Measuring the Thermal Fluctuations in Bulk YBCO and BSCCO Superconductors

POSTER

Abstract

High temperature $(HT_{c})$ superconductors have been studied rigorously for over twenty years because of their potential for both research-driven and industrial applications, as well as emerging technologies such as smart grids and power transmission. Their unique ability to become superconducting at high temperatures $(T > 77K)$ has ignited much interest in the development of new materials that push the critical temperature, $T_{c}$, to ever higher limits. Due to the high transition temperatures, short coherence length and layered structure, thermal fluctuations near the transition temperature are unusually large. We explore these effects in measurements of the resistivity as a function of temperature in bulk YBCO and BSCCO using equipment standard in most undergraduate universities. The experimental arrangement and results to date will be presented.

Authors

  • Jeremy Massengale

    Wittenberg University

  • Kurt Baughman

    Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Lab, Argonne, Illinois, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, Ohio University, Los Alamos Nationa Laboratory, National Taiwan University, University of Hamburg, Trinity College, Dublin, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, University of Belgrade, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, The University of Akron, NQPI, Physics and Astronomy Dept., Ohio University, GNS \& MANA Satellite, CEMES, CNRS, IMRE, A*STAR, Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute (NQPI), Physics and Astronomy Dept., Ohio University, Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute, and Department of Physics \& Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, CEMES, CNRS, Toulouse, France, Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute, and Department of Physics \& Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, NQPI, and Department of Physics \& Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, NQPI Dept of Physics and astronomy Ohio University, Naval Research Labs, Washington DC 20375, John Carroll University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, The Ohio State University Department of Physics, Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, Chemical and Materials Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Wittenberg University, NQPI, Ohio University; CNM Argonne National Laboratory, APS, CNM, Argonne National Laboratory, Ohio University, Athens 45701, USA, None, Dept. of Physics, Hiram College, Physics Department, Cleveland State University, Flash Center for Computational Science, University of Chicago, Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Ohio Northern University, Ohio University Zanesville