EFFECTS OF 150 KEV AR ION IRRADIATION ON A BI2SR2CACU2OY SUPERCONDUCTOR

The effect of argon ion implantation has been studied in the Bi2Sr2CaC u2O(y) bulk high-T(c) superconducting system. The incident energy has been kept at 150 keV and the irradiation dose varied between 1 x 10(11 ) ions/cm2 and 1 x 10(16) ions/cm2. It has been observed that the tran sition temperature does not change appreciably up to a dose of 1 x 10( 15) ions/cm2. The variation of normal state resistance with ion dose s hows a weak oscillatory nature which is also reflected in the variatio n of the c-axis parameter as determined by x-ray diffraction studies. The results are discussed in the light of the role of defect creation bearing in mind the similarity of the sizes of the Ar ions and Ca atom s in the superconducting system. It is proposed that due to this simil arity between the two species, the defects created do not alter the pr operties very drastically, in contrast to the case of Ne and N implant ation.