Superconductivity of Mg(B1−xCx)2 ternary compounds

Abstract

The structural properties and superconductivity of Mg(B1−xCx)2 compounds were investigated by means of powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) and magnetization measurements. Powder XRD Rietveld analysis indicates that the samples crystallize in a hexagonal AlB2-type structure. The lattice parameter a decreases slightly with increasing carbon content, while c remains unchanged. The addition of carbon results in a decrease of TC and an increase in the superconducting transition width, while the critical current density Jc data indicate that MgB1.8C0.2 manifests comparable superconducting properties with MgB2.