Bismuth oxide superconductors, and devices and systems comprising such a superconductor

Abstract

A new class of Bi-based superconductive oxides is disclosed. As do the previously known Bi-based superconductors, the novel materials have a perovskite-like crystal structure. However, in contradistinction to the prior art materials, the inventive materials have unmixed B-site occupany, with all substituents occupying A-sites. This tends to produce marginal stability and enhanced transition temperatures, as compared to the prior art Bi-based oxide superconductors. Materials according to the invention have composition ABiO.sub.3-.delta., with A being Ba and at least one monovalent element (typically chosen from Na, K,Rb, and Cs) and 0.ltoreq..delta..ltorsim.0.1, and have a transition temperature T.sub.c.sup.onset .gtorsim.13K. The superconductive materials are advantageously produced from precursor material that contains an excess of the monovalent element(s), as compared to the final composition. Potential uses entail all those uses for which prior art superconductors have been proposed, or in which they have been used.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.