Investigation of Density and Velocity of Abrikosov Vortices in YBa2Cu3O7–x Superconducting Thin Films with a Laser-Written Channel for Easy Vortex Motion

Abstract

The 0.3-mm-thick, 50-mm-wide and 100-mm-long YBa2Cu3O7-x superconducting bridges with a laser-written, single, Π-shaped channel have been investigated by means of electronic transport measurements at temperatures below the onset of the bridge's superconducting transition temperature. Our results demonstrate that the coherent vortex motion confined in the P-shaped channel can be used for determination of both the density and velocity of Abrikosov magnetic vortices in the channel. The coherent motion of Abrikosov vortices expresses itself as Josephson-like voltage steps, observed on the current-voltage characteristics of our microbridges, measured at zero external magnetic field, in a limited range of temperatures and bias currents. The steps' amplitude corresponds to the entrance of an additional vortex-antivortex pair into the channel's area and change in the vortex velocity. This amplitude also affects the increase of the Lorentz force for energy dissipative drift of the magnetic flux in the channel, but it does not increase, however, with the increase of the biasing current. We present and discuss the results of experimentally measured and calculated energy dissipation, which originated from variations in the vortex density and velocity when the vortices are moving along the channel of the superconducting bridge.http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.17.2.489

Keywords

• II-type superconductor
• thin film
• critical temperature
• critical current
• easy vortex motion
• energy dissipation
• channel for easy vortex motion
• Lorentz force
• pinning force