Dominant influence of the compression effect of a magnetic flux in the intergranular medium of a granular high-temperature superconductor on dissipation processes in an external magnetic field

Abstract

Experiments have been presented that demonstrate the effect of the compression of a magnetic flux in grain boundaries of a granular high-temperature superconductor in an external magnetic field on the dissipation processes. The compression of the magnetic flux is associated with the diamagnetic behavior of superconducting grains and the existence of a Josephson medium in grain boundaries. Under these conditions, grain boundaries are in an effective magnetic field that depends on the magnetic state (magnetization) of the superconducting grains. Based on the analysis of experimental data (dependences of the electrical resistance R and magnetization on the magnetic field H and temperature T, as well as current-voltage characteristics), the conclusion has been drawn that it is the temperature evolution of the effective magnetic field in the intergranular medium which primarily determines the behavior of the dependences R(T) in weak external magnetic fields of no more than ∼103 Oe. This should be taken into account in the interpretation of experiments on the magnetoresistance effect in granular high-temperature superconductors in terms of different theories. The conclusion drawn here also implies a significant correction of the previously obtained results.