Search for Novel Phases in Y-Ba-Cu-O Family

In order to search for possible residual minor phases in the Y-Ba-Cu-O family, powdered mixtures of Y2O3 + BaCO3 + CuO and, independently, superconducting compound YBa2Cu3O7−x have been treated in evacuated cells and elevated temperatures. YBa2Cu3O7−x was reduced to YBa2Cu3O5 by use of the special home-designed Taconis–Knudsen vacuum device. Subsequent doping by oxygen converts produced insulator YBa2Cu3O5 to semiconductor or metal YBa2Cu3O5+x (0 < x < 0.3). In addition to YBa2Cu3O5, 0.05 volume percent of the minor delafossite phase Y2Cu2O4 was spotted in the powder mixture 1/2 Y2O3 + 2BaCO3 + 6Cu2O, heated up to 818 °C in an inert gas atmosphere. An attempt to prepare the insulating bulk delafossite samples was successful, and subsequent doping by oxygen produced novel metallic phases.