Peak-effect and angular hysteresis in Jc(H, θ) dependencies for YBa2Cu3O7-δ epitaxial films

Abstract

New phenomena - peak-effect and angular hysteresis - in field/angle Jc(H, θ) dependencies are detected for YBCO epitaxial films at moderate dc magnetic fields H parallel to the film. Films (300-350 nm thick) are deposited by off-axis dc magnetron sputtering onto rcut sapphire substrate buffered with CeO2. Surface roughness (peak-to-valley) determined by AFM does not exceed 2 nm. Jc(H, θ)-curves are measured by low-frequency ac magnetic susceptibility and four-probe transport technique. Jc(H) at H∥ab-plane for the most smooth films reveal dome-shape enhancement of Jc(up to 10 p.c.) above Jc(0) value, starting from the field H* ascribed to the first critical field Hc1 of thin film. Jc(H)-plots at H∥c-axis with a plateau at low fields followed by monotonic fall-down are consistent to our model of vortex lattice depinning from the out-of-plane linear defect network (growth-induced edge dislocations). Field dependencies of Jc at arbitrary inclination angles may be recalculated from Jc(H, θ = 0) and Jc(H, θ = π/2), assuming independent effects of normal Hcosθ and parallel Hsinθ field components on Jc. Angle Jc(θ)-dependencies evolution with H is shown to be consistent with dominant mechanism of pinning on edge dislocations. The most surprizing feature of this evolution is emergence of the peak in Jc(θ)-dependence for H∥c-direction, becoming observable only above threshold magnetic field Hp dependent on film thickness and surface roughness. Angular hysteresis in Jc(H, θ) dependence is detected for magnetic field directions close to H∥ab-plane. This hysteresis is sensitive to magnetic/angular pre-history and together with observed peak-effect at H∥ab-plane can be understood by account for surface (and/or geometrical) barrier as additional pinning source for Abrikosov vortices.