Microstructure and transport properties of Bi-2212 prepared by CO2 laser line scanning

A novel Laser Line Scanning method has been applied to process rectangular cross-section Bi-2212 monoliths containing 2.9 % Ag using a CO2 Laser. Although previous work has suggested the use of nIR lasers (≈0.8–1.1 μm) for melt-processing metal oxide superconductors, the results obtained here demonstrate that mid-IR radiation from a CO2 laser (10.6 μm) may be just as convenient for such a purpose while it enables processing large surface areas. The samples described here were processed at traverse rates ranging between 15 and 60 mm/h, exhibited a complex textured microstructure and yielded highest I c values of 71 A at 77 K.