Oxygen Stoichiometry and Superconductivity in Ho1Ba2Cu3O7−x

The effects of varying oxygen content on the superconducting transition temperature Tc, resistivity, and crystal structure of HoBa2Cu3O7−x (0 < x < 1) have been investigated. The variation of Tc wltn 8 is very similar to that previously reported by several authors for YBa2Cu3O7−x [1,2]. In particular a plateau in the Tc vs x curve is observed for values of x between 0.3 and 0.4 witfi the value of Tc,(10 % onset measured magnetically) remaining relatively constant at about 55 K. The width of the superconducting transition, as measured both resistively and magnetically, is substantially narrower for x= 0.35 + 0.05 than for slightly larger or smaller values of x. High resolution powder x-ray diffraction analysis was used to measure the lattice constants of both the orthorhombic and tetragonal phases as x was varied. With increasing x the temperature coefficient of the resistivity changed from positive (metallic) for x ≤0.2 to negative (semiconducting) for x ≥, 0.3. Since the general shape of the Tc vs x curve was unaffected by the complete substitution of magnetic Ho for Y, these results suggest an ordering of the oxygen vacancies in the a-b plane and the existence of an ordered compound with a Tc of 55 K.