Structure, microstructure, magnetic properties and chemical stability of HoBa2SbO6 with Yba2Cu3O7−δ superconductor

Abstract A complex perovskite oxide HoBa 2 SbO 6 in the Ho–Ba–Hf–O, rare-earth based oxide system, has been synthesised and sintered as a single phase material. The structure, microstructure, quantitative elemental analysis and magnetic properties of this material have been studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques and magnetic susceptibility measurements. Significant presence of superstructure reflection lines in the XRD spectra of HoBa 2 SbO 6 reveals that it is an ordered complex perovskite oxide. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show that HoBa 2 SbO 6 presents a paramagnetic behaviour at low temperature (5–300 K). Microstructure and EDX analysis show that sintered HoBa 2 SbO 6 has homogeneous surface morphology with uniform particle size (1–2 μm) distribution and there is no evidence of impurity in the single phase sintered HoBa 2 SbO 6 . The chemical stability of HoBa 2 SbO 6 with YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ superconductor was studied. This study shows that HoBa 2 SbO 6 is chemically compatible with YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ and it did not have deleterious effect on the superconducting transition temperature of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ . Also, HoBa 2 SbO 6 melts congruently and single crystals could be grown from the melt. In view of these favourable characteristics, HoBa 2 SbO 6 could be used as a potential substrate material for YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ superconductor film.