Enhancement of the pinning potential in a single-crystal superconductor FeTe0.65Se0.35 under the influence of hydrogen sorption

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that hydrogen sorption enhances the pinning potential and critical current density in FeTe0.65Se0.35 single crystals by creating additional pinning centers through structural modifications.

Contribution

It reveals that hydrogen sorption induces structural transitions that improve flux pinning and current-carrying capacity in a specific superconductor, a novel approach for superconductor enhancement.

Findings

Hydrogen sorption increases the effective pinning potential.

Hydrogenation leads to the formation of additional pinning centers.

Critical current density is improved after hydrogen sorption.

Abstract

As a result of experimental studies of the single-crystal iron-chalcogenide compound FeTe0.65Se0.35, the effect of structural transitions caused by hydrogen sorption on the magnetic and current-carrying properties of a superconductor has been established. An increase in the volume-averaged effective pinning potential (and the associated critical current density) after the process of hydrogen sorption at temperatures up to 150 {\deg}C - 200 {\deg}C can be explained by the appearance of additional pinning centers due to the local action of implanted H ions on its crystal structure and electronic states. It was confirmed that hydrogenation is an efficient tool for increasing flux pining properties of superconductors.