Disorder, critical currents, and vortex pinning energies in isovalently substituted BaFe2(As1xPx)2

S. Demirdiş, Y. Fasano, S. Kasahara, T. Terashima, T. Shibauchi, Y. Matsuda, Marcin Konczykowski, H. Pastoriza, and C. J. van der Beek
Phys. Rev. B 87, 094506 – Published 11 March 2013

Abstract

We present a comprehensive overview of vortex pinning in single crystals of the isovalently substituted iron-based superconductor BaFe2(As1xPx)2, a material that qualifies as an archetypical clean superconductor, containing only sparse strong pointlike pins [in the sense of C. J. van der Beek et al., Phys. Rev. B 66, 024523 (2002)]. Widely varying critical current values for nominally similar compositions show that flux pinning is of extrinsic origin. Vortex configurations, imaged using the Bitter decoration method, show less density fluctuations than those previously observed in charge-doped Ba(Fe1xCox)2As2 single crystals. Analysis reveals that the pinning force and energy distributions depend on the P content x. However, they are always much narrower than in Ba(Fe1xCox)2As2, a result that is attributed to the weaker temperature dependence of the superfluid density on approaching Tc in BaFe2(As1xPx)2. Critical current density measurements and pinning force distributions independently yield a mean distance between effective pinning centers L¯90 nm, increasing with increasing P content x. This evolution can be understood as being the consequence of the P dependence of the London penetration depth. Further salient features are a wide vortex free “Meissner belt”, observed at the edge of overdoped crystals, and characteristic chainlike vortex arrangements, observed at all levels of P substitution.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
8 More
  • Received 10 January 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.87.094506

©2013 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

S. Demirdiş

  • Laboratoire des Solides Irradiés, CNRS UMR 7642 & CEA-DSM-IRAMIS, Ecole Polytechnique, F-91128 Palaiseau cedex, France

Y. Fasano

  • Laboratorio de Bajas Temperaturas, Centro Atómico Bariloche & Instituto Balseiro, Avenida Bustillo 9500, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina

S. Kasahara and T. Terashima

  • Research Center for Low Temperature & Materials Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan

T. Shibauchi and Y. Matsuda

  • Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan

Marcin Konczykowski

  • Laboratoire des Solides Irradiés, CNRS UMR 7642 & CEA-DSM-IRAMIS, Ecole Polytechnique, F–91128 Palaiseau cedex, France

H. Pastoriza

  • Laboratorio de Bajas Temperaturas, Centro Atómico Bariloche & Instituto Balseiro, Avenida Bustillo 9500, 8400 Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina

C. J. van der Beek

  • Laboratoire des Solides Irradiés, CNRS UMR 7642 & CEA-DSM-IRAMIS, Ecole Polytechnique, F 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 87, Iss. 9 — 1 March 2013

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review B

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×