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Title: Superconducting transport properties of epitaxial YBa sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub 7 minus. delta. thin films: A consistent description based on thermally-activated flux motion

Journal Article · · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States)
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  1. Department of Physics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6061 (United States)
  3. Department of Physics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (United States) Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6061 (United States)

The electrical-transport current properties of a series of epitaxial YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}} thin films have been investigated using a range of techniques, including the activated electrical resistivity for fields {ital B}{gt}{ital B}{sub irr}, the irreversibility field; the {ital I}-{ital V} curves for both {ital B}{gt}{ital B}{sub irr} and {ital B}{lt}{ital B}{sub irr}; and the resistive transitions in magnetic fields. The results are analyzed in the framework of a model for thermally-activated flux motion. The model utilizes a pinning barrier that is dependent on the current density {ital J}, temperature {ital T}, and applied magnetic field {ital B}, given by {ital U}{sub 0}{proportional to}exp({minus}{ital J}/{ital J}{sub {ital c}0})(1{minus}{ital t}){sup {ital n}}/{ital B}, with {ital n}{similar to}1.8. The exponential {ital J} dependence agrees well with the behavior {ital U}{proportional to}{ital J}{sup {minus}{mu}} ({mu}{similar to}0.8) of the collective-flux-creep model in the regime {ital J}{lt}{ital J}{sub {ital c}0}, while properly describing the finite pinning potential observed in the activated-flux-flow regime as {ital J}{r arrow}0. The resulting analysis using this form for {ital U}{sub 0} provides a quantitatively self-consistent interpretation of all sets of measurements.

DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
OSTI ID:
7082200
Journal Information:
Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States), Vol. 46:9; ISSN 0163-1829
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English