Comprehensive characterizing of vortex phases in type-II superconductor YBa2Cu3O7-x by a magnetoelectric technique

TL;DR

This paper introduces a magnetoelectric technique using a piezoelectric laminate to comprehensively characterize vortex phases and phase boundaries in type-II superconductor YBa2Cu3O7-x, providing detailed insights into vortex states.

Contribution

The study demonstrates a novel magnetoelectric method to accurately identify vortex phases and phase boundaries in a superconductor, extending the characterization toolkit beyond traditional techniques.

Findings

Accurately estimates Hc1, irreversibility line, and Hc2

Distinguishes vortex glass, vortex liquid, and non-vortex states

Probes vortex dynamics and density in different phases

Abstract

The vortex phases in type-II superconductors are very important since they determine many magnetic and electric properties of the parent compound. However, a universal tool to characterize the vortex phases is still lacking. We demonstrate in a type-II superconductors YBa2Cu3O7-x polycrystal sample that its vortex phases and phase boundaries can be comprehensively studied by a magnetoelectric technique. In this method, a thin piezoelectric material 0.7Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.3PbTiO3(PMN-PT) is mechanically bonded with YBa2Cu3O7-x to form a laminate structure and act as a strain gauge. The phase diagram of the YBa2Cu3O7-x polycrystalline was explored by this method. Surprisingly, it can accurately estimate the Hc1, irreversible line, Hc2 and distinguish among vortex glass, vortex liquid, non-vortex states. Moreover, it can probe the dynamic response under different frequencies and observe the threshold phenomena of vortex liquid phase. It can even account for the density of vortices in the vortex solid phase. Our technique is readily extended to investigate the vortex phases in other type-II superconductors.