Superconducting material

Abstract

A superconducting composition is provided to essentially consist of a superconducting material and Li(lithium), Na(sodium), and K(potassium) mixed in an amount up to 0.2% by weight of of the composition into the superconducting material.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A copper-oxide superconducting material which has a critical temperature Tco greater than 77° K, said material including alkali metal elements at less than 0.2 weight % and said ceramic material being generally represented as (A 1-x  B x ) y  Cu z  O w , where x =0 to 1, y=2.0 to 4.0, z=1.5 to 3.5 and w=4.0 to 10.0, wherein A is an element selected from the group of Y (yttrium), Gd (gadolinium), Yb (ytterbium), Eu (europium), Tb (terbium), Dy (dysprosium), Ho (holmium), Er (erbium), Tm (thulium), Lu (lutetium), Sc (scandium), and other lanthanides; and B is an element selected from among Ra (radium), Ba (barium), Sr (strontium), Ca (calcium), Mg (magnesium), and Be (beryllium). 
     
     
       2. The superconducting ceramic material of claim 1 wherein A is yttrium, and B is barium. 
     
     
       3. The superconducting ceramic material of claim 1 wherein said alkali metals are at least one of lithium, sodium, and potassium. 
     
     
       4. A copper-oxide superconducting material which has a critical temperature Tco greater than 77° K, said material including halogen elements at less than 0.1 weight % and said ceramic material being generally represented as (A 1-x  B x ) y  Cu z  O w , where x=0 to 1, y=2.0 to 4.0, z=1.5 to 3.5 and w=4.0 to 10.0 wherein A is an element selected from the group of Y (yttrium), Gd (gadolinium), Yb (ytterbium), Eu (europium), Tb (terbium), Dy (dysprosium), Ho (holmium), Er (erbium), Tm (thulium), Lu (lutetium), Sc (scandium), and other lanthanides; and B is an element selected from among Ra (radium), Ba (barium), Sr (strontium), Ca (calcium), Mg (magnesium), and Be (beryllium).   
     
     
       5. The superconducting ceramic material of claim 4 wherein A is yttrium, and B is barium. 
     
     
       6. The superconducting ceramic material of claim 4 wherein said halogen elements are at least fluorine. 
     
     
       7. A copper-oxide superconducting material which has a critical temperature Tco greater than 77° K, said material including alkali metal elements less than 0.2 weight %. 
     
     
       8. The superconducting ceramic material of claim 7 wherein said alkali metals are at least one of lithium, sodium, and potassium. 
     
     
       9. A copper-oxide superconducting material which has a critical temperature Tco greater than 77° K and a laminar structure including two layers of said copper-oxide; wherein said material has the formula AB 2  Cu 3  O w , in which A is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Y (yttrium), Gd (gadolinium), Yb (ytterbium), Eu (europium), Tb (terbium), Dy (dysprosium), Ho (holmium), Er (erbium), Tm (thulium), Lu (lutetium), Sc (scandium), and other lanthanides; B is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ra (radium), Ba (barium), Sr (strontium), Ca (calcium), Mg (magnesium), and Be (beryllium), and w ranges from 6 to 8; and   wherein said material includes less than 0.2 weight % of alkali metal.