Proton radiation damage in superconducting EuBa2Cu3Ox and GdBa2Cu3Ox

Abstract
Sintered samples of EuBa2Cu3Ox and GdBa2Cu3Ox with x≂7 have been irradiated at 90 °C with 800 MeV protons. The superconducting transition temperature decreases 1.7 K/1017 pcm2 for both materials. The critical magnetization current density, characterizing intragranular conduction, increases a factor of 3 at zero field and relatively larger factors for finite magnetic fields at 7 and 75 K for fluences on the order of 1017 pcm2. No and only minor differences between irradiated and unirradiated specimens were seen in calorimetric and transmission electron microscopy analyses, respectively.