Various regimes of flux motion in Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+\delta}$ single crystals

Abstract

Four regimes of vortex motion were identified in the magnetoresistance of Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+\delta}$ single crystals: (1) thermally activated flux flow (TAFF) in samples with surface defects caused by thermal annealing; (2) TAFF-like plastic motion of highly entangled vortex liquid at low temperatures, with $U_{pl} \sim (1-T/T_c)/H^{1/2}$; (3) pure free flux flow above the region of (2) in clean and optimally doped samples; or, in its place, (4) a combination of (2) and (3). This analysis gives an overall picture of flux motion in Bi cuprates.Comment: 2 pages + 2 ps figures. Submitted to M2S-HTSC-VI (Houston) Conferenc