Intergrain magnetic properties and critical currents of Tl-1223 bulk and tape superconductors

The magnetic field and the temperature dependencies of the dispersive and the absorption components of the low frequency ac magnetic susceptibility for Pb and Bi single doped bulk superconductors as well as for Pb and Bi co-doped Ag-sheathed superconducting Tl-1223 tapes have been measured and analyzed. The studies were accompanied by optical and electron microscopic observations of the microstructure. The ac susceptibility measured at various ac magnetic field amplitudes showed both intergrain and intragrain features. The temperature dependencies of the intergrain critical current densities were extracted from the absorption susceptibility via a modified Bean model. They were at relevant temperatures one order of magnitude larger for the tape than for the bulk specimens.