Abstract
A comparative study of the fluctuation magneto-conductivity in YBa2Cu3O7-d (noted Y-123) and Y3Ba5Cu8O18 +/- x (noted Y-358) polycrystalline samples was carried out. Samples were synthesized in oxygen atmosphere using a standard solid state reaction technique. Phases and microstructure have been systematically investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The magneto-conductivity was measured in a magnetic field ranging from 0 T to 7 T applied perpendicular to the current path direction. The magneto-conductivity data were analyzed in terms of the temperature derivative of the resistivity and the logarithmic temperature derivative of the conductivity chi(sigma) = -d(ln Delta sigma)/dT, where Delta sigma is the fluctuation conductivity. Analyses of the magneto-conductivity data reveal that Y-123 possesses a better quality of intrinsic Josephson junction compared to Y-358 one while in the former one the depression in superconducting temperature is more pronounced. The applied magnetic field narrowed substantially the three dimensions (3D) Gaussian regime and for Y-358 sample this regime is vanished for high magnetic field (>1 T). Results are discussed in relation with the difference in the structure and microstructure Y-358 and Y-123. The upper critical and the irreversibility magnetic fields were estimated and were found to be higher in the Y-358 sample.