Equilibrium properties of superconducting niobium at high magnetic fields: A possible existence of a filamentary state in type-II superconductors [Possible existence of a filamentary state in type-II superconductors]
Abstract
The standard interpretation of the phase diagram of type-II superconductors was developed in the 1960s and has since been considered a well-established part of classical superconductivity. However, upon closer examination a number of fundamental issues arises that leads one to question this standard picture. To address these issues we studied equilibrium properties of niobium samples near and above the upper critical field Hc2 in parallel and perpendicular magnetic fields. The samples investigated were very high quality films and single-crystal disks with the Ginzburg-Landau parameters 0.8 and 1.3, respectively. A range of complementary measurements has been performed, which include dc magnetometry, electrical transport, muon spin rotation spectroscopy, and scanning Hall-probe microscopy. Contrary to the standard scenario, we observed that a superconducting phase is present in the sample bulk above Hc2 and the field Hc3 is the same in both parallel and perpendicular fields. Our findings suggest that above Hc2 the superconducting phase forms filaments parallel to the field regardless of the field orientation. Near Hc2 the filaments preserve the hexagonal structure of the preceding vortex lattice of the mixed state, and the filament density continuously falls to zero at Hc3. Finally, our paper has important implications for the correct interpretation ofmore »
- Authors:
-
- Tulsa Community College, Tulsa, OK (United States)
- Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States)
- Univ. of Bath, Bath (United Kingdom)
- Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)
- KU Leuven, Leuven (Belgium)
- Max-Planck-Institut for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart (Germany)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1389840
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1357701
- Report Number(s):
- JLAB-ACC-17-2444; DOE/OR/23177-4219; arXiv:1705.03570
Journal ID: ISSN 2469-9950; PRBMDO; TRN: US1702701
- Grant/Contract Number:
- DMR 0904157; EP/J010626/1; MP-1201; AC05-06OR23177
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review B
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 95; Journal Issue: 17; Journal ID: ISSN 2469-9950
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
Citation Formats
Kozhevnikov, V., Valente-Feliciano, A. -M., Curran, P. J., Suter, A., Liu, A. H., Richter, G., Morenzoni, E., Bending, S. J., and Van Haesendonck, C. Equilibrium properties of superconducting niobium at high magnetic fields: A possible existence of a filamentary state in type-II superconductors [Possible existence of a filamentary state in type-II superconductors]. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.95.174509.
Kozhevnikov, V., Valente-Feliciano, A. -M., Curran, P. J., Suter, A., Liu, A. H., Richter, G., Morenzoni, E., Bending, S. J., & Van Haesendonck, C. Equilibrium properties of superconducting niobium at high magnetic fields: A possible existence of a filamentary state in type-II superconductors [Possible existence of a filamentary state in type-II superconductors]. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.95.174509
Kozhevnikov, V., Valente-Feliciano, A. -M., Curran, P. J., Suter, A., Liu, A. H., Richter, G., Morenzoni, E., Bending, S. J., and Van Haesendonck, C. Wed .
"Equilibrium properties of superconducting niobium at high magnetic fields: A possible existence of a filamentary state in type-II superconductors [Possible existence of a filamentary state in type-II superconductors]". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.95.174509. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1389840.
@article{osti_1389840,
title = {Equilibrium properties of superconducting niobium at high magnetic fields: A possible existence of a filamentary state in type-II superconductors [Possible existence of a filamentary state in type-II superconductors]},
author = {Kozhevnikov, V. and Valente-Feliciano, A. -M. and Curran, P. J. and Suter, A. and Liu, A. H. and Richter, G. and Morenzoni, E. and Bending, S. J. and Van Haesendonck, C.},
abstractNote = {The standard interpretation of the phase diagram of type-II superconductors was developed in the 1960s and has since been considered a well-established part of classical superconductivity. However, upon closer examination a number of fundamental issues arises that leads one to question this standard picture. To address these issues we studied equilibrium properties of niobium samples near and above the upper critical field Hc2 in parallel and perpendicular magnetic fields. The samples investigated were very high quality films and single-crystal disks with the Ginzburg-Landau parameters 0.8 and 1.3, respectively. A range of complementary measurements has been performed, which include dc magnetometry, electrical transport, muon spin rotation spectroscopy, and scanning Hall-probe microscopy. Contrary to the standard scenario, we observed that a superconducting phase is present in the sample bulk above Hc2 and the field Hc3 is the same in both parallel and perpendicular fields. Our findings suggest that above Hc2 the superconducting phase forms filaments parallel to the field regardless of the field orientation. Near Hc2 the filaments preserve the hexagonal structure of the preceding vortex lattice of the mixed state, and the filament density continuously falls to zero at Hc3. Finally, our paper has important implications for the correct interpretation of the properties of type-II superconductors and can be essential for practical applications of these materials.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevB.95.174509},
journal = {Physical Review B},
number = 17,
volume = 95,
place = {United States},
year = {2017},
month = {5}
}
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Works referencing / citing this record:
Equilibrium Properties of the Mixed State in Superconducting Niobium in a Transverse Magnetic Field: Experiment and Theoretical Model
journal, March 2018
- Kozhevnikov, V.; Valente-Feliciano, A. -M.; Curran, P. J.
- Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism, Vol. 31, Issue 11