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The room-temperature structure of the 90-K superconducting phase YBa2Cu3O7−x

Abstract

Like many others1,2 we have explored phase relationships in the Y–Ba–Cu–O system, isolated the pure (>98% by X-ray diffraction) phase YBa2Cu3O7−x, measured its electrical properties, and examined it by high-resolution electron microscopy. Here we report on the room-temperature structure of the superconducting phase of this system. The particular sample of YBa2Cu3O7−x that was studied had been prepared by the direct reaction of stoichiometric amounts of Y2O3 (99.99%), CuO (99.999%) and BaCO3 (99.999%), thoroughly mixed, pressed into a pellet and heated in air at 925 °C in an alumina crucible for 16 h. The sintered specimen was then reground, pressed into a pellet and reheated at 925 °C in O2 for five days, followed by annealing at 500 °C in O2 for 48 h. An X-ray powder diffraction pattern obtained with a Guinier–Hägg camera using monochromated CuKα1 radiation gave refined orthorhombicocell parameters for the specimen of a = 3.820(1) Å, b = 3.886(1) Å and c = 11.703(1) Å. (The oxygen content is not known but, for our method of preparation, is generally reputed to be 7−x ≈ 6.9.)

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References

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Hyde, B., Thompson, J., Withers, R. et al. The room-temperature structure of the 90-K superconducting phase YBa2Cu3O7−x. Nature 327, 402–403 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/327402a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/327402a0

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