Microstructure and fluctuation-induced conductivity analysis of Bi₂ Sr₂ CaCu₂ O_8+δ (Bi-2212) nanowire fabrics

Resistance measurements were performed on Bi₂ Sr₂ CaCu₂ O_8+δ (Bi-2212) fabric-like nanowire networks or nanofiber mats in the temperature interval 3 K ≤ T ≤ 300 K. The nanowire fabrics were prepared by means of electrospinning, and consist of long (up to 100 µm) individual nanowires with a mean diameter of 250 nm. The microstructure of the nanowire network fiber mats and of the individual nanowires was thoroughly characterized by electron microscopy showing that the nanowires can be as thin as a single Bi-2212 grain. The polycrystalline nanowires are found to have a texture in the direction of the original polymer nanowire. The overall structure of the nanofiber mats is characterized by numerous interconnects among the nanowires, which enable current flow across the whole sample. The fluctuation-induced conductivity (excess conductivity) above the superconducting transition temperature, T_c, was analyzed using the Aslamzov-Larkin model. Four distinct fluctuation regimes (short-wave, two-dimensional, three-dimensional and critical fluctuation regimes) could be identified in the Bi-2212 nanowire fabric samples. These regimes in such nanowire network samples are discussed in detail for the first time. Based on this analysis, we determine several superconducting parameters from the resistance data.