FABRICATION OF SINGLE-CRYSTAL OF SMBA2CU3O7-X, BY THE MODIFIED TOP-SEEDED SOLUTION GROWTH METHOD IN LOW-OXYGEN PARTIAL-PRESSURE ATMOSPHERE

Single crystals of SmBa2Cu3O7-x (Sm123) have been successfully grown b y a modified top-seeded solution growth (TSSG) method in 1% oxygen par tial pressure atmosphere (P(O-2)=0.01 atm). Solid Sm2BaCuO5 (Sm211) so lute and Ba-Cu-O solvent with Ba to Cu ratio of 3:5 were used in a Sm2 O3 crucible. The Sm123 as-grown crystals mere confirmed by X-ray struc ture analysis to have the SmBa2Cu3O7-x tetragonal structure, and the s ubstitution of Sm ion to the Ba site was not detected within experimen tal accuracy. The transport properties of the grown crystals annealed in an oxygen gas flow were measured by the direct-current four-contact method, both in the ab-plane and along the c-asis. The superconductiv e transition temperature was 93 K and the transition width was 0.3 K.