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Register a new userThe Critical Current of Disordered Superconductors near T=0
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An increasing current through a superconductor can result in a discontinuous increase in the differential resistance at the critical current. This critical current is typically associated either with breaking of Cooper-pairs (de-pairing) or with a collective motion of vortices (de-pinning). In this work we measure superconducting amorphous indium oxide films at low temperatures and high magnetic fields. Using heat-balance considerations we demonstrate that the current-voltage characteristics are well explained by electron overheating that occurs due to the thermal decoupling of the electrons from the host phonons. As a result the electrons overheat to a significantly higher temperature than that of the lattice. By solving the heat-balance equation we are able to accurately predict the critical currents in a variety of experimental conditions. The heat-balance approach stems directly from energy conservation. As such it is universal and applies to diverse situations from critical currents in superconductors to climate bi-stabilities that can initiate another ice-age. One disadvantage of the universal nature of this approach is that it is insensitive to the microscopic details of the system, which limits our ability to draw conclusions regarding the initial departure from equilibrium.
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Generally, studies of the critical current Ic are necessary if superconductors are to be of practical use because Ic sets the current limit below which there is a zero-resistance state. Here, we report a peak in the pressure dependence of the zero-field Ic, Ic(0), at a hidden quantum critical point (QCP), where a continuous antiferromagnetic transition temperature is suppressed by pressure toward 0 K in CeRhIn5 and 4.4% Sn-doped CeRhIn5. The Ic(0)s of these Ce-based compounds under pressure exhibit a universal temperature dependence, underlining that the peak in zero-field Ic(P) is determined predominantly by critical fluctuations associated with the hidden QCP. The dc conductivity is a minimum at the QCP, showing anti-correlation with Ic(0). These discoveries demonstrate that a quantum critical point hidden inside the superconducting phase in strongly correlated materials can be exposed by the zero-field Ic, therefore providing a direct link between a QCP and unconventional superconductivity.
Investigating the anisotropy of superconductors permits an access to fundamental properties. Having succeeded in the fabrication of epitaxial superconducting LaFeAs(O,F) thin films we performed an extensive study of electrical transport properties. In face of multiband superconductivity we can demonstrate that a Blatter scaling of the angular dependent critical current densities can be adopted, although being originally developed for single band superconductors. In contrast to single band superconductors the mass anisotropy of LaFeAs(O,F) is temperature dependent. A very steep increase of the upper critical field and the irreversibility field can be observed at temperatures below 6K, indicating that the band with the smaller gap is in the dirty limit. This temperature dependence can be theoretically described by two dominating bands responsible for superconductivity. A pinning force scaling provides insight into the prevalent pinning mechanism and can be specified in terms of the Kramer model.
For any practical superconductor the magnitude of the critical current density, $J_textrm{c}$, is crucially important. It sets the upper limit for current in the conductor. Usually $J_textrm{c}$ falls rapidly with increasing external magnetic field but even in zero external field the current flowing in the conductor generates a self-field which limits $J_textrm{c}$. Here we show for thin films of thickness less than the London penetration depth, $lambda$, this limiting $J_textrm{c}$ adopts a universal value for all superconductors - metals, oxides, cuprates, pnictides, borocarbides and heavy Fermions. For type I superconductors, it is $H_{textrm{c}}/lambda$ where $H_textrm{c}$ is the thermodynamic critical field. But surprisingly for type II superconductors we find the self-field $J_textrm{c}$ is $H_{textrm{c}1}/lambda$ where $H_{textrm{c}1}$ is the lower critical field. $J_textrm{c}$ is thus fundamentally determined and this provides a simple means to extract absolute values of $lambda(T)$ and, from its temperature dependence, the symmetry and magnitude of the superconducting gap.
A method is proposed for estimating the length scale of currents circulating in superconductors. The estimated circulation radius is used to determine the critical current density on the basis of magnetic measurements. The obtained formulas are applicable to samples with negligibly small demagnetizing factors and to polycrystalline superconductors. The proposed method has been verified using experimental magnetization loops measured for polycrystalline YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-d}$ and Bi$_{1.8}$Pb$_{0.3}$Sr$_{1.9}$Ca$_2$Cu$_3$O$_x$ superconductors.
We present a perspective on a new critical-current-by-design paradigm to tailor and enhance the current-carrying capacity of applied superconductors. Critical current by design is based on large-scale simulations of vortex matter pinning in high-temperature superconductors and has qualitative and quantitative predictive powers to elucidate vortex dynamics under realistic conditions and to propose vortex pinning defects that could enhance the critical current, particularly at high magnetic fields. The simulations are validated with controlled experiments and demonstrate a powerful tool for designing high-performance superconductors for targeted applications.
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