Superconducting characterization of Ni/Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3Oy superconductors

We deposited non-superconducting materials, Ni metal on the surface of Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3Oy (BSCCO) superconductors. Critical temperature (T-c) and critical current (I-c of Ni/BSCCO specimens decreased with increasing thickness of Ni films. This indicates that the Tc and the I, of the BSCCO films are degraded with a thickness of Ni. This behavior is approximately equal to that of a Ni/YBa2Cu3Oy (YBCO) specimen, where the Tc and the Ic of it were dependent on rf power during Ni deposition. Therefore, the degradation of the Ni/ BSCCO specimen may be due to the Ni diffusion into the BSCCO films, (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier BN.