SYNTHESIS, TRANSPORT, AND MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF LN2-XCEXCUO4-Y SINGLE-CRYSTALS (LN = ND, PR, SM)

Single Crystals Ln2-xCexCuO4-y (Ln = Nd, Pr, Sm; 0 less-than-or-equal- to x less-than-or-equal-to 0.2) were grown in CuO flux and characteriz ed by means of X-ray diffraction and microprobe analyses, electrical r esistivity, and magnetic susceptibility. There is a large variation of the Ce content from crystal to crystal within a given batch and the d istribution width decreases with increasing Ce starting composition. T he temperature dependence of the normal-state electrical resistivity a nd the resistively determined superconducting critical temperature T(c ) are very sensitive to the heat treatment. The magnetic susceptibilit y of Ln2-xCexCuO4-y Single crystals, MeasUred for two orientations of the crystals with respect to the applied field H, reveals a high aniso tropy and indicates the presence of crystalline electric-field (CEF) e ffects.