SUPERCONDUCTING RNI2B2C (R=Y, LU) NANOPARTICLES - SIZE EFFECTS AND WEAK LINKS

The potential of the are discharge technique for the growth of complex nanocrystalline systems is demonstrated here with the formation of qu aternary superconducting nanoparticles belonging to the recently disco vered intermetallic boron carbide family RNi2B2C (R = Y, Lu). The nano particles, which were embedded in a glassy carbon matrix and had T-c s imilar to 15 K, are reported to exhibit magnetic behavior characterize d by finite size effects and weak Josephson links between the particle s. The formation and characterization of the nanoparticles are detaile d.