Electron Irradiation Effects on a Ba2YCu3O7 Superconductor

Abstract
A single-phased Ba2YCu3O7-y pellet was sequentially irradiated with 3 MeV electrons up to 3×1022 m-2 at about 370 K, and the electrical resistance was measured as a function of temperature. The superconducting transition temperature of 92.5 K decreased almost linearly with electron dose at a rate of 3 K/1023 m-2 concurrently with a linear increase in electrical resistivity at 95 K from 2.9 µΩ·m with 7 µΩ·m/1023 m-2. The offset temperature measured with 105 kA ·m-2 in current density was enhanced from 88.6 to 90.4 K by electron irradiation to 1.5×1022 m-2, and then reduced upon further irradiation.