Suppression of superconductivity in YBa2Cu3O7−δ single crystals upon irradiation with fast electrons

The effect of irradiation with fast electrons on the conductivity in the basal plane of HTSC single crystals of YBa2Cu3O7−δ is studied. It was found that electron irradiation leads to significant degradation of the superconducting characteristics, up to the complete disappearance of superconductivity. It was detected that even a significant decrease in Tc with a noticeable increase in ρ in the temperature range of Tc−300 K is not accompanied by the appearance of an S-shaped dependence ρ(T). In this case, the dependences ρ(T) in the basal plane, measured after irradiation with low and medium doses, are satisfactorily described within the framework of the resonating valence bond theory.