Magnetization of an epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7−δ film at the critical field sweep rate

Abstract

We have measured the magnetic hysteresis loops of an epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7−δ thin film using our recently developed device which can provide the field magnitude in the range of 0–1000 Oe and the field sweep rate up to 107 Oe/s. The shape of the hysteresis loop measured changes with the field-sweep rate up to the critical sweep rate; and over the critical sweep rate the ac magnetization reaches its real critical state where magnetization does not change even with a further increase in the field-sweep rate. The critical sweep rate is about 106 Oe/s at 77 K. With the hysteresis loops and Bean model, we have calculated the magnetization critical current density (Jcac) which is consistent with that obtained by I–V measurements. We have also studied flux motion and activation energy under the high sweep rate magnetic field. At temperature 77 K, the velocity of the flux motion is of the order 10 m/s and the pinning energy U0/k is about 339 K which is much smaller than the magnetization decay measurement.