• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.173-176
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• 2008

[ $MgB_2$ ] films grown by hybrid physical chemical vapor deposition under appropriate growth conditions commonly exhibit columnar grain structure. The grain boundaries between adjacent columnar grains have been reported to be good flux pinning centers. In this work, we measured the angular dependence of critical current density ($J_c$) and observed the enhanced flux pinning when an external magnetic field was aligned parallel to the columnar direction. This $J_c$ was almost comparable to the $J_c$ for intrinsic pinning case up to 1 T at low temperatures, indicating that grain boundary pinning is very effective. At high fields, however, $J_c$ decreased rapidly resulting from the fact that the density of flux pinning centers provided by grain boundaries was outnumbered by the flux density.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.15-18
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• 2011

We have studied the $TiO_2$ doping effects on the flux pinning behavior of an $MgB_2$ superconductor synthesized by the in-situ solid-state reaction. From the field-cooled and zero-field-cooled temperature dependences of magnetization, the reversible-irreversible transition of $TiO_2$-doped $MgB_2$ was determined in the H-T diagram (the temperature dependence of upper critical magnetic field and irreversibility line). For comparison, the similar measurements are also obtained from SiC-doped $MgB_2$. The critical current density was estimated from the width of hysteresis loops in the framework of Bean's model at different temperatures. The obtained results manifest that nano-scale $TiO_2$ inclusions served as effective pinning centers and lead to the enhanced upper critical field and critical current density. It was concluded that the grain boundary pinning mechanism was realized in a $TiO_2$-doped $MgB_2$ superconductor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.08a
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• pp.172-172
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• 2010

$MgB_2$ doped with $TiO_2$ was prepared by the in-situ solid state reaction to study the effects of $TiO_2$ dopant on the flux pinning behavior of $MgB_2$ superconductor. From the field-cooled and the zero-field-cooled temperature dependences of magnetization, the realms of vortex-glass and vortex-liquid states of $TiO_2$-doped $MgB_2$ were determined in the H-T diagram (the temperature dependence of upper critical magnetic field and irreversibility line). The critical current density was estimated from the width of hysteresis loops in the framework of Beam's model at different temperatures. The results indicate that nano-scale $TiO_2$ inclusions play a role of the effective pinning centers and lead to the enhanced upper critical field and critical current density. It is suggested that the grain-boundary pinning mechanism is realized in $TiO_2$-doped $MgB_2$ superconductor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.362-362
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• 2009

$MgB_2$ bulk samples were sintered at different ambient. In this work, high purity Ar gas was added with oxygen and hydrogen gas, which can be regarded as impurity in a sense, as a possible dopant in the $MgB_2$. It was found that oxygen in the sintering ambient leads to a decrease in the critical current density $J_c$ at self field and lower fields. However, we can obtained higher $J_c$ at higher fields. It was also noted that $MgB_2$ samples sintered with 5% hydrogen in Ar revealed the increased $J_c$ at all fields compared to those processed in pure Ar ambient. From the XRD and FESEM analysis, the impurity gas in Ar can refine the $MgB_2$ grain size and result in increased grain. boundary, which can act as a strong flux pinning sites in $MgB_2$ samples. Also discussed are the effects of sintering ambient on irreversibility field, $H_{irr}$ and the upper critical field, $H_{C2}$.