC). In the
ZFC sequence, most samples were cooled to 10 K or 20 K with zero applied field.
The magnetic moment was first measured at 10 K or 20 K as the field increased from
0 Oe to 20 Oe. The magnetic moment was then measured in a field of 20 Oe as the
temperature increased to 100 K. For the FC sequence, the field remained at 20 Oe as
the temperature decreased from 100 K to 20 K or 10 K.
 27

3 Results

3.1 Samples Synthesized

The box furnace conditions for each oxygen-deficient sample and the resulting oxygen
content are summarized in Table 2. Four samples were made to show that the pro-
cedure for creating oxygen-deficient YBCO produces samples with consistent oxygen
compositions. Samples BH-5-YBCO-5 and BH-5-YBCO-7 were annealed at 750 ◦ C in
air to produce samples with oxygen content 6.44 ± 0.03 and 6.41 ± 0.02, respectively.
Samples BH-5-YBCO-4 and BH-5-YBCO-6 were annealed at 780 ◦ C in air to produce
samples with oxygen content 6.37 ± 0.02 and 6.33 ± 0.02, respectively. Samples with
oxygen content less than 6.60 were annealed for 20 hours, while samples with oxygen
content more than 6.60 were annealed for 10 hours.
 28

Table 2: Summary of box furnace settings for production of oxygen deficient samples
YBa2 Cu3 O7−x .

Sample Name Oxygen Content Box Furnace Time (hours)

Temperature
(◦ C)

BH-5-YBCO 7.00 ± 0.03 - -

BH-5-YBCO-14 6.79 ± 0.03 575 10

BH-5-YBCO-13a 6.73 ± 0.04 600 10

BH-5-YBCO-15 6.65 ± 0.02 625 10

BH-5-YBCO-2 6.54 ± 0.02 675 20

BH-5-YBCO-8 6.46 ± 0.02 720 20

BH-5-YBCO-5 6.44 ± 0.03 750 20

BH-5-YBCO-7 6.41 ± 0.02 750 20

BH-5-YBCO-4 6.37 ± 0.02 780 20

BH-5-YBCO-6 6.33 ± 0.02 780 20

 29

3.2 Crystal Structure

X-ray diffraction patterns for each YBCO sample along with labeled silicon peaks are
presented in Figures 6 - 11. All of the peaks in each diffraction pattern are indexable
to YBa2 Cu3 O7−x phase. This indicates all samples are single phased. Small shifts
in diffraction peak positions are observed as the oxygen content is changed. Table
3 summarizes the lattice parameters for six YBCO samples with oxygen contents
ranging from 7.00 to 6.33. The data reveal that as the oxygen is removed, a and c
increase while b decreases monotonically except for the sample with oxygen content
of 6.79. The unit cell volume is observed to increase as the oxygen content decreases.
The volume appears to decrease slightly before it starts to increase at oxygen content
of 6.54. Plots of lattice parameters as a function of oxygen content 7 − x are shown
in Figure 12. Unit cell volume versus oxygen content is shown in Figure 13.
 60000

BH-5-YBCO

103
50000 YBa2Cu3O7

40000

013
30000

102
Si

Intensity (Counts)
116
123

100
012
200

20000
006
020

Si

003
113
213

005
10000

111
112
Si

115
023
121

015
105

0
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60

2θ (deg)

Figure 6: X-ray Diffraction pattern with indexed peaks of sample BH-5-YBCO with composition YBa2 Cu3 O7 . Silicon
30

standard peaks are also labeled.

 50000

103
BH-5-YBCO-14
45000
YBa2Cu3O6.79
40000

35000

013
30000

25000
Si
116
123

102
20000
200

012

100
003
15000

Si
020
006
213

113

Intensity (Counts)
10000 005

111
112
115
Si

023
121

015
105

5000

0
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60

2θ (deg)
Figure 7: X-ray Diffraction pattern with indexed peaks of sample BH-5-YBCO-14 with composition YBa2 Cu3 O6.79 .
31

Silicon standard peaks are also labeled.

 100000

BH-5-YBCO-15

103
90000
YBa2Cu3O6.65
80000

70000

60000

013
50000

40000
200
116

Si

102

012

Intensity (Counts)
123

30000
006

100
113
020
213

003
20000 005

Si
112

111
115
Si

015
105
121
023

10000

0
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
2θ (deg)
Figure 8: X-ray Diffraction pattern with indexed peaks of sample BH-5-YBCO-15 with composition YBa2 Cu3 O6.65 .
32

Silicon standard peaks are also labeled.

 60000

103
BH-5-YBCO-2

013
50000
YBa2Cu3O6.54

40000
123

30000
213

Si
102

100
Si
200
116

020

Intensity (Counts)
20000
006

113

012
005

003
121
023
Si

112
115

10000

111
015
105

0
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60

2θ (deg)
Figure 9: X-ray Diffraction pattern with indexed peaks of sample BH-5-YBCO-2 with composition YBa2 Cu3 O6.54 . Silicon
33

standard peaks are also labeled.

 45000

103
BH-5-YBCO-8
YBa2Cu3O6.46

013
40000

35000

30000

25000
123
213

116

20000

010
100

003
Si
020

014
15000

Intensity (Counts)
122
212

006
Si
200
115

012
102
113
Si

007

005
10000

112

111
015
105
023
121

5000

0
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60

2θ (deg)
34

Figure 10: X-ray Diffraction pattern with indexed peaks of sample BH-5-YBCO-8 with composition YBa2 Cu3 O6.46 .
Silicon standard peaks are also labeled.
 50000

103
BH-5-YBCO-6

103

013
45000

013
YBa2Cu3O6.33
40000

35000

30000
123

25000
200
213

Si
020
20000
116

100

003
012
102
005
15000

113

Si

Intensity (Counts)
014
122
007

006

112

111
10000
115
Si

023
121

015
105

5000

0
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60

2θ (deg)
Figure 11: X-ray Diffraction pattern with indexed peaks of sample BH-5-YBCO-6 with composition YBa2 Cu3 O6.33 .
35

Silicon standard peaks are also labeled.

 36

Table 3: Lattice parameters and unit cell volume for oxygen-deficient samples of
YBa2 Cu3 O7−x . Numbers in parentheses give the standard deviations of the last sig-
nificant digit.

Sample Composition a (Å) b (Å) c (Å) Volume (Å3 )

YBa2 Cu3 O7 3.8154(1) 3.8811(2) 11.6701(4) 172.8093(5)

YBa2 Cu3 O6.79 3.8252(1) 3.8871(2) 11.7162(8) 174.2070(8)

YBa2 Cu3 O6.65 3.8285(2) 3.8804(2) 11.7216(5) 174.1338(6)

YBa2 Cu3 O6.54 3.8323(2) 3.8746(1) 11.7311(4) 174.1917(5)

YBa2 Cu3 O6.46 3.8357(4) 3.8722(3) 11.746(1) 174.457(1)

YBa2 Cu3 O6.33 3.8396(2) 3.8678(1) 11.7576(4) 174.6089(5)

 37

3.90

3.89

Lattice parameter a, b (Å) 3.88

3.87

3.86

3.85

3.84

3.83
a
3.82
b

3.81
7 6.9 6.8 6.7 6.6 6.5 6.4 6.3 6.2

Oxygen content 7-x (YBa2Cu3O7-x)

(a) Lattice parameters a and b versus oxygen composition 7 − x.

11.77

11.76
Lattice parameter c (Å)

11.75

11.74

11.73

11.72

11.71

11.70

11.69

11.68

11.67

11.66
7 6.9 6.8 6.7 6.6 6.5 6.4 6.3 6.2

Oxygen content 7-x (YBa2Cu3O7-x)

(b) Lattice parameter c versus oxygen composition 7 − x.

Figure 12: Lattice parameters (a) a and b, and (b) c of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x as a function of
oxygen composition 7−x. Lattice parameters were determined by Rietveld refinement
of X-ray diffraction data while the oxygen compositions were determined from mass-
loss measurements of quenched samples. Error bars are smaller than the size of the
symbols.
 38

174.8

174.6
Unit cell Volume (Å3)

174.4

174.2

174.0

173.8

173.6

173.4

173.2

173.0

172.8

172.6
7 6.9 6.8 6.7 6.6 6.5 6.4 6.3 6.2

Oxygen content 7-x (YBa2Cu3O7-x)

Figure 13: Unit cell volume, V , versus oxygen composition 7 − x. Error bars are
smaller than the size of the symbols.
 39

3.3 Superconducting Transition Temperature

Magnetic moment measurements for oxygen-deficient samples are presented in Fig-

ures 14-19. The top graph in each figure shows the magnetic moment measured as a
function of applied field H. In the bottom graph of each figure, mass magnetization,
M , as a function of temperature is shown. Shown in magnetic moment versus tem-
perature plots are zero-field cooled (ZFC) curve, which measures the Meissner signal,
and field-cooled (FC) curve, which measures the shielding effect.
A diamagnetic signal is observed for all samples when magnetization is plotted
as a function of applied field. However, only the sample with oxygen content of
6.79 in Figure 15(a) shows a near perfect diamagnetic signal of χ = −1. For the
fully-oxygenated sample in Figure 14(a), χ < −1. The remaining samples have
−1 < χ < 0. Meissner signal decreases (becomes less negative) with decreasing
oxygen content. The sample with oxygen content of 6.33 shown in Figure 19(a)
exhibits the weakest diamagnetic signal.
For each sample, the superconducting transition temperature is taken as the mid-
point temperature between 10% and 90% of the superconducting transition. The
transition width of a sample’s Tc is the temperature range 50% to 90% and 50%
to 10% of the superconducting transition. For the sample with oxygen content of
6.33, the superconducting transition is not complete. The superconducting transition
temperature for this sample is estimated using the point where the line tangent to
the region of steepest descent on the FC curve intersects the normal state magne-
tization. The superconducting transiton temperatures are listed in Table 4. Also
listed in Table 4 are the fractions of superconductor in each sample. The fraction is
the value of magnetic susceptibility in the field-cooled measurement when the transi-
tion is complete. The data reveal that superconducting transition temperatures and
 40

superconducting fraction of the samples decrease with oxygen content. Transition

temperature is plotted as a function of oxygen content, 7 − x, in Figure 20. The tran-
sition temperature is observed to drop steeply from 85.6 K for the fully-oxygenated
sample to 57.6 K for the sample with oxygen content of 6.79. Transition tempera-
tures then appear to gradually decrease before dropping sharply to less than 14.5 K
for the sample with oxygen content of 6.33. The superconducting fraction is highest
in the fully oxygenated sample (68%) and decreases as the oxygen content decreases.
The superconducting fraction cannot be accurately determined for BH-5-YBCO-6 as
a result of incomplete transition from the non-superconducting state.
 41

10.00
T=20 K
5.00

0.00
4πM (Gauss)

-5.00

-10.00

-15.00

-20.00

-25.00

-30.00
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 18.0 20.0

H (Oe)
(a) Volume magnetic moment, M , versus applied magnetic field strength, H.

0.05

0.00

-0.05
M (emu/g)

-0.10

-0.15

-0.20

-0.25

-0.30
ZFC FC
-0.35
20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0

T (K)
(b) Magnetic moment, M , versus temperature, H.

Figure 14: Magnetic moment measurements for sample BH-5-YBCO with composi-
tion YBa2 Cu3 O7 .
 42

5.00
T=20 K

0.00
4πM (Gauss)

-5.00

-10.00

-15.00

-20.00

-25.00
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 18.0 20.0

H (Oe)
(a) Volume magnetic moment, M , versus applied magnetic field strength, H.

0.05

0.00

-0.05
M (emu/g)

-0.10

-0.15

-0.20

-0.25

ZFC FC
-0.30
20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0

T(K)
(b) Magnetic moment, M , versus temperature, H.

Figure 15: Magnetic moment measurements for sample BH-5-YBCO-14 with compo-
sition YBa2 Cu3 O6.79 .
 43

2.00
T=10 K
0.00

-2.00

-4.00
4πM (Gauss)

-6.00

-8.00

-10.00

-12.00

-14.00

-16.00

-18.00

-20.00
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 18.0 20.0
H (Oe)
(a) Volume magnetic moment, M , versus applied magnetic field strength, H.

0.05

0.00

-0.05
M (emu/g)

-0.10

-0.15

-0.20

ZFC FC
-0.25
10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0

T (K)
(b) Magnetic moment, M , versus temperature, H.

Figure 16: Magnetic moment measurements for sample BH-5-YBCO-15 with compo-
sition YBa2 Cu3 O6.65 .
 44

0.00
T=10 K
-2.00

-4.00
4πM (Gauss)

-6.00

-8.00

-10.00

-12.00

-14.00

-16.00

-18.00

-20.00
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 18.0 20.0

H (Oe)
(a) Volume magnetic moment, M , versus applied magnetic field strength, H.

0.00

-0.05
M (emu/g)

-0.10

-0.15

-0.20

-0.25

ZFC FC
-0.30
10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 45.0 50.0 55.0 60.0

T (K)
(b) Magnetic moment, M , versus temperature, H.

Figure 17: Magnetic moment measurements for sample BH-5-YBCO-2 with compo-
sition YBa2 Cu3 O6.54 .
 45

0.00
T=10 K
-2.00

-4.00
4πM (Gauss)

-6.00

-8.00

-10.00

-12.00

-14.00

-16.00
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 18.0 20.0

H (Oe)
(a) Volume magnetic moment, M , versus applied magnetic field strength, H.

0.00

-0.05
M (emu/g)

-0.10

-0.15

-0.20

ZFC FC
-0.25
10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 45.0 50.0 55.0 60.0

T (K)
(b) Magnetic moment, M , versus temperature, H.

Figure 18: Magnetic moment measurements for sample BH-5-YBCO-8 with compo-
sition YBa2 Cu3 O6.46 .
 46

0.50
T=10 K

0.00
4πM (Gauss)

-0.50

-1.00

-1.50

-2.00
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 18.0 20.0

H (Oe)
(a) Volume magnetic moment, M , versus applied magnetic field strength, H.

0.000

-0.005
M (emu/g)

-0.010

-0.015

ZFC FC
-0.020
0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0

T (K)
(b) Magnetic moment, M , versus temperature, H.

Figure 19: Magnetic moment measurements for sample BH-5-YBCO-6 with compo-
sition YBa2 Cu3 O6.33 .
 47

Table 4: Superconducting transition temperatures for oxygen-deficient samples of

YBa2 Cu3 O7−x . The transition width of a sample’s Tc , ∆Tc , is the temperature range
between 50% to 90% and 50% to 10% of the superconducting transition. The super-
conducting fraction could not be determined for sample with oxygen content of 6.33
because of incomplete superconducting transition in the FC curve of M vs T .

Sample Composition Tc (K) ∆Tc Superconducting

fraction (%)

YBa2 Cu3 O7 86 7 69

YBa2 Cu3 O6.79 58 8 64

YBa2 Cu3 O6.65 52 7 57

YBa2 Cu3 O6.54 49 7 59

YBa2 Cu3 O6.46 36 7 48

YBa2 Cu3 O6.33 <15 – –

 48

100

90

80

70
Tc (K)

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
7.00 6.90 6.80 6.70 6.60 6.50 6.40 6.30 6.20

Oxygen Content 7-x (YBa2Cu3O7-x)

Figure 20: Superconducting transition temperature, Tc , plotted as a function of oxy-

gen composition, 7 − x, for samples of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x . The arrow directed downward
for the sample with oxygen content 6.33 indicates that Tc < 15.
 49

4 Discussion

4.1 Crystal Stucture

The lattice parameters of the samples generally agree with those in the literature
for oxygen-deficient samples [30, 31, 33–42]. The lattice parameters in this study
are consistently smaller than those in the literature. The value of a is about 0.2%
smaller while values of b and c are less than 0.1% smaller than corresponding lattice
parameters in the literature. Despite the difference in values, lattice parameters in
this study closely fit the trend of increasing a and c and decreasing b with decreasing
oxygen content except the sample with oxygen content 6.79. The change in lattice
parameters can be explained by the removal of oxygen from the copper-oxygen chains
that lie along the orthorhombic YBa2 Cu3 O7−x b-axis [33–35]. As oxygen atoms are
removed, the strain energy that keeps the chain direction along the b-axis diminishes.
As a result, the difference between the a- and b-axes becomes smaller and smaller,
and eventually the structure becomes tetragonal.
The diffraction peaks of (006), (020), and (200) planes are shown in detail in
Figure 21 for the six samples. The (006) and (020) peaks are nearly merged in the
fully-oxygenated sample, since b is approximately one-third the length of c. The
(020) and (200) peaks are clearly separated indicating that that a 6= b. The fact
that the (006) and (020) peaks are nearly merged in the fully-oxygenated sample
explains the higher intensity relative to the intensity of the (200) peak. As the
oxygen content decreases, the (020) and (006) peaks are separated and the (020) and
(200) peaks begin to merge. The (006) peak moved to the left since lattice parameter
c increases with reduced oxygen content, while the (020) peak moves to the right
as b decreases with reduced oxygen content. This merging of the (200) and (020)
peaks indicates that a and b are approaching the same length, therefore suggesting
 50

020
YBa2Cu3O7-x 200
006

7-x = 7.00

7-x = 6.79

7-x = 6.65

7-x = 6.54

7-x = 6.46

7-x = 6.33

44 45 46 47 48 49 50

2θ (deg)

Figure 21: X-ray diffraction peaks (006), (020), and (200) in samples of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x
are shown for samples with oxygen content 7.00, 6.79, 6.65, 6.54, 6.46, and 6.33 be-
tween 46◦ < 2θ < 49◦ .
 51

a change in crystal symmetry from orthorhombic to tetragonal. However, the two

peaks are still separated in the sample with oxygen content of 6.33. This shows the
transition from orthorhombic to tetragonal did not take place at this oxygen content,
yet samples with oxygen content of ≈ 6.35 have been reported as having tetragonal
crystal structure [34, 35]. The intensities of the (020) and (200) peaks remain about
the same as oxygen content is decreased down to 6.33.
The sample with oxygen content 6.79 was found to have a greater value for b than
the fully-oxygenated sample, which was the exception to the monotonic decrease in b
with decreasing oxygen content. However, the (020) peak in the diffraction pattern of
the sample suggests that b is slightly smaller that for the value for the fully-oygentated
sample. The (006) peak is moved to the left, indicating an increased c value. The
higher value of b from the Rietveld refinement may be caused by errors in the fitting.
The higher value of b for this sample contributed to the large increase in unit cell
volume relative to the volume of the fully oxgenated sample.

4.2 Superconducting Properties

Magnetization measurements show superconducting transitions in all of the samples

in this study. The theoretical magnetic susceptibility for a superconductor is χ =
−1, but two of the samples had values χ < −1 and the remaining four had χ >
−1. Values of χ < −1 are believed to result from the porosity in the samples.
~ = 0 (ZFC) to become superconducting,
When a sample is cooled below Tc with H
any field subsequently applied to the sample will be shielded by the production of
surface currents to maintain B = 0 inside the superconductor. As a magnetic field is
applied, flux is excluded from the superconductor including the pores, thus leading
to a diamagnetic signal that is more negative than what one expects theoretically.
 52

In the FC sequence, the samples initially have normal state magnetization before
being cooled in a magnetic field. As the sample is cooled, any non-superconducting
fraction or pores in the sample allow flux to remain, which causes a decrease in the
magnitude of the overall magnetization. The fact that −1.0 . χ . −0.7 for samples
with the oxygen contents of 6.79, 6.65, 6.54, and 6.46 indicates those samples contain
a significant non-superconducting fraction. For the sample with oxygen content 6.33,
the susceptibility is an order of magnitude smaller than those of the other samples.
The plot of M versus H reveals a deviation from linear behavior, which indicates
an extremely low critical magnetic field. Furthermore, the M versus T plot of this
sample shows that the superconducting transition is not complete down to 10K.
The data clearly indicate that Tc decreases as oxygen is removed from YBa2 Cu3 O7−x ,
and the superconducting volume also decreases with oxygen content. Neutron diffrac-
tion measurements indicate this trend occurs as a consequence of fewer charge carriers
because oxygen is being removed at the copper-oxygen chain sites [34, 35]. What can
be described as a plateau in Tc versus oxygen content between 6.50 and 6.75 resem-
bles that reported in the literature [34, 35]. The existence of a plateau might be
a result of oxygen ordering of the copper-oxygen chains in a sequence of occupied
and unoccupied oxygen sites. This oxygen ordering has previously been observed in
electron diffraction measurements [46–48]. The Tc values are consistent with those
reported in the literature except for the sample with oxygen content 6.79. The Tc for
the sample with oxygen content 6.79 is as much as 19K lower than values reported
in the literature for that oxygen content [35]. This suggests that the sample used for
magnetic measurement likely had a lower oxygen content than what was determined
from weight loss measurements.
Discrepancies between lattice parameters in this study and those in the literature
may have been caused by the lack of oxygen in the original sample, which was assumed
 53

to have an oxygen content of 7.00 ± 0.03. Evidence of oxygen inhomogeneity in this

sample is seen in the M versus H plot as a “kink” toward the superconducting tran-
sition completion. Oxygen inhomogeneity in the original, fully-oxygenated sample
may have resulted from the large batch size (≈ 12g). Consequently, the calculation of
oxygen content assuming that the original sample was fully oxygenated throughout
would be propagated through the oxygen-deficient samples. If the oxygen content of
samples in this study are decreased by 0.05 to account for the original sample having
an oxygen content of 6.95, the lattice parameters are closer to values in the literature
for samples with similar oxygen content. Shifting the data in this manner maintains
the consistency between Tc values in this study and those in the literature.
 54

5 Conclusion

A set of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x samples were made by quenching fully-oxygenated samples af-
ter high-temperature annealing. The oxygen contents were 6.79, 6.65, 6.54, 6.46, and
6.33. The lattice parameters a and c were observed to monotonically increase while
b nearly monotonically decreases with decreasing oxygen content. All samples had
orthorhombic symmetry; hence no orthorhombic to tetragonal phase transition was
observed. The lattice parameters of our samples are consistently smaller than those
reported in the literature. Magnetization measurements indicated that Tc as well as
superconducting volume fraction decreased as oxygen content decreased. Most Tc
values were consistent with the literature for samples with similar oxygen content.
Similar to results reported in the literature [34, 35], a plateau in Tc values between
samples with oxygen contents 6.50 . 7 − x . 6.75 was observed, possibly due to the
ordering of the oxygen atoms at the copper-oxygen chain sites. Our results for crys-
tal structure and superconductivity in YBa2 Cu3 O7−x are consistent with the model
describing the decrease in Tc as a result of oxygen being removed from the copper-
oxygen chain sites. The discrepancies in lattice parameters for samples in this study
with those reported in the literature are likely caused by the original sample not be-
ing fully oxyenated, the actual oxygen content may be approximately 6.95 instead of
7.00. To ensure samples are fully oxygenated, synthesis of YBa2 Cu3 O7 samples by the
procedure in this study should be limited to a batch size less than 10 g. Other meth-
ods of creating oxygen-deficient samples should be considered for future studies on
the normal state magnetization of YBa2 Cu3 O7−x . Instead of annealing YBa2 Cu3 O7
in air to prepare oxygen-deficient samples, annealing could be done at a constant
temperature with controlled argon-oxygen mixtures.
 55

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 59

A Material List

Table 5: List of starting materials used for the synthesis of YBa2 Cu3 O7 and for X-ray
diffraction measurements.

Element or Compound Source Purity

BaCO3 J. T. Baker, -
Lot #408877

CuO Alfa Aesar, 99.995%

Lot # 10700

Y2 O3 REacton, 4N
Batch #R4563

Si Alfa Aesar, 5N
Lot #
5004L22V