Abstract
From the DC magnetization and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, in the defect-perovskitc-type reduced niobates A2Nb1+ X O Y (A=Ca, Sr), we found at least two kinds of broad superconducting phases with the critical temperatures of about 9.2 K (for 0\lesssimx\lesssim1.0) and 8.3 K (for 1.2–1.5\lesssimx\lesssim5.0) covering almost the whole valence state of Nb from Nb1+ to Nb5+ in the Ca system and in the somewhat narrower range in the Sr system. The highest shielding effect in these phases of both systems is attained for samples prepared from the starting mixtures having the initial mean Nb valence between 1+ and 2+.
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