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Peak effect as a precursor to vortex lattice melting in single crystal YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7[minus][delta]]

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters; (United States)
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Materials Science Division and Science and Technology Center for Superconductivity, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)
We present direct evidence of a peak effect'' as a precursor to vortex lattice melting in a single crystal of YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7[minus][delta]] containing only two twin planes. The peak effect occurs just below the vortex liquid to solid phase transition in a narrow field region between 0.3 and 1.5 T for [ital H][parallel][bold c] and is clearly observed as a function of both magnetic field and temperature. We demonstrate that the peak effect is due to enhanced vortex pinning by the twin boundaries, indicative of lattice softening prior to melting. In addition, we show evidence for a non-Ohmic behavior in the vortex liquid state due to depinning of the vortices from the two twin boundaries with increasing Lorentz force.
Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
6893943
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review Letters; (United States) Vol. 73:19; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English