The Dependence of the Superconducting Transition upon the Quench Temperature of YBa₂Cu₃O_y

Abstract

The superconducting transition properties have been evaluated for YBa 2 Cu 3 O y compound samples prepared after processing from vairous quench temperatures following a sintering stage at 880°C. Two sets of temperatures depicting the onset of the superconducting transition have been observed. One set is found to cover 79-94 K for samples with orthorhombic symmetry, and the onset temperature increases as the quench temperature is lowered. The other set is found to cover the range 52-58 K for samples with tetragonal symmetry.