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Irreversibility and flux-lattice melting in YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}}

Journal Article · · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter
; ;  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Centre de Recherches sur les Tres Basses Temperatures, CNRS, BP166X, 38042 Grenoble (France)
  2. IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States)
  3. Department of Physics, The University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1 (CANADA)
We report on ac susceptibility measurements using a local Hall probe close to the melting point of the flux lattice in a clean, detwinned YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}} (YBCO) single crystal. The critical current density, probed at a voltage level of 10{sup {minus}11} V, abruptly jumps from a null value in the liquid state to a small but finite value in the solid state. The resulting irreversible magnetization is below the resolution level of standard superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry. The temperature T{sub irr} where the critical current jumps coincides with the melting temperature T{sub m} as defined by dc magnetization. The above measurements establish a clear coincidence between the irreversibility line and the melting line in clean YBCO. The pinning force for the as-formed flux solid is shown to increase with its density. A critical end point is observed above a threshold value of the pinning force. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
OSTI ID:
530190
Journal Information:
Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter Journal Issue: 22 Vol. 55; ISSN 0163-1829; ISSN PRBMDO
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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