Microwave Properties of Ba(0.6)K(0.4)BiO(3) Crystals

We report on field-induced variations of the microwave surface resistance at 9.6 GHz of Ba(0.6)K(0.4)BiO(3) crystals. Energy losses have been investigated as a function of the static magnetic field in the range of temperatures 4.2 K - Tc. By analyzing the experimental results in the framework of the Coffey and Clem model we determine the temperature dependence of the first-penetration field, upper critical field and depinning frequency. The results show that the pinning energy of this bismuthate superconductor is weaker than those of cuprates.Comment: 6 pages, 8 embedded figure

Reduction of the Superfluid Density in the Vortex-Liquid Phase of Bi2Sr2CaCu2Oy

In-plane complex surface impedance of a Bi2Sr2CaCu2Oy single crystal was measured in the mixed state at 40.8 GHz.The surface reactance, which is proportional to the real part of the effective penetration depth, increased rapidly just above the first-order vortex-lattice melting transition field and the second magnetization peak field.This increase is ascribed to the decrease in the superfluid density rather than the loss of pinning.This result indicates that the vortex melting transition changes the electronic structure as well as the vortex structure.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let

Depinning frequency in a heavily neutron-irradiated MgB2 sample

The magnetic-field-induced variations of the microwave surface resistance have been investigated in a heavily neutron-irradiated MgB2 sample, in which the irradiation has caused the merging of the two gaps into a single value. The experimental results have been analyzed in the framework of the Coffey and Clem model. By fitting the experimental data, we have determined the field dependence of the depinning frequency, omega_0, at different values of the temperature. Although the pinning is not particularly effective, the value of omega_0 obtained at low temperatures is considerably higher than that observed in conventional low-temperature superconductors.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures; to be published in Physica

Microwave surface resistance of pristine and neutron-irradiated MgB2 samples in magnetic field

We report on the microwave surface resistance of two polycrystalline Mg11B2 samples; one consists of pristine material, the other has been irradiated at very high neutron fluence. It has already been reported that in the strongly irradiated sample the two gaps merge into a single value. The mw surface resistance has been measured in the linear regime as a function of the temperature and the DC magnetic field, at increasing and decreasing fields. The results obtained in the strongly irradiated sample are quite well justified in the framework of a generalized Coffey and Clem model, in which we take into account the field distribution inside the sample due to the critical state. The results obtained in the pristine sample show several anomalies, especially at low temperatures, which cannot be justified in the framework of standard models for the fluxon dynamics. Only at temperatures near Tc and for magnetic fields greater than 0.5Hc2(T) the experimental data can quantitatively be accounted for by the Coffey and Clem model, provided that the upper-critical-field anisotropy is taken into due account.Comment: RevTeX, 13 pages with 10 eps figures, in press on EPJ

Experimental Study of the Inductance of Pinned Vortices in Superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-d Films

Using a two-coil mutual inductance method, we have measured the complex resistivity, rho_v(T,Be), of pinned vortices in c-axis pulsed laser deposited YBa2Cu3O7-d films with magnetic field Be applied perpendicular to the film. At low frequencies, (<100 kHz), rho_v is inductive and is inversely proportional to the Labusch parameter, the average vortex pinning force constant, kappa_exp. The observed weakening of kappa_exp with Be is consistent with a simple model based on linear pinning defects. Adding classical thermal fluctuations to the model in a simple way describes the observed linear T dependence of rho_v, below ~15 K and provides reasonable values for the effective radius (.3 nm to >.8 nm) of the defects and the depth of the pinning potential. The success of this model implies that thermal supercurrent (phase) fluctuations have their full classical amplitude down to 5 K for frequencies below the characteristic depinning frequency. To date, no sufficient theory exists to explain the data between ~15 K and the vortex glass melting temperature.Comment: 31 pages, 8 figures. Subm. to PR

Coherence lengths and anisotropy in MgB2 superconductor

Field and temperature microwave measurements have been carried out on MgB2 thin film grown on Al2O3 substrate. The analysis reveals the mean field coherence length xi_{MF} in the mixed state and a temperature independent anisotropy ratio gamma_{MF} = xi_{MF}^{ab} / xi_{MF}^c approximately 2. At the superconducting transition, the scaling of the fluctuation conductivity yields the Ginzburg-Landau coherence length with a different anisotropy ratio gamma_{GL} = 2.8, also temperature independent.Comment: submitted to PR

Critical State Flux Penetration and Linear Microwave Vortex Response in YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-x} Films

The vortex contribution to the dc field (H) dependent microwave surface impedance Z_s = R_s+iX_s of YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-x} thin films was measured using suspended patterned resonators. Z_s(H) is shown to be a direct measure of the flux density B(H) enabling a very precise test of models of flux penetration. Three regimes of field-dependent behavior were observed: (1) Initial flux penetration occurs on very low field scales H_i(4.2K) 100Oe, (2) At moderate fields the flux penetration into the virgin state is in excellent agreement with calculations based upon the field-induced Bean critical state for thin film geometry, parametrized by a field scale H_s(4.2K) J_c*d 0.5T, (3) for very high fields H >>H_s, the flux density is uniform and the measurements enable direct determination of vortex parameters such as pinning force constants \alpha_p and vortex viscosity \eta. However hysteresis loops are in disagreement with the thin film Bean model, and instead are governed by the low field scale H_i, rather than by H_s. Geometric barriers are insufficient to account for the observed results.Comment: 20 pages, LaTeX type, Uses REVTeX style files, Submitted to Physical Review B, 600 dpi PostScript file with high resolution figures available at http://sagar.physics.neu.edu/preprints.htm

Peak effect in a superconducting DyBa2Cu3O7-y film at microwave frequencies

We report the observation of a peak in the microwave (9.55 GHz) surface resistance in an epitaxial DyBa2Cu3O7-y superconducting film in magnetic fields (parallel to the c axis) ranging between 0.2 to 0.9 Tesla. Such a peak is absent in the measurements done in zero-field. The temperature and field dependence of the peak suggests that this peak could be associated with the peak effect phenomenon reflecting the order-disorder transformation in the flux-line lattice. A strong dependence of this peak effect at frequencies close to the depinning frequency of the flux line lattice is observed.Comment: 1 text, 4 figures (all postscript) to be published in Phys. Rev.

Revolution Takes More Than 140 Characters: Contextualizing the Use of Technology in Iranian Politics

Mentor: Robert Canfield From the Washington University Undergraduate Research Digest: WUURD, Volume 6, Issue 1, Fall 2010. Published by the Office of Undergraduate Research. Henry Biggs, Director of Undergraduate Research and Associate Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences; Joy Zalis Kiefer, Undergraduate Research Coordinator, Co-editor, and Assistant Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences; Kristin Sobotka, Editor

Magnetic hysteresis in the microwave surface resistance of Nb samples in the critical state

We discuss the hysteretic behavior of the field-induced variations of the microwave surface resistance in superconductors in the critical state. Measurements have been performed in a bulk sample of Nb and a powdered one at different values of the temperature. We discuss a model, based on the Coffey and Clem theory, in which we take into account the flux distribution inside the sample, due to the critical state. The experimental results are quite well justified in the framework of our model. We show that by fitting the experimental data it is possible to determine the value of the critical current density and its field dependence. Copyright EDP Sciences/Società Italiana di Fisica/Springer-Verlag 200674.25.Ha Magnetic properties, 74.25.Nf Response to electromagnetic fields (nuclear magnetic resonance, surface impedance, etc.), 74.25.Qt Vortex lattices, flux pinning, flux creep,