Abstract
Understanding the current limiting mechanisms of high-temperature superconductors (HTS) and ways to eliminate them is crucial in improving their technology. A vital characterization tool for such investigations is magneto-optical imaging (MOI). The fundamental principle behind this technique is the magneto-optical (MO) Faraday effect that is exhibited by certain transparent materials. The Faraday effect in transmission mode allows one to observe the domain structure of transparent magnetic materials. A review paper summarizes results of MO investigations of HTS materials using films with uniaxial anisotropy. The apparatus for MO imaging is relatively straightforward. For measurements of local magnetic characteristics, such as variations of the local Tc, the MOI setup can be equipped with photo detectors such as a photomultiplier or photodiode, and a lock-in amplifier so that the response of a labyrinthine garnet film to an applied ac field can be quantified. MOI can be used for qualitative and quantitative observations of magnetic flux.
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