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Unconventional strong pinning in the low temperature phase of U_.9725Th_.0275Be_13

Elisabeth Dumont·Ana Celia Mota·James L. Smith
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Abstract

We investigated low field vortex dynamics in a single crystal of U_.9725Th_.0275Be_13. We found a sharp transition in the vortex creep rate at the lower transition temperature T_c2, coincident with the second jump in the specific heat. In the high-temperature phase, rather strong creep rates are observed. In the low temperature phase, the rates drop to undetectabely low levels. This behaviour indicates that a very strong pinning mechanism is present in the low temperature phase of U_.9725Th_.0275Be_13, which could be explained by the existence of domain walls, separating discreetly degenerate states of a superconductor, that can sustain fractional vortices and thus act as very strong pinning centers.

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Elisabeth Dumont, Ana Celia Mota, James L. Smith. 2000-01-13. Unconventional strong pinning in the low temperature phase of U_.9725Th_.0275Be_13. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0921-4526(99)02124-9

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