Jamming in the vortex lattice of MgB2
The vortex lattice (VL) in the two-band superconductor MgB2 shows a large degree of metastabilty. Here the hexagonal VL rotates continuously as function of field and temperature, between the two high symmetry directions in the basal plane. Metastable VL phases can be created by heating or cooling the sample across the onset of the reorientation transition. For metastable VLs a transition to the ground state can be triggered by vortex motion induced e.g. by a small change of the magnetic field. Here we propose a SANS experiment to investigate the mechanism responsible for the VL metastability as well as the dynamics of the transition to the ground state. Careful field-cycling measurements shows that the transition to ground state is inconsistent with a simple Bean model, but that it can possibly be understood as a jamming phenomenon. Preliminary measurements using a transverse AC magnetic field to drive the VL to the ground state have shown a power law dependence on the number of cycles applied independent of frequency. This suggests a scaling behavior in further support of jamming as the mechanism responsible for the VL metastability. We propose to extend these measurements.
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M. R. Eskildsen; DEWHURST Charles; HLEVYACK Joseph and RASTOVSKI Catherine. (2012). Jamming in the vortex lattice of MgB2. Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) doi:10.5291/ILL-DATA.5-42-320
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