Current-voltage characteristics of YBa2Cu3O7−x single crystals and Kosterlitz-Thouless transition

The nonlinear I-V characteristic (V(I)) of YBa₂Cu₃O_7−x single crystal was investigated near the transition from the resistive to the superconducting state in the absence of a magnetic field. A modulation Fourier analysis at temperature T* (the maximum of the amplitudes of the higher (n>1) harmonics of the response voltage) was used to determine an analytic dependence V(I) which accurately describes the experimental results (direct measurements and harmonics) in the range of currents I<30 mA (j<310 A/cm²). It is shown that at T* the power approximation of the I-V characteristic V∼I ³ is only found in the low current density limit (j≪j ₀=140 A/cm²). The results are interpreted in terms of the Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) transition model. It is established that T* corresponds to the temperature of the KT transition T _KT, which means that T _KT can be determined directly. The deviation of V(I) from a power dependence is caused by the nonlogarithmic variation of the vortex interaction energy as a function of the distance between them. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 202–204 (February 1998)