Single-Crystal Growth and Characterization of Cuprate Superconductor (Hg,Re)Ba${}_2$Ca${}_2$Cu${}_3$O${}_{8+\delta }$

Abstract

We grew (Hg,Re)Ba${}_2$Ca${}_2$Cu${}_3$O${}_{8+\delta }$ ((Hg,Re)1223) single crystals with good reproducibility via the single-step flux method using monoxides as raw materials. A double-sealing method using a thick-walled quartz tube and a stainless-steel container was adopted for explosion protection. The maximum crystal size was approximately 1 mm x 1 mm in the ab plane and 0.04 mm in thickness. The crystal was square-shaped, reflecting the tetragonal crystal structure of (Hg,Re)1223. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicated a critical temperature of 130 K. The in-plane resistivity exhibited a linear temperature dependence, indicating that the sample was close to optimal doping level. The out-of-plane resistivity was also measured, and the anisotropy parameter was 250-650 at 300 K.

21 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables