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Title: Effects of 1-GeV uranium ion irradiation on vortex pinning in single crystals of the high-temperature superconductor YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}}

Journal Article · · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter
 [1]; ; ; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Materials Science Division and Science and Technology Center for Superconductivity, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)
  2. Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)

We report magnetoresistance measurements of the effects of 1-GeV uranium ion irradiation on a clean, untwinned single crystal of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}}. In order to isolate the effects of irradiation, we masked one region of the crystal from the radiation so that it would retain its original characteristics. The columnar defects created by the irradiation dramatically alter the shape of the irreversibility line. In addition, the pinning anisotropy of the vortices is reversed by the irradiation. We estimate the pinning energy from the depinning angle and compare it to the pinning energy measured in twinned single crystals. We show that the onset of pinning from the columnar defects occurs very close to the zero-field superconducting transition temperature, well into the vortex liquid state. In addition, measurements across the boundary between the irradiated and unirradiated regions directly demonstrate that the dissipative behavior of vortex flow due to the Lorentz force is similar to the dissipation of two resistors in series for this geometry. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

DOE Contract Number:
W-31-109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
664418
Journal Information:
Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Vol. 56, Issue 2; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1997
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English