Microstructure of the new route wire fabrication of V₃Ga compound superconducting wire using high Ga Content Cu-Ga/V precursor composite material

Our co-worker, Hishinuma et. al. has established a new route Powder-In-Tube (PIT) process using a high Ga content Cu-Ga compound in order to improve the superconducting property of the V₃Ga compound wire. In this study, we investigated microstructure of this high Ga content Cu-Ga/V composite superconducting wire. The different contrasts of matrix, V-Ga phase and Cu-Ga core were observed by SEM observation in cross section of 19 multifilamentary wire. And V-Ga phase was confirmed by SEM mapping. The area fraction of V-Ga phase increased when Ga content increased from 30% to 50%. Thin film sample with V-Ga phase for TEM was fabricated by FIB and observed by TEM in detail. Selected area diffraction pattern was obtained for V matrix, V-Ga phase and Cu-Ga core. The ratio of V to Ga for V-Ga phase was probably V₃Ga according to the EDS result. There was a linear interface between V matrix and V-Ga phase, while the interface between Cu-Ga core and V-Ga phase was not linear. On the other hand, there were some granular grains observed in V-Ga phase wear Cu-Ga core.