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Neutron Structural Studies On The Superconducting (Nd₁₋ₓcax)(Ba₁.₆La₀.₄)Cu₃Oz System, Amish G. Joshi, R. G. Kulkarni, William B. Yelon, Ram Prasad, M. R. Gonal

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We have investigated the influence of Ca ion substitution on the structural and superconducting properties of (Nd1−xCax)(Ba1.6La0.4)Cu3Oz system. Magnetization, x-ray diffraction, and neutron diffraction studies have been carried out on a series of compounds with x=0.0-0.6. The superconducting transition temperature Tc, determined from magnetization measurements, increases with increasing Ca2+ substitution. Neutron diffraction studies reveal that these compounds crystallize in a tetragonal structure (space group P4/mmm). A detailed analysis of the neutron diffraction data reveals that Ca and La ions are intermixed at the nominal Ba and Nd sites. While a major fraction of Ca ions occupy the usual Nd site, …