Flux Dynamics in Tl₂Ba₂CaCu₂O₈ Thin Films

Abstract

Investigations on flux dynamics of ring-shaped T1₂Ba₂CaCu₂O₈ superconducting thin films have been carried out by measuring the temperature dependent magnetization M(T) during field-cooling (FC) and zero-field-cooling (ZFC) processes. For a given magnetic field, from the magnetization behavior two distinct temperatures, T_kink and T_irr, can be defined. Below T_kink, a clear hysteretic behavior of M(T) is observed leading to a large irreversible signal ΔM = M_FC − M_ZFC. Above T_kink, this irreversible signal, though being very small, is still non-zero until it eventually vanishes at a higher temperature T_irr. Above T_irr, both curves M_FC(T) and M_ZFC(T) merge together and become temperature independent. We attribute the first region ( T< T_kink) to a 3D vortex-glass phase, the second region (T_kink < T < T_irr) to a vortex line liquid state and the third region (T_irr < T < T_c) to a pancake liquid state.