Voltage-current characteristics of Bi-2223 superconducting tape near T_c under γ irradiation

Abstract

Voltage-current characteristics at four different applied magnetic fields (7, 20, 30, and 40 mT) of Bi2Sr2Ca2CU3Ox superconducting tape were measured in the temperature range from 100 to 115 K. They were also measured at zero magnetic field before and after gamma irradiations up to 10 MRad at different temperatures just below the critical temperature. The data were fitted to a power law expression V = I (beta(T)) in which the exponential parameter P under 20 mT field and after irradiation is found to fluctuate around three and then drops to unity near the critical temperature which may be interpreted as a sign of Kosterlitz-Thouless transition. The electrical properties of the tape were found to be very sensitive to gamma irradiation where most of the changes take place in low gamma doses.