Effects of glucose doping on the MgB2 superconductors using cheap crystalline boron

• First report on glucose doped MgB2 superconductor by single step dry mixing approach.
• Cheap crystalline boron used for the sample preparation.
• Microstructure and superconducting properties of the superconductors are discussed.
• Less degradation in low field critical current density observed.
• MgB2 with 2 at. % glucose doped showed the highest Jc, ≈ 2 × 104A/cm2 for 20 K at 3 T.

We report the effect of glucose (C6H12O6) doping on the structural and electromagnetic properties of MgB2 superconductor fabricated by dry mixing using planetary ball milling. Herein, as-prepared bulk polycrystalline Mg (B1–xCx) 2 samples with different doping levels (x = 0, 2, 4, and 6 at. %) were systematically studied by X-ray diffraction, magnetic and resistivity measurements, and microstructure analysis. When carbon doped, the reduction in critical transition temperature and shrinkage in a-lattice were obviously observed. This resulted in structural distortion of the MgB2 lattice, and thereby, enhanced an impurity scattering. In addition to these, upper critical field and high-field critical current densities were also enhanced. On the other hand, both pinning force and low-field critical current density are decreased. The high field enhancement and low field degradation are due to increase in impurity scattering and decrease in pinning force respectively.