By Smit Mehta (040) Heet Mehta (037) Hardik Gadhia (018)

High temperature superconductor (HTS) are the materials that behave as superconductor at usually high temperatures. Whereas ordinary or metallic superconductors usually have transition temperature below 30k , hts have been observed with transition as high as 138k.

High temperature superconductors are prepared using the Solid State reaction method. Using this method you follow these four steps: step1- mixing the chemicals, step 2- Calcinations, step 3- the intermediate firings, step 4- the final oxygen annealing. This reaction takes place at high temperature. After the reaction has taken place, the YBCO should be reground to a powder and then pressed into a pellet.

YBCO7

LSCO

Yttrium barium copper oxide

This material, a famous "high-temperature superconductor", achieved prominence because it was the first material in which superconductivity above the boiling point (77 K) . Properties Molecular formula YBa2Cu3O7 Molar mass 666.19 Appearance Black solid Density 6.3 g/cm3 Melting point >1000 C Solubility in water Insoluble Structure Crystal structure Based on the perovskite structure. Coordination geometry Orthorhombic

Making YTTRIUM-BARIUM-COPPER-OXIDE superconductors requires the following items:

Yttrium Oxide Barium Carbonate Cupric Oxide A Laboratory Furnace such as a Thermolyne Muffle Furnace or a converted pottery kiln. Labware made of alumina. The recommended labware is the 20 ml. CD-20 alumina dish made by Coors Ceramics. An Oxygen Source Liquid Nitrogen and a rare-earth magnet for testing and demonstrating the superconductors

4 BaCO3 + Y2(CO3)3 + 6 CuCO3 + (1/2x) O2 2 YBa2Cu3O7x + 13 CO2

YBCO crystallises in a defect perovskite structure consisting of layers. The boundary of each layer is defined by planes of square planar CuO4 units sharing 4 vertices. The planes can some times be slightly puckered.Perpendicular to these CuO2 planes are CuO4 ribbons sharing 2 vertices. The yttrium atoms are found between the CuO2 planes, while the barium atoms are found between the CuO4 ribbons and the CuO2 planes. This structural feature is illustrated in the figure to the left.