Influence of holmium substitution on structural characteristics and radiation shielding parameters of YBCO (358) superconducting ceramics

This study reports on the structural characterization, radiation shielding assessment, and magnetic-field response of holmium-substituted Y3-xHoxBa5Cu8O18+δ superconducting ceramics synthesized by the conventional solid-state reaction route. X-ray diffraction measurements on five compositions (x = 0, 0.75, 1.5, 2.25, 3) supported the formation of a dominant orthorhombic Y358-type matrix across the substitution range. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) revealed a progressive microstructural evolution with increasing Ho content, including SEM–BEC/EDS-detectable Ho-rich inclusions consistent with Ho2BaCuO5-type secondary particles at higher substitution levels. XCOM-based mass attenuation coefficients, half-value layer, mean free path, effective atomic number, radiation protection efficiency, gamma-ray kerma coefficients, and fast-neutron removal cross-sections were calculated for all five compositions over 50–2000 keV. EGS4 Monte Carlo simulations independently verified the XCOM results for three representative compositions (x = 0, 1.5, and 3). Ho-containing specimens exhibited a significant enhancement in photon absorption near 60 keV, associated with the increased photoelectric contribution of holmium in the vicinity of its K-absorption edge. Among the full five-composition series, the x = 2.25 specimen (ρ = 5.531 g cm−3) exhibited the best calculated shielding performance across the full energy range, owing to its highest bulk density combined with substantial Ho incorporation. The x = 1.5 specimen provided the most balanced calculated radiation-attenuation and hysteretic magnetic response among the three representative compositions examined by EGS4 and M–H measurements at 20 K, retaining approximately 93% of the reference M–H hysteresis area while full substitution reduces it by roughly 67%. These findings establish a multi-parametric reference dataset for Ho-substituted Y358 ceramics and demonstrate the promise of rare-earth-engineered superconducting ceramics as multifunctional materials in radiation-intensive environments.