166 research outputs found
Significance of solutions of the inverse Biot-Savart problem in thick superconductors
The evaluation of current distributions in thick superconductors from field
profiles near the sample surface is investigated theoretically. A simple model
of a cylindrical sample, in which only circular currents are flowing, reduces
the inversion to a linear least squares problem, which is analyzed by singular
value decomposition. Without additional assumptions about the current
distribution (e.g. constant current over the sample thickness), the condition
of the problem is very bad, leading to unrealistic results. However, any
additional assumption strongly influences the solution and thus renders the
solutions again questionable. These difficulties are unfortunately inherent to
the inverse Biot-Savart problem in thick superconductors and cannot be avoided
by any models or algorithms
Magneto-optical imaging of magnetic flux patterns in superconducting films with antidots
Superconducting YBaCuO thin films were equipped with a special arrangement of
antidots (holes) of 1 micron radius in order to guide the stream of magnetic
flux moving in (or out of) the sample. The flux distribution and its dynamics
were visualized using real-time magneto-optical imaging. It is clearly
demonstrated that one-dimensional antidot arrays strongly facilitate
propagation of magnetic flux. We also demonstrate a possibility to alter the
direction of flux motion in a controlled way by special arrangement of
intercepting antidot arrays. Our resolution was sufficient for observation of
flux in particular antidots, which allows a more detailed dynamic analysis of
such systems.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Physica C, Proc. of VORTEX-IV
Workshop on Crete-200
Influence of vortex-vortex interaction on critical currents across low-angle grain boundaries in YBa2Cu3O7-delta thin films
Low-angle grain boundaries with misorientation angles theta < 5 degrees in
optimally doped thin films of YBCO are investigated by magnetooptical imaging.
By using a numerical inversion scheme of Biot-Savart's law the critical current
density across the grain boundary can be determined with a spatial resolution
of about 5 micrometers. Detailed investigation of the spatially resolved flux
density and current density data shows that the current density across the
boundary varies with varying local flux density. Combining the corresponding
flux and current pattern it is found that there exists a universal dependency
of the grain boundary current on the local flux density. A change in the local
flux density means a variation in the flux line-flux line distance. With this
knowledge a model is developped that explains the flux-current relation by
means of magnetic vortex-vortex interaction.Comment: 7 pages, 14 figure
Current density inhomogeneity throughout the thickness of superconducting films and its effect on their irreversible magnetic properties
We calculate the distribution of the current density in superconducting
films along the direction of an external field applied perpendicular to the
film plane. Our analysis reveals that in the presence of bulk pinning is
inhomogeneous on a length scale of order the inter vortex distance. This
inhomogeneity is significantly enhanced in the presence of surface pinning. We
introduce new critical state model, which takes into account the current
density variations throughout the film thickness, and show how these variations
give rise to the experimentally observed thickness dependence of and
magnetic relaxation rate.Comment: RevTex, 9 PS figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.
Doping dependent Irreversible Magnetic Properties of Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 Single Crystals
We discuss the irreversible magnetic properties of self-flux grown
Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 single crystals for a wide range of concentrations covering
the whole phase diagram from the underdoped to the overdoped regime, x=0.038,
0.047, 0.058, 0.071, 0.074, 0.10, 0.106 and 0.118. Samples were characterized
by a magneto-optical method and show excellent spatial uniformity of the
superconducting state. The overall behavior closely follows classical Bean
model of the critical state. The field-dependent magnetization exhibits second
peak at a temperature and doping - dependent magnetic field, Hp. The evolution
of this fishtail feature with doping is discussed. Magnetic relaxation is
time-logarithmic and unusually fast. Similar to cuprates, there is an apparent
crossover from collective elastic to plastic flux creep above Hp. At high
fields, the field dependence of the relaxation rate becomes doping independent.
We discuss our results in the framework of the weak collective pinning and show
that vortex physics in iron-based pnictide crystals is much closer to high-Tc
cuprates than to conventional s-wave (including MgB2) superconductors.Comment: for the special issue of Physica C on iron-based pnictide
superconductor
A new apparatus for deep patterning of beam sensitive targets by means of high-energy ion beam
The paper reports on a high precision equipment designed to modify over
3-dimensions (3D) by means of high-energy gold ions the local properties of
thin and thick films. A target-moving system aimed at creating patterns across
the volume is driven by an x-y writing protocol that allows one to modify beam
sensitive samples over micrometer-size regions of whatever shape. The apparatus
has a mechanical resolution of 15 nm. The issue of the local fluence
measurement has been particularly addressed. The setup has been checked by
means of different geometries patterned on beam sensitive sheets as well as on
superconducting materials. In the last case the 3D modification consists of
amorphous nanostructures. The nanostructures create zones with different
dissipative properties with respect to the virgin regions. The main analysis
method consists of magneto-optical imaging that provides local information on
the electrodynamics of the modified zones. Features typical of non-linear
current flow hint at which pattern geometry is more functional to applications
in the framework of nanostructures across superconducting films.Comment: 7 page
Exact analytical solution of the problem of current-carrying states of the Josephson junction in external magnetic fields
The classical problem of the Josephson junction of arbitrary length W in the
presence of externally applied magnetic fields (H) and transport currents (J)
is reconsidered from the point of view of stability theory. In particular, we
derive the complete infinite set of exact analytical solutions for the phase
difference that describe the current-carrying states of the junction with
arbitrary W and an arbitrary mode of the injection of J. These solutions are
parameterized by two natural parameters: the constants of integration. The
boundaries of their stability regions in the parametric plane are determined by
a corresponding infinite set of exact functional equations. Being mapped to the
physical plane (H,J), these boundaries yield the dependence of the critical
transport current Jc on H. Contrary to a wide-spread belief, the exact
analytical dependence Jc=Jc(H) proves to be multivalued even for arbitrarily
small W. What is more, the exact solution reveals the existence of unquantized
Josephson vortices carrying fractional flux and located near one of the
junction edges, provided that J is sufficiently close to Jc for certain finite
values of H. This conclusion (as well as other exact analytical results) is
illustrated by a graphical analysis of typical cases.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
Strong Pinning in High Temperature Superconductors
Detailed measurements of the critical current density jc of YBa2Cu3O7 films
grown by pulsed laser deposition reveal the increase of jc as function of the
filmthickness. Both this thickness dependence and the field dependence of the
critical current are consistently described using a generalization of the
theory of strong pinning of Ovchinnikov and Ivlev [Phys. Rev. B 43, 8024
(1991)]. From the model, we deduce values of the defect density (10^21 m^-3)
and the elementary pinning force, which are in good agreement with the
generally accepted values for Y2O3-inclusions. In the absence of clear evidence
that the critical current is determined by linear defects or modulations of the
film thickness, our model provides an alternative explanation for the rather
universal field dependence of the critical current density found in YBa2Cu3O7
films deposited by different methods.Comment: 11 pages; 8 Figures; Published Phys. Rev. B 66, 024523 (2002
Dynamics of the magnetic flux trapped in fractal clusters of normal phase in a superconductor
The influence of geometry and morphology of superconducting structure on
critical currents and magnetic flux trapping in percolative type-II
superconductor is considered. The superconductor contains the clusters of a
normal phase, which act as pinning centers. It is found that such clusters have
significant fractal properties. The main features of these clusters are studied
in detail: the cluster statistics is analyzed; the fractal dimension of their
boundary is estimated; the distribution of critical currents is obtained, and
its peculiarities are explored. It is examined thoroughly how the finite
resolution capacity of the cluster geometrical size measurement affects the
estimated value of fractal dimension. The effect of fractal properties of the
normal phase clusters on the electric field arising from magnetic flux motion
is investigated in the case of an exponential distribution of cluster areas.
The voltage-current characteristics of superconductors in the resistive state
for an arbitrary fractal dimension are obtained. It is revealed that the
fractality of the boundaries of the normal phase clusters intensifies the
magnetic flux trapping and thereby raises the critical current of a
superconductor.Comment: revtex, 16 pages with 1 table and 5 figures; text and figures are
improved; more detailed version with geometric probability analisys of the
distribution of entry points into weak links over the perimeter of a normal
phase clusters and one additional figure is published in Phys.Rev.B;
alternative e-mail of author is [email protected]
Resolution of two-dimensional Currents in Superconductors from a two-dimensional magnetic field measurement by the method of regularization
The problem of reconstructing a two-dimensional (2D) current distribution in
a superconductor from a 2D magnetic field measurement is recognized as a
first-kind integral equation and resolved using the method of Regularization.
Regularization directly addresses the inherent instability of this inversion
problem for non-exact (noisy) data. Performance of the technique is evaluated
for different current distributions and for data with varying amounts of added
noise. Comparisons are made to other methods, and the present method is
demonstrated to achieve a better regularizing (noise filtering) effect while
also employing the generalized-cross validation (GCV) method to choose the
optimal regularization parameter from the data, without detailed knowledge of
the true (and generally unknown) solution. It is also shown that clean,
noiseless data is an ineffective test of an inversion algorithm.Comment: To appear in the Physical Review B. Some text/figure additions and
modification
- …