No abstract

High-temperature ceramic superconductors such as RE1Ba2Cu3O∼7 are usually prepared by reacting the constituent metal oxides (RE=rare-earth metal). We have prepared RE1Ba2Cu3O∼7 by an alternate method, first combining three metals into an alloy by rapid solidification processing, followed by oxidation to form the cuprate. Only Eu (or Yb) yields single phase RE-Ba-Cu liquids as required for melt processing, because their valency changes from two in the metal (assuring complete miscibility with Ba) to three in the oxide. The superconducting properties of the oxidized alloys are similar to those of EuBa2Cu3Ox prepared by the standard ceramic reaction route.

No abstract