No Arabic abstract
We study the general problem of a manifold of interacting elastic lines whose spatial correlations are strongly affected by the competition between random and ordered pinning. This is done through magneto-transport experiments with YBa2Cu3O7-d thin films that contain a periodic vortex pinning array created via masked ion irradiation, in addition to the native random pinning. The strong field-matching effects we observe suggest the prevalence of periodic pinning, and indicate that at the matching field each vortex line is bound to an artificial pinning site. However, the vortex-glass transition dimensionality, quasi-2D instead of the usual 3D, evidences reduced vortex-glass correlations along the vortex line. This is also supported by an unusual angular dependence of the magneto-resistance, which greatly differs from that of Bose-glass systems. A quantitative analysis of the angular magnetoresistance allows us to link this behaviour to the enhancement of the system anisotropy, a collateral effect of the ion irradiation.
We present a study of the anisotropic vortex parameters as obtained from measurements of the microwave complex resistivity in the vortex state with a tilted applied magnetic field in YBa2Cu3O7-x thin films with BaZrO3 nanorods. We present the angular dependence of the vortex viscosity $eta$, the pinning constant k_p and the upper limit for the creep factor chi_M. We show that the directional effect of the nanorods is absent in eta, which is dictated by the mass anisotropy gamma. By contrast, pinning-mediated properties are strongly affected by the nanorods. It is significant that the pinning and creep affected by the nanorods is detectable also at our very high operating frequency, which implies very short-range displacements of the vortices from their equilibrium position.
We identify a scalable, practical route to fabricating a superconducting diode. The device relies for its function on the barrier to flux vortex entry being reduced at the substrate interface of a superconducting pinning enhanced YBa2Cu3O7-d nano-composite film. We show that these composite systems provide a practical route to fabricating a useful superconducting diode and demonstrate the rectification of an alternating current.
We report high field (up to 13 Tesla) magneto transport R(T)H] of YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO):Agx (x= 0.0, 0.1 and 0.2) composites. The transport properties are significantly improved by Ag doping on the insulating grain boundaries of YBCO. Pure and Ag diffused YBCO superconducting samples are synthesized through solid state reaction route. Both pure and Ag doped YBCO are superconducting at below 90K. Though, the Tc (R=0) of YBCO:Ag samples under applied field of 13 Tesla is around 65K, the same is 45K for pure YBCO under same applied field. The upper critical field [Hc2(0)], being estimated from R(T)H is around 70Tesla for pristine sample, and is above 190Tesla for Ag doped samples. The boarding of the resistive transition under applied magnetic field is comparatively less and nearly single step for Ag doped samples, while the same is clearly two step and relatively much larger for the pristine YBCO. The resistive broadening is explained on the basis of changed inter-granular coupling and thermally activated flux flow (TAFF). The TAFF activation energy (U0) is found to be linear with applied magnetic field for all the samples, but with nearly an order of magnitude less value for the Ag doped samples. Summarily, it is shown that inclusion of Ag significantly improves the superconducting performance of YBCO:Ag composites, in particular under applied field.
The design of artificial vortex pinning landscapes is a major goal towards large scale applications of cuprate superconductors. While disordered nanometric inclusions have shown to modify their vortex phase diagram and to produce enhancements of the critical current1,2, the effect of ordered oxide nanostructures remains essentially unexplored. This is due to the very small nanostructure size imposed by the short coherence length, and to the technological difficulties in the nanofabrication process. Yet, the novel phenomena occurring at oxide interfaces open a wide spectrum of technological opportunities to interplay with the superconductivity in cuprates. Here we show that the unusual long range suppression of the superconductivity occurring at the interface between manganites and cuprates affects vortex nucleation and provides a novel vortex pinning mechanism. In particular, we show evidence of commensurate pinning in YBCO films with ordered arrays of LCMO ferromagnetic nanodots. Vortex pinning results from the proximity induced reduction of the condensation energy at the vicinity of the magnetic nanodots, and yields an enhanced friction between the nanodot array and the moving vortex lattice in the liquid phase. This result shows that all-oxide ordered nanostructures constitute a powerful, new route for the artificial manipulation of vortex matter in cuprates.
By means of contactless mechanical method of the measurement of energy losses in superconductors, the anisotropy of dissipation processes has been studied in single crystal high-temperature layered superconductors of Yba2Cu3O7-d system, being in mixed state. The observed anisotropy of energy losses indicates the possibility of the existence of the symmetry of order parameter of dx2-y2 type in these single crystals.