SearcharxivSearch

arXiv subjects

M. I. Tsindlekht

Publications and source records attributed to M. I. Tsindlekht.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

AC losses in macroscopic thin-walled superconducting cylinders

Measurements of the ac response represent a valuable method for probing the properties of superconductors. In the surface superconducting state (SSS), a current exceeding the surface critical current $I_\mathrm{c}$ leads to breakdown of SSS and penetration of external magnetic field into the sample bulk. An interesting free-of-bulk system in SSS is offered by thin-walled cylinders. According to the full penetration of magnetic flux (FPMF) model, each time the instant value of an ac field is equal to a certain critical value, the ac susceptibility $χ$ will exhibit \emph{jumps} as a function of the ac field amplitude $H_\mathrm{ac}$ because of the periodic destruction and restoration of SSS in the cylinder wall. Here we study the low-frequency (128-8192\,Hz) ac response of thin-walled niobium cylinders under superimposed dc and ac magnetic fields applied parallel to the cylinder axis. In contrast to the FPMF model predictions, experiments reveal a \emph{smooth} $χ(H_\mathrm{ac})$ dependence. To explain the experimental observations, we propose a phenomenological \emph{partial} penetration magnetic flux (PPMF) model, which assumes that after restoration of the superconducting state, the magnetic fields inside and outside the cylinder are unequal and the magnitude of the penetrating flux is random for every penetration. This model fits very well the experimental data on the temperature dependence of the first harmonic $χ_1$ for any dc field and ac amplitude.

cond-mat.supr-con

On the magnetic phase diagram of a sigma-phase Fe47Re53 compound in the H-T plane

Sigma-phase Fe47Re53 compound was investigated by means of in-field DC and AC magnetization measurements. Field cooled, MFC, and zero-field cooled, MZFC, DC magnetization curves were recorded in the magnetic field, H, up to 1000 Oe. AC magnetization measurements were performed at the constant frequency of 1465 Hz in the field up to H=500 Oe. Both types of measurements gave evidence in favor of a re-entrant character of magnetism in the studied sample. Based on characteristic temperatures determined from the measurements magnetic phase diagrams have been outlined in the H-T plane. The diagrams are similar but not identical. The main difference is that in the diagram constructed based on the DC data there is an intermediate antiferromagnetic-like phase which is absent in the AC diagram. Furthermore, the border lines (irreversibility, cross-over and Curie temperature) follow the power law but with correspondingly different exponents. The studied sample was also characterized by determining the effect of H on the degree of irreversibility and that of frustration.

cond-mat.str-el

Microwave emission from superconducting vortices in Mo/Si superlattices

Most of superconductors in a magnetic field are penetrated by a lattice of quantized flux vortices. In the presence of a transport current causing the vortices to cross sample edges, emission of electromagnetic waves is expected due to the continuity of tangential components of the fields at the surface. Yet, such a radiation has not been observed so far due to low radiated power levels and lacking coherence in the vortex motion. Here, we report emission of electromagnetic waves from vortices crossing the layers of a superconductor/insulator Mo/Si superlattice. The emission spectra consist of narrow harmonically related peaks which can be finely tuned in the GHz range by the dc bias current and, coarsely, by the in-plane magnetic field value. Our findings show that superconductor/insulator superlattices can act as dc-tunable microwave generators bridging the frequency gap between conventional radiofrequency oscillators and (sub-)terahertz generators relying upon the Josephson effect.

cond-mat.supr-con

dc and ac magnetic properties of thin-walled Nb cylinders with and without a row of antidots

dc and ac magnetic properties of two thin-walled superconducting Nb cylinders with a rectangular cross-section are reported. Magnetization curves and the ac response were studied on as-prepared and patterned samples in magnetic fields parallel to the cylinder axis. A row of micron-sized antidots (holes) was made in the film along the cylinder axis. Avalanche-like jumps of the magnetization are observed for both samples at low temperatures for magnetic fields not only above $H_{c1}$, but in fields lower than $H_{c1}$ in the vortex-free region. The positions of the jumps are not reproducible and they change from one experiment to another, resembling vortex lattice instabilities usually observed for magnetic fields larger than $H_{c1}$. At temperatures above $0.66T_c$ and $0.78T_c$ the magnetization curves become smooth for the patterned and the as-prepared samples, respectively. The magnetization curve of a reference planar Nb film in the parallel field geometry does not exhibit jumps in the entire range of accessible temperatures. The ac response was measured in constant and swept dc magnetic field modes. Experiment shows that ac losses at low magnetic fields in a swept field mode are smaller for the patterned sample. For both samples the shapes of the field dependences of losses and the amplitude of the third harmonic are the same in constant and swept field near $H_{c3}$. This similarity does not exist at low fields in a swept mode.

cond-mat.supr-con

Giant flux jumps through a thin superconducting Nb film

The dynamics of magnetic field penetration into thin-walled superconducting niobium cylinders is experimentally investigated. It is shown that magnetic field penetrates through the wall of a cylinder in a series of giant jumps with amplitude 10 - 20 Oe and duration of a few $μ$s. The jumps take place when the total current in the wall, not the current density, exceeds some critical value. In addition there are small jumps and/or smooth penetration, and their contribution can reach 20% of the total penetrating flux. It is demonstrated that the magnetic field inside the cylinder exhibits several oscillations. The number of giant jumps reduces with temperature.

cond-mat.supr-con

On the magnetism of sigma-Fe54Cr46 alloy: AC and DC susceptibility studies

Sigma-phase intermetallic compound of Fe54Cr46 was investigated using DC and AC magnetic susceptibility techniques. A clear-cut evidence was found that the sample orders magnetically at Tc=23.5 K and its ground magnetic state is constituted by a spin glass. The temperature at which the zero-field cooled magnetization has its maximum decreases with an external magnetic field in line with the Gabay-Toulouse prediction. The temperature at which the AC magnetic susceptibility has its maximum does not depend on frequency which, in the light of the mean-field theory, testifies to very long magnetic interactions.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

AC conductivity of a niobium thin film in a swept magnetic field

We report the results of the measurement the ac conductivity of a Nb superconducting thin film in a swept dc magnetic field. In the mixed state the swept dc field creates vortices at the film surface which pass through the film and form the observed ac conductivity. Vortex rate generation does not depend on the value of the dc field and there is a large plateau-like region of dc magnetic fields where the dissipation is approximately constant. A proposed phenomenological model describes quite well the main features of the ac response in these fields including its dependency on the sweep rate, ac amplitude, frequency, and value of the second and third harmonics.

cond-mat.supr-con

Anisotropy of the upper critical fields and the paramagnetic Meissner effect in La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 single Crystals

Optimally-doped La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 single crystals have been investigated by dc and ac magnetic measurements. These crystals have rectangular needle-like shapes with the long needle axis parallel to the crystallographic c axis (c-crystal) or parallel to the basal planes (a-crystal). In both crystals, the temperature dependence of the upper critical fields (HC2) and the surface critical field (HC3) were measured. The H-T phase diagram is presented. Close to TC =35 K, for the c-crystal, γc = / = 1.80(2), whereas for the a-crystal the γa = / =4.0(2) obtained, is much higher than the theoretical value 1.69. At low applied dc fields, positive field-cooled branches known as the "paramagnetic Meissner effect" (PME) are observed, their magnitude is inversely proportional to H. The anisotropic PME is observed in both a- and c-crystals, only when the applied field is along the basal planes. It is speculated that the high γa and the PME are connected to each other.

cond-mat.supr-con

Superconducting critical fields of K$_{0.8}$Fe$_{2}$Se$_2$ single crystal

We report the results of an experimental study of dc and low frequencies magnetic properties of K$_{0.8}$Fe$_{2}$Se$_2$ single crystal when the dc magnetic field is applied parallel to the $\bf{ab}$ plane. From the data obtained, we deduce the full H-T phase diagram which consists of all three H$_{c1}$(T), H$_{c2}(T)$ and H$_{c3}(T)$ critical magnetic field plots. The two H$_{c1}$(T) and H$_{c2}$(T) curves were obtained from dc magnetic measurements, whereas the surface critical field H$_{c3}$(T) line was extracted by ac susceptibility studies. It appears that near T$_c$, the H$_{c3}$(T)/H$_{c2}$(T) ratio is $\approx 4.4$ which is much larger than expected.

cond-mat.supr-con

Measurement of the ac conductivity of a niobium single crystal in a swept magnetic field

We report results of experimental studies of ac susceptibility of Nb single crystal at low frequencies in swept magnetic fields applied parallel to the surface. Analysis of the experimental data shows that the swept magnetic field significantly changes the vortex conductivity in the bulk. It becomes dissipative with unexpected large frequency dispersion. At the surface, one observes a layer with enhanced conductivity in comparison to the bulk. This layer provides a considerably large contribution to the shielding and absorption of an ac field even in dc fields below $H_{c2}$. We have also demonstrated that the swept magnetic field apparently affects an ac response of the surface superconducting states.

cond-mat.supr-con

Surface superconducting states in yttrium hexaboride single crystal in a tilted magnetic field

We present the results of an experimental study of the nucleation of superconductivity at the surface of a single crystal YB$_6$ in a tilted dc magnetic field. A recently developed experimental technique allowed us to determine $H_{c3}$ at each side of the sample as a function of the angle between the dc magnetic field and the surface. Experiment shows that the ratio $H_{c3}/ H_{c2}\approx 1.28 $ in the direction perpendicular to the surface dc field while according to the theory this ratio should be equal to 1. This sharp distinction cannot be ascribed to the surface roughness.

cond-mat.supr-con

Two-Fluid Behaviour at the Origin of the Resistivity Peak in Doped Manganites

We report a series of magnetic and transport measurements on high-quality single crystal samples of colossal magnetoresistive manganites, La_{0.7} Ca_{0.3} Mn O_3 and Pr_{0.7} Sr_{0.3} Mn O_3. 1 % Fe doping allows a Moessbauer spectroscopy study, which shows (i) unusual line broadening within the ferromagnetic phase and (ii) a coexistence of ferro- and paramagnetic contributions in a region, T_1 T_2. This shows that phase separation into metallic (ferromagnetic) and insulating (paramagnetic) phases cannot be generally responsible for the resistivity peak (and hence for the associated colossal magnetoresistance). Our results can be understood phenomenologically within the two-fluid approach, which also allows for a difference between T_C and T_{MI}. Our data indeed imply that while magnetic and transport properties of the manganites are closely interrelated, the two transitions at T_C and T_{MI} can be viewed as distinct phenomena.

cond-mat.str-el

Magnetic measurements and 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy in oxygen deficient SmFeAsO0.85

Magnetic measurements and 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy studies were performed on oxygen- deficient high temperature superconductor SmFeAsO0.85 with TC=52.4 K. The upper-critical behavior (HC2) values were extracted from the real part of ac measurements. The field dependence of HC2 is consistent with a two band model. Mössbauer spectra below and above TC consist of a singlet and a doublet, which are attributed to Fe ions which have two or one oxygen ions in their close vicinity, respectively. No change is observed in the major (~75%) singlet related to Fe ions surrounded by two oxygen ions. On the other hand, the doublet which senses oxygen vacancies shows a well defined magnetic sextet below TC. This indicates coexistence on a microscopic level of the two mutually exclusive states namely: superconductivity which is confined to the Fe-As layers and magnetism, in the same layers. Alternatively, the hyperfine parameters of the doublet are similar to the reported values of FeAs which orders magnetically at 77 K. Thus the magnetic features observed below TC, may be related to FeAs as an extra phase.

cond-mat.supr-con

Linear and nonlinear low frequency electrodynamics of the surface superconducting states in an yttrium hexaboride a single crystal

We report the low-frequency and tunneling studies of yttrium hexaboride single crystal. Ac susceptibility at frequencies 10 - 1500 Hz has been measured in parallel to the crystal surface DC felds, H0. We found that in the DC feld H0 > Hc2 DC magnetic moment completely disappears while the ac response exhibited the presence of superconductivity at the surface. Increasing of the DC field from Hc2 revealed the enlarging of losses with a maximum in the feld between Hc2 and Hc3. Losses at the maximum were considerably larger than in the mixed and in the normal states. The value of the DC field, where loss peak was observed, depends on the amplitude and frequency of the ac feld. Close to Tc this peak shifts below Hc2 which showed the coexistence of surface superconducting states and Abrikosov vortices. We observed a logarithmic frequency dependence of the in-phase component of the susceptibility. Such frequency dispersion of the inphase component resembles the response of spin-glass systems, but the out-of-phase component also exhibited frequency dispersion that is not a known feature of the classic spin-glass response. Analysis of the experimental data with Kramers-Kronig relations showed the possible existence of the loss peak at very low frequencies (< 5 Hz). We found that the amplitude of the third harmonic was not a cubic function of the ac amplitude even at considerably weak ac felds. This does not leave any room for treating the nonlinear effects on the basis of perturbation theory. We show that the conception of surface vortices or surface critical currents could not adequately describe the existing experimental data. Consideration of a model of slow relaxing nonequilibrium order parameter permits one to explain the partial shielding and losses of weak ac field for H0 > Hc2.

cond-mat.supr-con

Tunneling and Magnetic Characteristics of Superconducting ZrB$_{12}$ Single Crystals

Bulk and surface properties of high-quality single crystals of zirconium dodecaboride have been studied in the temperature range from 4.5 K up to the superconducting transition temperature which is found to be nearly 6.06 K. Scanning tunnelling spectroscopy data, together with dc and ac magnetization measurements, are consistent with the conventional s-wave pairing scenario, whereas they disagree in estimates of the electron-phonon coupling strength. We explain the divergence, supposing a great difference between the surface and bulk superconducting characteristics of the compound. This assertion is supported by our findings of a non-linear magnetic response to an amplitude-modulated alternating magnetic field, testifying to the presence of surface superconductivity in the ZrB$_{12}$ samples at dc fields exceeding the thermodynamic critical field.

cond-mat.supr-con

Giant nonlinear response of superconducting single crystal niobium in a sweeping magnetic field

Giant enhancement of the nonlinear response of a single crystal of Nb placed in a sweeping magnetic field has been experimentally observed. The rectified signal from Nb ($Tc=9.15$ K) has been measured by means of an inductive method as a function of temperature, dc field, dc field sweep rate, and the amplitude of ac field. The Nb sample was excited by an amplitude modulated ac field. Under a stationary regime, the rectified signal appears only for magnetic fields ($H_0$) in the range $H_{c2} H_{c1}$. This experiment shows that the amplitude of the rectified signal is two orders of magnitude larger than the amplitude of the signal seen under stationary field conditions. Moreover, the amplitude of the rectified signal is a power function of the sweep rate, with the power exponent close to 1.

cond-mat.supr-con

Linear and Nonlinear Ac Response of MgB2 Superconductors

We report the experimental study of linear and nonlinear ac properties of two types of samples of MgB2 prepared by different technologies. A commercial sample (Alfa Aesar) demonstrates two stages of a broad phase transition, whereas home-made metallic sample have one sharp transition. The temperature dependence of the rectified signal shows two peaks for the commercial and one peak for the metallic samples. Two types of weak links (intergrain and intragrain) are responsible for the nonlinear response of these samples. The properties of these weak links are discussed.

cond-mat.supr-con