Breakdown of the critical state in the ferromagnetic superconductor EuFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$

Abstract

There are very few materials in which ferromagnetism coexists with superconductivity due to the destructive effect of the magnetic exchange field on singlet Cooper pairs. The iron-based superconductor EuFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$ is therefore unique in exhibiting robust superconductivity with a maximum critical temperature of 25 K and long-range ferromagnetism below $T_\mathrm{FM}\approx19$ K. Here we report a spatially-resolved study of the irreversible magnetisation in this system that reveals a variety of novel behaviours that are strongly linked with underlying ferromagnetic domain structures. In the superconducting-only state, hysteretic magnetisation due to irreversible vortex motion is consistent with typical weak vortex-pinning behaviour. Just below $T_\mathrm{FM}$, very narrowly-spaced stripe domains give rise to highly erratic and irreproducible fluctuations in the irreversible magnetisation that we attribute to the dynamics of multi-vortex clusters stabilised by the formation of vortex polarons. In contrast, at lower temperatures, ferromagnetic domains become wider and saturated with spontaneously nucleated vortices and antivortices, leading to a smoother but unconventional evolution of the irreversible state. This observation suggests that the penetrating flux front is roughened by the presence of the magnetic domains in this regime, presenting a clear departure from standard critical state models. Our findings indicate that the mechanism governing irreversibility is strongly influenced by the precise nature of the underlying ferromagnetic domains, being very sensitive to the specific material parameters of EuFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$. We consider the possible microscopic origins of these effects, and suggest further ways to explore novel vortex-domain magnetic behaviours.