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.
Measurements of anisotropic transport properties (dc and high-frequency regime) of driven vortex matter in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$ with elongated strong-pinning sites (c-axis aligned, self-assembled BaZrO$_3$ nanorods) are used to demonstrate that the
effective-mass angular scaling takes place only in intrinsic physical quantities (flux-flow resistivity), and not in pinning-related Labusch parameter and critical currents. Comparison of the dynamics at different time scales shows evidence for a transition of the vortex matter toward a Mott phase, driven by the presence of nanorods. The strong pinning in dc arises partially from a dynamic effect.
We investigate the effect of the anisotropy and of the directional pinning in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$ films grown by pulsed laser ablation from targets containing BaZrO$_3$ at 5% mol. BaZrO$_3$ inclusions self-assemble to give nanorods oriented along
the c-axis, thus giving a preferential direction for vortex pinning. The directionality of vortex response is studied at high ac frequency with the complex microwave response at 48 GHz, as a function of the applied field and of the angle $theta$ between the field and the c-axis. The complex microwave response does not exhibit any angular scaling, suggesting that the structural anisotropy of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$ is supplemented by at least another preferred orientation. The pinning parameter $r$ shows evidence of directional pinning, effective in a wide range of angles around the c-axis (thus ascribed to BZO nanocolumns).
We present a microwave study of the angular dependence of the flux-flow resistivity $rho_{ff}$ and of the pinning constant $k_p$ in YBCO thin films containing BZO nanorods. We find that BZO nanorods are very efficient pinning centers, even in tilted
fields. We find that $rho_{ff}$ is a scaling function of a reduced field $H/f(theta)$. We extend a model for the anisotropic motion of vortices in uniaxially anisotropic superconductor, able to describe the experimental $f(theta)$ on the basis of only the intrinsic anisotropy of YBCO. The pinning constant $k_p$, by contrast, exhibits different field dependences in different angular ranges, consistent with pinning by BZO at angles as large as 60$^{circ}$, and with pinning along the $a,b$ planes as originating from the same mechanism as in pure YBCO with the field along the c axis.
We report on microwave measurements on DyBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-rmdelta}$ monodomains grown by the top-seeded melt-textured technique. We measured the field increase of the surface resistance $R_{rm s}(H)$ in the a-b plane at 48.3 GHz. Measurements were p
erformed at fixed temperatures in the range 70 K - $T_{rm c}$ with a static magnetic field $mu_0H<0.8$ T parallel to the c-axis. Low field steep increase of the dissipation, typical signature of the presence of weak links, is absent, thus indicating the single-domain behaviour of the sample under study. The magnetic field dependence of $R_{rm s}(H)$ is ascribed to the dissipation caused by vortex motion. The analysis of $X_{rm s}(H)$ points to a free-flow regime, thus allowing to obtain the vortex viscosity as a function of temperature. We compare the results with those obtained on RE-BCO systems. In particular, we consider strongly pinned films of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-rmdelta}$ with nanometric BaZrO$_3$ inclusions.
We report on the field dependence of the microwave complex resistivity data in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$/BaZrO$_3$ films grown by PLD at various BaZrO$_3$ content. The data, analyzed within a recently developed general framework for the mixed-state micr
owave response of superconductors, yield the field dependence of the fluxon parameters such as the vortex viscosity and the pinning constant. We find that pinning undergoes a change of regime when the BaZrO$_3$ content in the target increases from 2.5 mol.% to 5 mol.%. Simultaneously, the vortex viscosity becomes an increasing function of the applied magnetic field. We propose a scenario in which flux lines are pinned as bundles, and a crossover from dilute point pins to dense c-axis correlated defects takes place between 2.5 and 5 mol.% in the BZO concentration. Our data are inconsistent with vortices occupying mainly the BaZrO$_3$ sites at low fields, and suggest instead that vortices occupy both BaZrO$_3$ sites and interstitials in the YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$ matrix, even at low fields.
In order to study the vortex pinning determined by artificially introduced pinning centers in the small-vortex displacement regime, we measured the microwave surface impedance at 47.7 GHz in the mixed state of YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{7-delta}$ thin film
s, where sub-micrometric BaZrO$_3$ particles have been incorporated. As a function of the BaZrO$_3$ content, we observe that the absolute losses slightly decrease up to a BaZrO$_3$ content of 5%, and then increase. We found that the magnetic-field-induced losses behave differently, in that they are not monotonic with increasing BaZrO$_3$ concentration: at small concentration (2.5%) the field-induced losses increase, but large reduction of the losses themselves, by factors up to 3, is observed upon further increasing the BaZrO$_3$ concentration in the target up to 7%. Using measurements of both surface resistance and surface reactance we estimate vortex pinning-related parameters. We find that BaZrO$_3$ inclusions introduce deep and steep pinning wells. In particular, the minimum height of the energy barrier for single vortices is raised. At larger BaZrO$_3$ content (5% and 7%) the phenomenon is at its maximum, but it is unclear whether it shows a saturation or not, thus leaving room for further improvements.
We present a microwave characterization of a DyBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{7-x}$ single domain, grown by the top-seeded melt-textured technique. We report the (a,b) plane field-induced surface resistance, $Delta R_s(H)$, at 48.3 GHz, measured by means of a c
ylindrical metal cavity in the end-wall-replacement configuration. Changes in the cavity quality factor Q against the applied magnetic field yield $Delta R_s(H)$ at fixed temperatures. The temperature range [70 K ; T_c] was explored. The magnetic field $mu_0 H <$ 0.8 T was applied along the c axis. The field dependence of $Delta R_s(H)$ does not exhibit the steep, step-like increase at low fields typical of weak-links. This result indicates the single-domain character of the sample under investigation. $Delta R_s(H)$ exhibits a nearly square-root dependence on H, as expected for fluxon motion. From the analysis of the data in terms of motion of Abrikosov vortices we estimate the temperature dependences of the London penetration depth $lambda$ and the vortex viscosity $eta$, and their zero-temperature values $lambda(0)=$165 nm and $eta(0)=$ 3 10$^{-7}$ Nsm$^{-2}$, which are found in excellent agreement with reported data in YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{7-x}$ single crystals. Comparison of microwave properties with those of related samples indicate the need for reporting data as a function of T/T_c in order to obtain universal laws.
We probe the short-range pinning properties with the application of microwave currents at very high driving frequencies (47.7 GHz) on YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-delta}$ films with and without sub-micrometer BaZrO$_3$ inclusions. We explore the temperature an
d field ranges 60 K$<T<T_c$ and 0$<mu_0H<$0.8 T, with the field applied along the c-axis. The magnetic field induces a much smaller increase of the microwave resistivity, $Delta rho_1(H)+mathrm{i}Delta rho_2(H)$, in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-delta}$/BaZrO$_3$ with respect to pure YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-delta}$. $Delta rho_1(H)$ is slightly superlinear in pure YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-delta}$ (suggesting a possible contribution of thermal activation), but linear or sublinear in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-delta}$/BaZrO$_3$ (suggesting a possible suppression of thermal activation as a consequence of BaZrO$_3$ inclusions). These features persist up to close to $T_c$. We discuss our data in terms of the ratio $r=Delta X_s(H)/Delta R_s(H)$ in the framework of the models for the microwave surface impedance in the mixed state. Large $r$ are found in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-delta}$/BaZrO$_3$, with little field dependence. By contrast, smaller values and stronger field dependences are found in pure YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-delta}$. We discuss the different field dependence of the pinning constant.
We present measurements of the magnetic field dependent microwave surface resistance in laser-ablated YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-delta}$ films on SrTiO$_3$ substrates. BaZrO$_3$ crystallites were included in the films using composite targets containing BaZrO
$_3$ inclusions with mean grain size smaller than 1 $mu$m. X-ray diffraction showed single epitaxial relationship between BaZrO$_3$ and YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-delta}$. The effective surface resistance was measured at 47.7 GHz for 60$< T <$90 K and 0$< mu_0H <$0.8 T. The magnetic field had a very different effect on pristine YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-delta}$ and YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-delta}$/BaZrO$_3$, while for $mu_0H=$0 only a reduction of $T_c$ in the YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-delta}$/BaZrO$_3$ film was observed, consistent with dc measurements. At low enough $T$, in moderate fields YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-delta}$/BaZrO$_3$ exhibited an intrinsic thin film resistance lower than the pure film. The results clearly indicate that BaZrO$_3$ inclusions determine a strong reduction of the field-dependent surface resistance. From the analysis of the data in the framework of simple models for the microwave surface impedance in the mixed state we argue that BaZrO$_3$ inclusions determine very steep pinning potentials.
