ELECTRICAL TRANSPORT AND SUPERCONDUCTIVITY IN THE AU-BI2SR1.8CA1.2CU2OY COMPOSITE SYSTEM

Abstract

We have measured the resistivity-rho of the Au-Bi2Sr1.8Ca1.2Cu2Oy composite system with Au volume fraction p(Au) ranging from 0.00 to 1.00. We find, for the samples with p(Au) less-than-or-equal-to 0.4, that the addition of Au does not disturb the superconducting transition temperature of Bi2Sr1.8Ca1.2Cu2Oy. For the samples with p(Au) greater-than-or-equal-to 0.6, no zero-resistivity state is observed. The variation of rho(300 K) with p(Au) indicates a three-dimensional percolating Au matrix occurring at p(Au) almost-equal-to 0.18.