Preparation and growth of (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor fibers

Abstract
The laser floating zone (LFZ) method has been used to grow (Bi,Pb)‐Sr‐Ca‐Cu‐O superconductor fibers from solution‐derived ceramic precursors (nominal Bi1.8Pb0.35Sr1.87Ca2Cu3Ox), prepared under different sintering conditions. The as‐grown LFZ fibers were semiconducting. After annealing at 855 and 800 °C in air, the fibers were metallic. A second anneal at these temperatures optimized the superconducting properties of the fibers [Tc (midpoint)=111 K and Tc (zero)=106 K]. The LFZ‐grown fibers contain highly oriented superconductor grains their electrical properties depend strongly on precursor thermal processing.