Since the recent discovery of a new class of high critical temperature superconductors (HTS), much interest has been shown in their potential use as optical detectors. The purpose of this research was to test thin film samples of the HTS Y1Ba2Cu3O7-delta as detectors and investigate any response to optical radiation. A laboratory test facility was designed and built for this purpose. The experimental results exhibit a variety of optical responses that are dependent upon the physical characteristics of each HTS thin film. Polycrystalline films exhibited a different detection mode than did epitaxial films. This research demonstrates that HTS thin films are viable optical detectors and have the potential to become competitive high-performance detectors as the new technology continues to emerge.

Supercritical carbon dioxide was explored as a medium for nucleation and growth processes for ceramic oxide superconductors. The high temperature superconductor examined, YBa₂Cu₃O₇₋ₓ (YBC), was found to be stable upon limited exposure to CO₂. The solubility of the compound was studied in the region near the critical point using spectrophotometry. The species solubilized was indirectly identified by elemental analysis. Preliminary studies on the potential of the medium for metastable synthesis, comminution, and crystallization were conducted and showed promise for further development.

As an electromagnetic response detection technique, non-resonant microwave absorption (NRMA) has been without doubt, one of the fundamental tools in characterizing high temperature superconductors (HTSC). The technique can explicitly give factual information on flux pinning, granularity, magnetization, and detection of iota superconducting phases among many more. The emergence of iron pnictides superconductors has brought an enormous impact on HTSC field due to their relatively high 𝑇c, high critical fields 𝐵c2, huge critical current density and low anisotropy. Accordingly, they look appealing candidates in industrial applications more especially in high magnetic field applications. As of yet, its electromagnetic response particularly the low field microwave absorption (LFMA) or the non-resonant microwave absorption (NRMA) is relatively unknown. Consequently, in this work, systematic studies have been done on SmFeAs(O,F), superconductors to determine the low field sweep microwave absorption. Furthermore, effect of varying temperature, microwave power and field modulation amplitude on NRMA line shape have been addressed and the results obtained are compared with NRMA results of cuprates superconductors. Interestingly, the NRMA line shape has been found to evolve as a function of temperature, microwave power and field modulation amplitude. A structure i.e a broad peak 1 and a narrow peak 2 have been identified. Furthermore, the line shape shows a phase reversal at moderately high microwave power. This dissertation presents the theoretical background of superconductors, experimental techniques, working principles of the equipments, results, discussions and conclusions. As pertains to the future work, recommendations have been suggested in trying other forms of sample and also different sample materials of iron based superconductors to fully understand the NRMA and ensure a progressive and continuous work in this field. Also, we will carry out extensive studies on critical current density, fluxon dynamics and irreversibility fields on iron-based superconductors by means of NRMA technique. / Physics / M. Sc. (Physics)

published_or_final_version / Physics / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Physics / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Graduation date: 1997

Graduation date: 1996

Not available / text

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Physics / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Physics / Master / Master of Philosophy