SUPERCONDUCTING FIBERS OF BI(PB)-CA-SR-CU-O

HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTIVITY HAS VERY RECENTLY BECOME THE SUBJECT OF INTENSE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION. PRESENT MATERIALS ARE PREPARED BY SINTERING THE OXIDE POWDER COMPONENTS AND PRESSING INTO PELLETS. THIS RESULTS IN A MICROCRYSTALLINE STRUCTURE THAT HAS MANY DISADVANTAGES. THECONTACT BETWEEN THE MICROCRYSTALS INCREASES THE RESISTANCE; THE COMPOSITION IS NOT STABLE; THE MATERIAL CANNOT BE READILY FORMED IN USEFUL GEOMETRIES; AND, THE MATERIAL LACKSSTRENGTH. WE ARE PROPOSING TO INVESTIGATE THE GROWTH OF THENEW HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTING MATERIAL, LEAD DOPED BI-CA-SR-CU-O, USING THE LASER-HEATED PEDESTAL-GROWTH TECHNIQUE. THIS TECHNIQUE HAS A GREAT DEAL OF FLEXIBILITY AND RESULTS IN FIBERS THAT ARE AS PURE AS THE STARTING MATERIAL. BY CONTROLLING THE GROWTH ATMOSPHERE AND THE GROWTH TEMPERATURE, THE COMPOSITION AND THE CRYSTAL PHASE CAN BE CONTROLLED. IF FIBERS OF THIS MATERIAL CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY GROWN USING THIS TECHNIQUE, A WIDE VARIETY OF COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS WOULD RESULT. BI(PB)-CA-SR-CU-O