Materials Science Forum, Vol.517, 17-20, 2006
Effects of Ho3+ substitution on ultrasonic attenuation in Hoba(2-x)Ho(x)Cu(3)O(7-delta) superconductors
Longitudinal and shear ultrasonic attenuation measurements were performed at 10 MHz in HoBa2-xHo2-xCu3O7-delta (x=0.0 and 0.15) polycrystalline ceramics between 80 K and 285 K. Longitudinal attenuation profiles showed a large peak around 200 K for superconducting HoBa2Cu3O7-delta but not for oxygen-reduced non-superconducting HoBa2CU3O7-delta. Two longitudinal attenuation peaks at 190 K and 250 K were observed for Ba-substituted HoBa1.85Ho0.15CU3O7-delta. The high temperature (similar to 190 K-200 K) peaks are due to absorption of sound energy during interaction of ultrasound wave with mobile oxygen atoms involved in an oxygen rearrangement process involving Cu-O chains of the materials.