High velocity vortex channeling in vicinal YBCO thin films

Author(s): Ionut Puica, Wolfgang Lang, J. H. Durell
Abstract: We report on electrical transport measurements at high current densities on optimally doped YBa₂Cu₃O₇-delta thin films grown on vicinal SrTiO₃ substrates. Data were collected by using a pulsed-current technique in a four-probe arrangement, allowing to extend the current-voltage characteristics to high supercritical current densities (up to 24 MA cm^-2) and high electric fields (more than 20 V/cm), in the superconducting state at temperatures between 30 and 80 K. The electric measurements were performed on tracks perpendicular to the vicinal step direction, such that the current crossed between ab planes, under magnetic field rotated in the plane defined by the crystallographic c axis and the current density. At magnetic field orientation parallel to the cuprate layers, evidence for the sliding motion along the ab planes (vortex channeling) was found. The signature of vortex channeling appeared to get enhanced with increasing electric field, due to the peculiar depinning features in the kinked vortex range. They give rise to a current-voltage characteristics steeper than in the more off-plane rectilinear vortex orientations, in the electric field range below approximately 1 V/cm. Roughly above this value, the high vortex channeling velocities (up to 8.6 km/s) could be ascribed to the flux flow, although the signature of ohmic transport appeared to be altered by unavoidable macroscopic self-heating and hot-electron-like effects.
Organisation(s): Electronic Properties of Materials
External organisation(s): University of Cambridge
Journal: Physica C: Superconductivity and its Applications
Volume: 479
Pages: 88-91
No. of pages: 4
ISSN: 0921-4534
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physc.2011.12.036
Publication date: 2012
Peer reviewed: Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012: 103009 Solid state physics, 103018 Materials physics
Portal url: https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/high-velocity-vortex-channeling-in-vicinal-ybco-thin-films(54bbeaba-f5a5-4717-ab50-2c2614e4c3e3).html