Ca0.5Sr0.5Cu3Ti4O12 (CSCTO) ceramic oxide was prepared using solid state reaction technique. Impedance measurement was done using High Dielectric Resolution Analyzer (Novocontrol Novotherm) from 30 oC to 250 oC, in the frequency range of 10-2 to 106 Hz. X-ray diffraction pattern showed a single phase with a cubic structure. In the complex impedance plot, three semi-circles were observed; these represented the grain, grain boundary and electrode effect responses. The semi-circles were fitted using a series network of three parallel RC circuits. The resistance was found to increase with the decreasing temperature. The activation energies, Ea, obtained from the Arrhenius plots of CSCTO, were 0.31 eV and 0.73 eV for grain and grain boundary conductivity, respectively. The value of the grain energy was revealed as smaller than the grain boundary energy, due to the semi-conducting grain and the insulating grain boundary characteristic (Sinclair et al., 2002).
The computer, together with Lab View software, can be used as an automatic data acquisition system. This project deals with the development of a computer interfacing technique for the study of Hall Effect and converting the existing automation system into a Web-based automation system. The drive board RS 217-3611 with PCI 6025E card and stepper motor RS191-8340 with a resolution of 0.1mm, was used to move a pair of permanent magnets backward and forward against the sample. The General Interface Bus (GPIB) card interfaces, together with digital nano voltmeter and Tesla meter using serial port RS232 interface, are used for measuring the potential difference and magnetic field strength respectively. Hall Effect measurement on copper (Cu) and tantalum (Ta) showed negative and positive sign Hall coefficient. Therefore, the system has electron and hole charge carriers respectively at room temperature. The parameters such as drift velocity, conductivity, mobility, Hall Coefficient and charge carrier concentration were also automatically displayed on the front panel of Lab View programming and compared with standard value. The Web-based automation system can be remotely controlled and monitored by users in remote locations using only their web browsers. In addition, video conferencing through Net Meeting has been used to provide audio and video feedback to the client.
This paper reports on the effect of oxide particle Dy2O3 additions on the superconducting properties of MgB2. The polycrystalline samples were prepared by well mixing magnesium and boron elemental powders, followed by heat treatment for in situ reaction in inert gas environment. All the samples showed MgB2 as the main phase with MgO and DyB4 as impurities. Magnetization measurements showed that the superconducting transition temperature, Tc remained largely unchanged (37.5 – 38K) even for Dy2O3 additions up to 15.0 wt.%. However, the transition curve was broadened in samples with larger amount of additions. The best sample with only 0.5 wt.% Dy2O3 additions had a Jc of around a factor of 4 higher compared to the pure sample at 6K(1T). Tem imaging showed the distribution of nano precipitates of DyB4 and MgO within the grain which may improve the pinning leading to enhancement in critical current density, Jc.
With a view to understanding the effect of rare earth element (Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm and Gd) substitution for the La site in LaMnO3 (LMO), the samples were prepared via solid-state reaction. Structure investigation by X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that structure transformation from trigonal (LMO) to orthorhombic (PMO, NMO, SMO and GMO) occurred when smaller trivalent rare earth element was replaced. The MnO6 octahedra were tilted and elongated or compressed, corresponding to the ionic radii of the rare earth inserted. Meanwhile, microstructure study using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) illustrated that La substitution by another rare earth element caused a reduction in grain size. This might due to the changes in enthalpy of fusion by other rare earth ions, where higher enthalpy of fusion favours formation of smaller grain size. However, CeMnO3 did not form under this preparation condition. The magnetic properties studied from the hysteresis plot taken at room temperature indicated that the substitution of La with other magnetic trivalent rare earth ions strongly weakened the magnetic strength of the system.
A series of polycrystalline samples (La1-xSmx)0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (X=0.00, 0.05 and 0.10) were prepared using the conventional solid-state reaction method. The XRD analysis indicated that all the samples were fully crystalline and in a single phase with a rhombohedral structure after a sintering at 1200ºC for 24 hours in air. Meanwhile, the Atomic Force Microscopy measurements showed that a small amount of Sm doping in La sites affected the grain growth and this might affect the grain boundary layer, thus resulting in the reduction of the Curie temperature, TC. Extrinsic magnetoresistance (MR) was observed for all the samples with a large negative MR at low field (0-0.1 or 0.2T) region, followed by a slower varying MR at high field (0.1 or 0.2-1T). The highest low-field MR value of -4.6% (at 0.1T) and -6.1% (at 0.2T) were observed for sample X=0.10 and X=0.05, respectively. Hence, these indicated that the extrinsic MR was grain size dependent and was therefore enhanced with a small amount of Sm substitution in La sites.