材料期刊网

The high field magnetization of sintered YBa2Cu3-xZnxO7-delta compounds was investigated. By means of Bean's critical state model it is derived from magnetization measurements that the slope of critical current density vs. external magnetic field curve becomes less negative and the flux-pinning force diminishes significantly with increasing zinc content. The magnetic field corresponding to the maximum of the pinning force decreases sharply with increasing zinc content. It is thought that the destruction of superconductivity in YBa2Cu3O7-delta compounds by zinc doping is due to the change in electronic structure in the Cu-O-2 planes as well as the reduction in orthorhombic distortion.