Electrical and thermal properties of bulk superconductors Eu0.95Pr0.05Ba2(Cu1-xMx)3O7-δ (M = Fe, Ni, Zn and Mn)

Measurements of transition temperature, magneto-resistance, thermal conductivity, thermo-electric power and specific heat have been carried out on co-doped samples of Eu_0.95Pr_0.05Ba₂(Cu_1-xM_x)₃O_7-δ (M = Fe, Ni, Zn and Mn) compounds. It is found that all samples exhibit metallic behavior, except the co-doped sample of Fe that shows semiconducting behavior. It is seen that the upper-critical field H_c2 decreases with Pr-doping. However, an increase in H_c2 for dopants like Fe and Mn is observed. Thermal conductivity for the pristine sample of EuBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (Eu-123) exhibits a pronounced hump below the superconducting transition temperature T_C. However, the peak height of the hump decreases with Pr-doping and such a feature is further suppressed in the co-doped samples. The negative sign of the measured thermo-electric power of Eu-123 indicates that the dominant carrier in this sample is electron-like, whereas it turns to hole-like for all of the doped samples. A jump in specific heat C_P is detected in the pure sample of Eu-123 at T_C, while only a change in slope in C_P is seen around the transition temperature in the Pr-doped sample.