Vortex-creep activation energy in YBa2Cu3O7/PrBa2Cu3O7 superlattices

YBa₂Cu₃O₇/PrBa₂Cu₃O₇ (YBCO/PBCO) superlattices with a different ratio of the superconducting and insulating layer thicknesses were prepared by high pressure dc sputtering. The vortex-creep activation energy U₀ was determined by analyzing the in-plane resistive transition of 200 μm wide bridges with the external magnetic field B oriented along the c axis. It was found that U₀ is proportional to the thickness of the YBCO layers, and does only weakly depend on the PBCO layer thickness, when the latter exceeds two unit cells. We observed a change in the variation of U₀ with the current I in the specimen: U₀ exhibits a plateau in the low-I region, then decreases significantly with increasing I. This behaviour is explained in terms of a crossover plastic vortex creep – elastic (collective) creep induced by the transport current.     

Dynamics of the superconducting mixed state in YBa2Cu3O7-δ/PrBa2Cu3O7-δ superlattices in radio frequency regime

Epitaxial multilayers of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ and P₁Ba₂Cu₃O_7-δ have been deposited on (100) cut SrTiO₃ substrates using the technique of pulsed laser deposition. Standard ϑ-2ϑ X-ray diffraction measurements on the films showed excellent superlattice reflections. The mixed state of these superlattices has been probed through measurements of radio frequency penetration depth (λ) as a function of temperature (T), magnetic field (H) and it’s orientation (ϑ) with respect to the planes of the superlattices. These data reflect the two-dimensional nature of the mixed state in these systems.