Superconducting and Structural Features of Tl-1223

This study provides an account of the bulk preparation of TlBa2Ca2Cu3O9-δ (Tl-1223) superconductor at ambient pressure, and the Tc features under thermal-annealing conditions. The as-prepared Tl-1223 (Tc =106 K) presents a significantly higher Tc = 125 K after annealing the polycrystalline material in either flowing Ar+4% H2, or N2 gases. In order to understand the fundamental reasons for a particular Tc, we refined the average bulk structures using powder X-ray diffraction data. Although Ar+4%H2 annealed Tl-1223 shows an increased c lattice parameter, it is approximately unchanged upon N2-anneal. Due to such indeterminate conclusions on the average structural changes, local structures were investigated at using aberration-corrected scanning-transmission electron microscopy technique. Similar compositional changes in the atomic arrangements of both annealed-samples of Tl-1223 were detected in which the plane containing Ca atomic layer gives a non-uniform contrast, due to substitution of some heavier Tl. In this report, extensive bulk properties are summarized through temperature-dependent resistivity, and shielding and Meissner fractions of magnetic susceptibility results; the bulk and local structures are investigated to correlate to properties.

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