Tuning Magnetic Properties in Bi-2212 via Praseodymium Substitution

The present study investigates the magnetic behavior of Pr-doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Bi-2212) ceramics synthesized via the sol-gel method, focusing on how Pr substitution alters their paramagnetic response. Magnetic susceptibility (M–T), inverse susceptibility (1/χ–T), derivative (dM/dT–T), and magnetization–field (M–H) measurements were conducted for samples with doping levels x = 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3. Linear fitting of the 1/χ–T curves enabled the determination of the Curie constant (C), effective magnetic moment (μeff), and Curie–Weiss temperature (θCW). All samples exhibited positive θCW values, indicating weak ferromagnetic correlations without the formation of long-range magnetic order. Increasing Pr concentration led to systematic reductions in both C and μeff, suggesting damping of the Pr magnetic moments and suppression of superconductivity. M–H measurements further confirmed a linear, hysteresis-free paramagnetic response across all compositions. This study provides a systematic experimental evaluation of how Pr substitution alters key magnetic parameters—such as the Curie constant, effective magnetic moment, and Curie–Weiss temperature—in Bi-2212 ceramics, offering an original contribution to understanding the paramagnetic transition behavior in Pr-doped high-Tc systems. Overall, the results demonstrate that Pr incorporation effectively tunes the magnetic characteristics of Bi-2212 and induces a transition toward enhanced paramagnetic behavior.