EFFECT OF GAMMA-IRRADIATION ON STRUCTURE AND ELECTRICAL-PROPERTIES OF(BI,PB)(2)SR2CA2CU3O10 SUPERCONDUCTOR

Specimens of pure and Pb-doped high-T-c superconductors Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O1 0 (BSCCO) were irradiated with gamma-rays up to an integrated dose of about 225 MR. The variations of normal state resistance, transition te mperature, critical current and lattice parameters with gamma-irradiat ion were studied. The normal state resistance increases with increase of gamma-dose at zero applied magnetic field, whereas the transition t emperature and the critical current decrease with the same gamma-dose. The intensities of the X-ray diffraction peaks of the pure samples de crease with increase of gamma-dose without significant change of diffr action angles or peak widths. BSCCO superconductor is found to be quit e sensitive to gamma irradiation but drastic lattice expansion do not occur up to 225 MR. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.