Single Crystal Growth of Ba₂NdCu₃O_7-δ from BaCO₃-Nd₂O₃-CuO Solution

Abstract

Four to five mm square Ba 2 NdCu 3 O 7-δ single-crystal plates were grown by slow cooling of a CuO-rich BaCO 3 -Nd 2 O 3 -CuO solution maintained at 1000 to 1200°C. Thin platelets and cube-like crystals of mm size were also prepared. This crystal size improvement is attributed to the fact that Ba 2 NdCu 3 O 7-δ has the highest thermal stability among superconducting oxides Ba 2 RCu 3 O 7-δ (R=Y and lanthanoids).