Scientific publications list
Web Content Display
SOLARIS centre
Breadcrumb
Web Content Display
Web Content Display
Effect of Ne+ 250 keV ion implantation on the critical parameters of composite 2G HTS tapes
A Polish team of researchers led by Dr. Paweł Pęczkowski from the Institute of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University used the PIRX beam to study the properties of the electronic structure of 2G HTS tapes (second generation high-temperature superconducting tapes) previously subjected to the process of implantation with Ne+ noble gas ions with an energy of 250 keV. The results of the investigation were published in the journal Applied Surface Science published by Elsevier.
2G HTS tapes are used in devices operating in extreme radiation conditions with the prospect of using them in the space industry. High-energy ion irradiation, simulating severe radiation damage, is of great importance to the possibility of using 2G HTS tapes for demanding applications in the space industry or nuclear applications (accelerators, reactors, etc.). Ionizing radiation, including bombardment of 2G HTS tapes with heavy ions, may introduce various types of defects (e.g. Schottky, Frenkel) into their microstructure, which leads to deterioration of superconductivity parameters, such as critical current and critical temperature. To determine the effect of ionizing radiation on these parameters, Ne+ ions with a fluence of 1012 to 1014 Ne+/cm2 were implanted directly into the GdBa2Cu3O7 ̶ δ (GdBCO) superconducting layer, where δ is the oxygen factor, of the 2G HTS tape. Ions of this type were chosen because the relative abundance of Ne+ ions in the galactic cosmic radius is not small and is at the level of 102. Comprehensive studies of microstructural properties (SEM - scanning electron microscopy), structural properties (FT-IR - Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and XRD - X-ray diffraction), magnetic (DC and AC susceptibility measurements) and electromagnetic structure (XAS - X-ray absorption spectroscopy) of the irradiated tapes carried out by our Team showed that the destruction of the tapes has a microscopic origin. This is mainly due to oxygen deficiency and radiation-induced microstructural and structural damage. Under the influence of radiation, the critical current densities of the tape decrease by 33 ̶ 60% (depending on fluence and external magnetic field) compared to the reference sample.
XAS (X-ray absorption spectroscopy) data obtained at the PIRX beamline at the SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre in Kraków (Poland) indicate oxygen deficiency in the irradiated samples (Figure 1). This is evidenced by the disappearances of ZRS (Zhang Rice singlet) and UHB (upper Hubbard band) at the O K-edge and 2p63d10L at the Cu L2,3- edges. The obtained results show that the mechanism of tape destruction is related to the introduction of oxygen vacancies rather than to changes in the microstructure of the HTS layer for lower fluences (up to 1013 Ne+/cm2). However, at high fluences (1014 Ne+/cm2), the superconducting layer of the HTS tape begins to peel off, as shown by SEM images. Hence, we can conclude that in this case the degradation mechanism has a microstructural basis.
Figure 1. X-ray absorption spectra (XAS) for GdBCO 2G HTS tapes: (a) O K-edge; (b) Cu L2,3- edges. CH - chain holes, ZRS - Zhang-Rice singlet, UHB - upper Hubbard band
Author: Paweł Pęczkowski
Link to the publication: P. Pęczkowski, R. Zalecki, P. Zachariasz, E. Szostak, J. Piętosa, M. Turek, K. Pyszniak, M. Zając, J. Czub, Ł. Gondek, Deterioration of the 2G HTS tapes by the Ne+ions irradiation (250 keV), Applied Surface Science 636 (2023) 157780. doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2023.157780.
Published date 02/04/2024
- Dagmara Chylewska-Olech
Recommended