Dependence Of Critical Current Research Articles

Peculiar interference pattern of Josephson junctions involving periodic ferromagnet-normal metal structure

We report the observation of an oscillatory behavior of the critical current versus magnetic field dependence in Nb/(Al/Py)5/Al/AlOx/(Al/Py)6/Al/Nb Josephson tunnel junctions at 4.2 K. The oscillations resemble those that occur in superconducting quantum interference devices. Since the oscillations occur in the junctions without any superconducting loop, and therefore are suitable for sub-micrometer miniaturization, we believe they are promising for the development of a new generation of field-sensitive nanodevices.

Критический ток фазового перехода в тонких пленках нитрида ниобия

Abstract —The effect of current and magnetic field on the transition to the superconducting state in niobium nitride thin films has been studied. The critical current dependences of the films on the temperature and magnetic field in the transition region have been determined. Within the framework of models of a normal domain and quasiparticle heating during viscous flow of a magnetic flux, the functional dependences of the critical current have been determined in close vicinity of the superconducting transition temperature. Using the theory of electron heating, we have determined the time of the electron energy relaxation. We also estimated the electron-phonon and the electron-electron inelastic scattering times, the diffusion coefficient of electrons, and heat transfer coefficient.

Josephson Effect in the Micron and Submicron YBCO Constrictions Fabricated Using the Femtosecond Laser Technique

A femtosecond laser was used successfully to fabricate planar micron and submicron-sized constrictiontype Josephson junctions on YBa2Cu3O7−x thin films. A simple program using G-code (control systems) programming language was written to control the movement of the sample stage during the etching process. The constriction’s geometry was investigated using both atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Electrical transport measurements were performed at different temperatures. Shapiro steps were observed and analyzed. The micron-sized constriction shows a linear relationship for the measured critical current against the temperature which is consistent with the behavior of an S–s’–Stype Josephson junction where “S” stands for a bulk superconductive material that is untouched by the laser and “s”’ is superconducting material whose critical temperature is lower than the value of “S” In the case of the narrower submicronsized constriction, the measured critical current dependence with temperature shows an exponential decay, which is consistent with the behavior of the long S–N–Stype Josephson junction where “N” stands for a normal material. A model is proposed to describe the observed behavior by considering the effect of sample heating during the constriction’s fabrication.

Using the integral equations method to model a 2G racetrack coil with anisotropic critical current dependence

Second-generation (2G) superconducting wires have already proved their potential in several applications. These materials have a highly nonlinear behavior that turns an optimized engineering project into a challenge. Between several numerical techniques that can be used to perform this task, the integral equations (IE) method stands out for avoiding mesh problems by representing the 2G wire cross-sectional area by a line. While most applications need to be represented in a 3D geometry, the IE is limited to longitudinal or axisymmetric models. This work demonstrates that a complex 3D geometry can be modeled by several coupled simulations using the IE method. In order to prove this statement, the proposed technique was used to simulate a 2G racetrack coil considering the self-field magnitude (B) and incidence angle (θ) on the tape. The Jc characteristic was modeled in terms of parallel and normal to the tape plane magnetic field components (Jc(B∥, B⊥)) obtained from a V–I(B, θ) characterization of a tape segment. This result was implemented using commercial software with both A–V (vector magnetic potential and scalar voltage potential) and IE coupled simulations solved by finite elements. This solution bypasses the meshing problem due to the tapes slim geometry, considering each turn a single 1D model, all magnetically interacting in two 2D models. The simulations results are in good agreement to what was both expected and observed in the literature. The simulation is compared to the measured V–I characteristic for a single pancake racetrack coil built with same geometry as its simulation models, and a theoretical study demonstrates the possibilities of the proposed tool for analyzing a racetrack coil current density and electric field behavior in each of its turns.

Temperature dependence of critical currents in REBCO thin films with artificial pinning centers

Conventionally, δTc type (order parameter modulation) and δl type (mean free path modulation) pinning mechanisms have been proposed to explain the temperature dependence of the flux pinning of superconducting materials. According to previous studies, it is assumed that the temperature dependence of Jc of REBa2Cu3O7 (REBCO, RE = Y, Gd, Sm, etc) films without artificial pinning centers (APCs) is δl type, but it is unidentified when APCs are introduced into the films. In this paper, GdBCO thin films doped with BaHfO3 (BHO) deposited on LaAlO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition were studied. A target exchange method was used to alternately ablate two targets of pure GdBCO and BHO for introducing nanorods as APCs into GdBCO films. Since the insulative BHO acts as a strong pinning center, the δTc pinning mechanism is expected for the temperature dependence of Jc of these thin films. However, the experimental results showed that the Jc of the films with BHO nanorods was determined by the δl pinning mechanism over a wide temperature range. In order to explain these unexpected results, we examined the pinning mechanism by nanorods based on a resultant pinning force model.

Vortex shaking study of REBCO tape with consideration of anisotropic characteristics

The second generation high temperature superconductor, specifically REBCO, has become a new research focus in the development of a new generation of high-field (>25 T) magnets. One of the main challenges in the application of the magnets is the current screening problem. Previous research shows that for magnetized superconducting stacks and bulks the application of an AC field in plane with the circulating current will lead to demagnetization due to vortex shaking, which provides a possible solution to remove the shielding current. This paper provides an in-depth study, both experimentally and numerically, to unveil the vortex shaking mechanism of REBCO stacks. A new experiment was carried out to measure the demagnetization rate of REBCO stacks exposed to an in-plane AC magnetic field. Meanwhile, 2D finite element models, based on the E–J power law, are developed for simulating the vortex shaking effect of the AC magnetic field. Qualitative agreement was obtained between the experimental and the simulation results. Our results show that the applied in-plane magnetic field leads to a sudden decay of trapped magnetic field in the first half shaking cycle, which is caused by the magnetic field dependence of critical current. Furthermore, the decline of demagnetization rate with the increase of tape number is mainly due to the cross-magnetic field being screened by the top and bottom stacks during the shaking process, which leads to lower demagnetization rate of inner layers. We also demonstrate that the frequency of the applied AC magnetic field has little impact on the demagnetization process. Our modeling tool and findings perfect the vortex shaking theory and provide helpful guidance for eliminating screening current in the new generation REBCO magnets.

Strain dependence of critical superconducting properties of Nb3Sn with different intrinsic strains based on a semi-phenomenological approach

A semi-phenomenological approach, which combined the microscopic properties calculated by first-principles and macroscopic critical characteristics determined from empirical relations, is suggested to investigate the superconducting critical properties of the low temperature superconductor Nb3Sn with different intrinsic strain modes like uniaxial tension, shear and torsion deformations. Firstly, the microscopic properties of the electronic structure and density of state for Nb3Sn are numerically obtained by first-principles calculations using density-functional theory in the generalized gradient approximation. These are further incorporate with the macroscopic empirical relation of the unified scaling law for predicting critical parameters of the strained Nb3Sn superconductor. The superconducting critical profiles of critical temperature, magnetic field and current, in such a way, are achieved for Nb3Sn under different strains. The predictions on the critical parameters of the superconductor bulk in uniaxial tension/compression state exhibit obvious degradations and bell-shaped curves with maximum critical values at zero strain and a slight asymmetry between the tensile and compressive strains, which show quite good agreements with the experimental data. As for Nb3Sn under shear and torsion deformations, the similar degradations on critical parameters also are presented which are monotonously decreased with the applied strains. The first-principles calculations and results in this work are based on an assumption which the superconducting critical properties from the strain-induced variations in the electronic density of states. Furthermore, the modified critical surfaces of Nb3Sn, determined by the critical temperature, current and magnetic field dependence upon the applied different strains are depicted. The present study will be helpful to identify the scaling relation for the critical parameters and understanding the origin of strain sensitivity in Nb3Sn conductors.

Dynamics of First and Second Switches in Bi$_{2}$ Sr$_{2}$CaCu $_{2}$O$_{8+\delta }$ Intrinsic Josephson Junction Stacks Measured by Specifically Designed Electronics

We measure switching probability distributions for the first and the second switches of stacks of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ intrinsic Josephson junctions. To measure switching probability distributions, we design a current source and introduced a microcontroller. The resolution and accuracy are sufficient for measuring switching probability distributions of intrinsic Josephson junctions. For the first switch, crossover temperatures between thermally activated escape and macroscopic quantum tunneling are in the range between 0.8 and 2.2 K. The crossover temperatures of the second switch are approximately 8.0 and 6.8 K for the samples with critical densities of 1.0 and 2.0 kA/cm 2 , respectively. We analyze critical current density dependence of the crossover temperature of the second switch. The crossover temperature decreases with increasing critical current density. This anticorrelation can be explained neither by the single-junction model nor by the heating effect. The anticorrelation is a peculiar phenomenon observed in the second switch. We consider that the anticorrelation is attributed to the capacitive coupling. The strength of the capacitive coupling is weaker in IJJs with higher critical current density because the charge screening length is shorter due to increase of carrier density.

Design and Testing of Coils Wound Using the Conductor-On-Round-Tube (CORT) Cable

Alternative concept for winding of coils from high-temperature superconducting tapes has been investigated. Conductor-On-Round-Tube (CORT) conductors with tapes helically wound on a metallic tube have been manufactured and used to wind single layer coils with the bore diameters between 116 and 325 mm wound and tested in the dc regime. Results were analyzed with the help of numerical calculations considering the critical current density dependence on magnetic field derived from the short sample measurement. We have also modified the standard approach by including the fluctuations of critical current along the tape length into the calculations. Results have shown that the uniformity of critical current is essential for achieving predictable cable and coil performance.

Interaction of X-Ray Photons With Abrikosov Vortices in Josephson Tunnel Junctions With a Bulk Niobium Base Electrode

γ-rays can be efficiently detected by superconductor devices exploiting the interaction of single γ-ray photons with Abrikosov vortices. In order to prove the feasibility of this novel detection mechanism, Josephson tunnel junctions were fabricated on bulk polycrystalline niobium base electrodes consisting of 0.3-mm-thick niobium foils, and investigated under <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">55</sup> Fe X-ray. The fabrication process is discussed with a particular attention to the treatment of the surface of the niobium foil. Niobium-bulk/Al/AlO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">x</sub> /Al/niobium Josephson junctions with different circular areas were tested at the temperature T = 4.2 K and their current-voltage and Josephson critical current dependence on parallel magnetic field were characterized. The experimental magnetic field dependences of the Josephson critical current have been well fitted by the Airy diffraction pattern. Depinning of Abrikosov vortices under X-ray photons has been observed by means of variation of the magnetic dependence of the Josephson critical current.

Superconducting properties of nano-sized SiO2 added YBCO thick film on Ag substrate

The microstructure and the flux pinning capability of SiO2-added YBa2Cu3Oy thick films on Ag substrates were investigated. A series of YBa2Cu3Oy thick films with small amounts (0–0.5 wt%) of nano-sized SiO2 particles (12 nm) was prepared. The thicknesses of the prepared thick films was approximately 100 µm. Phase analysis by x-ray diffraction and microstructure examination by scanning electron microscopy were performed and the critical current density dependence on the applied magnetic field Jc(H) and electrical resistivity ρ(T) were investigated. The magnetic field and temperature dependence of the critical current density (Jc) was calculated from magnetization measurements using Bean’s critical state model. The results showed that the addition of a small amount (≤0.02 wt%) of SiO2 was effective in enhancing the critical current densities in the applied magnetic field. The sample with 0.01 wt% of added SiO2 exhibited a superconducting characteristics under an applied magnetic field for a temperature ranging from 10 to 77 K.

Critical current studies of a HTS rectangular coil

Nowadays, superconducting high field magnets are used in numerous applications due to their superior properties. High temperature superconductors (HTS) are usually used for production of circular pancake or racetrack coils. However different geometries of HTS coils might be required for some specific applications. In this study, the HTS coil wound on a rectangular frame was fully characterized in homogeneous DC background field. The study contains measurements of critical current angular dependencies. The critical current of the entire coil and two selected strands under different magnitudes and orientations of external magnetic fields are measured. The critical regions of the coil in different angular regimes are determined. This study brings better understanding of the in- field performance of HTS coils wound on frames with right-angles.

Stochastic macromodel of magnetic tunnel junction resistance variation and critical current dependence on resistance variation for SPICE simulation

The resistance distribution of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) shows nonuniformity according to various MTJ parameters. Moreover, this resistance variation leads to write-current density variation, which can cause serious problems when designing peripheral circuits for spin transfer torque magnetoresistance random access memory (STT-MRAM) and commercializing gigabit STT-MRAM. Therefore, a macromodel of MTJ including resistance, tunneling magnetoresistance ratio (TMR), and critical current variations is required for circuit designers to design MRAM peripheral circuits, that can overcome the various effects of the variations, such as write failure and read failure, and realize STT-MRAM. In this study, we investigated a stochastic behavior macromodel of the write current dependence on the MTJ resistance variation. The proposed model can possibly be used to analyze the write current density in relation to the resistance and TMR variations of MTJ with various parameter variations. It can be very helpful for designing STT-MRAM circuits and simulating the operation of STT-MRAM devices considering MTJ variations.

Micromagnetic modeling of critical current oscillations in magnetic Josephson junctions

In this work we propose and explore an effective numerical approach for investigation of critical current dependence on applied magnetic field for magnetic Josephson junctions with in-plane magnetization orientation. This approach is based on micromagnetic simulation of the magnetization reversal process in the ferromagnetic layer with introduced internal magnetic stiffness and subsequent reconstruction of the critical current value using total flux or reconstructed actual phase difference distribution. The approach is flexible and shows good agreement with experimental data obtained on Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic barriers. Based on this approach we have obtained a critical current dependence on applied magnetic field for rectangular magnetic Josephson junctions with high size aspect ratio. We have shown that the rectangular magnetic Josephson junctions can be considered for application as an effective Josephson magnetic memory element with the value of critical current defined by the orientation of magnetic moment at zero magnetic field. An impact of shape magnetic anisotropy on critical current is revealed and discussed. Finally, we have considered a curling magnetic state in the ferromagnetic layer and demonstrated its impact on critical current.

General approach for the determination of the magneto-angular dependence of the critical current of YBCO coated conductors

The physical understanding and numerical modelling of superconducting devices which exploit the high performance of second generation high temperature superconducting tapes (2G-HTS), is commonly hindered by the lack of accurate functions which allow the consideration of the in-field dependence of the critical current. This is true regardless of the manufacturer of the superconducting tape. In this paper, we present a general approach for determining a unified function Ic(B, θ), ultimately capable of describing the magneto-angular dependence of the in-field critical current of commercial 2G-HTS tapes in the Lorentz configuration. Five widely different superconducting tapes, provided by three different manufacturers, have been tested in a liquid nitrogen bath and external magnetic fields of up to 400 mT. The critical current was recorded at 90 different orientations of the magnetic field ranging from θ = 0°, i.e., with B aligned with the crystallographic ab-planes of the YBCO layer, towards ±90°, i.e., with B perpendicular to the wider surfaces of the 2G-HTS tape. The whole set of experimental data has been analysed using a novel multi-objective model capable of predicting a sole function Ic(B, θ). This allows an accurate validation of the experimental data regardless of the fabrication differences and widths of the superconducting tapes. It is shown that, in spite of the wide set of differences between the fabrication and composition of the considered tapes, at liquid nitrogen temperature the magneto-angular dependence of the in-field critical current of YBCO-based 2G-HTS tapes, can be described by a universal function Ic(f(B), θ), with a power law field dependence dominated by the Kim’s factor B/B0, and an angular dependence moderated by the electron mass anisotropy ratio of the YBCO layer.

Using Geometry To Sense Current.

We describe a superconducting three-terminal device that uses a simple geometric effect known as current crowding to sense the flow of current and actuate a readout signal. The device consists of a "Y"-shaped current combiner, with two currents (sense and bias) entering separately through the top arms of the "Y", intersecting, and then exiting together through the bottom leg of the "Y". When current is added to or removed from one of the arms (e.g., the sense arm), the superconducting critical current in the other arm (i.e., the bias arm) is modulated. The current in the sense arm can thus be determined by measuring the critical current of the bias arm, or inversely, the sense current can be used to modulate the state of the bias arm. The dependence of the bias critical current on the sense current occurs due to the geometric current crowding effect, which causes the sense current to interact locally with the bias arm. Measurement of the critical current in the bias arm does not break the superconducting state of the sense arm or of the bottom leg, and thus, quantized currents trapped in a superconducting loop were able to be repeatedly measured without changing the state of the loop. Current crowding is a universal effect in nanoscale superconductors, and so this device has potential for applicability across a broad range of superconducting technologies and materials. More generally, any technology in which geometrically induced flow crowding exists in the presence of a strong nonlinearity might make use of this type of device.

Magnetic proximity effect and superconducting triplet correlations at the cuprate superconductor and oxide spin valve interface

A heterostructure consisting of a cuprate superconductor YBa2Cu3O7-δ and a ruthenate/manganite (SrRuO3/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3) spin valve was studied using SQUID magnetometry, ferromagnetic resonance, and neutron reflectometry. It is shown that because of the magnetic proximity effect a magnetic moment is excited in the superconducting portion of the heterostructure, whereas the magnetic moment in the spin valve becomes suppressed. The experimentally obtained value of a typical penetration depth of a magnetic moment into the superconductor is significantly greater than the coherence length of the cuprate superconductor, which indicates that the induced magnetic moment mechanism of Cu atoms is dominant. The mesastructure prepared by adding niobium film as a second superconducting electrode to the existing heterostructure, exhibited a superconducting current (dc Josephson effect) at interlayer thicknesses that are much greater than the coherence length of the ferromagnetic materials. The maximum of the critical current density dependence on the thickness of the spin valve material corresponds to the interlayer coherence length, which agrees with the theoretical predictions associated with spin-triplet pairing. The superconducting current is observed at magnetic fields that are two orders of magnitude greater than the field corresponding to the occurrence of one magnetic flux quantum in the mesastructure. The ratio of the second harmonic of the current-phase dependence of the mesastructure superconducting current to the first, determined according to the dependence of the Shapiro steps on the amplitude of microwave exposure, did not exceed 50%.

Measurements and Numerical Simulations of Trapped Field in a Stack of HTS Tapes

Trapped field magnets are usually constructed on the base of bulk YBCO superconductors. However, recent achievements in the production of long-size coated conductors have opened the opportunity of using a tape stack for these applications. Better thermal conductivity, mechanical stability in high fields, and high critical current densities make such systems favorable. Moreover, the tape form of the conductor allows for organizing different spatial structures and optimizing device design. Trapped field was measured on the stack of high-temperature superconducting tapes in this work. An industrially stabilized (with copper shield) tape, which was produced by SuperOx company with GdBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x superconductor inside, was used in experiments. The stack was made of 12-mm-diameter disk-shaped tapes, and the height was 20 layers. Magnetization was carried out by an 8-T superconducting magnet on the temperature of 77 K. To calculate the trapped field of a stack, field dependence and angular field dependence of critical current were measured on these tapes. The finite-element method was used for numerical simulations. It is shown that taking into account the magnetic field orientation in different areas of the stack leads to better agreement with the experimental measured trapped field values.

Modeling of trapped fields by stacked (RE)BCO tape using angular transversal field dependency

Stacks of superconducting (RE)BCO tape are gaining popularity as a potential alternative for superconducting bulks for trapped field applications. This is partly due to versatility and uniformity of the starting material, allowing for more deterministic prediction of field profile and magnitude. However, most FEM models of trapped field magnets do not incorporate parameters such as critical current and n-value dependence on the angle of applied magnetic field, leading to only qualitative modeling results. More quantitative results can be obtained from incorporating more data for superconductivity and thermal properties of the material. Such models can be used as a starting point for most geometries and both trapped field and current transport modeling problems. An FEM model of a stack of tapes was constructed using the H formulation, incorporating goniometric critical current and n-value measurements. The modeling results were compared to field cooling experiments for stacks of different heights. The experiment and modeling show good agreement.

Structural study of commercially produced (RE)BCO films

Various deposition techniques used in the coated conductor industry result in the formation of different structural inhomogeneities within the superconducting film, having an impact on its electromagnetic properties. In this paper, an attempt for complex characterization of the Y(Gd)Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-x [(RE)BCO] structure in tapes from two major producers was performed. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy techniques were used for the characterization of the fine structure of (RE)BCO thin films in the cross-sectional and planar views. The examination was focused on structural inhomogeneities, e.g., outgrowths, precipitates, stacking faults, nanocolumns, and their mutual correlations. The structural study was correlated to critical current dependence on magnetic field and temperature, where the effect of particular structural inhomogeneities on functional properties was evaluated.