Angular-dependent I-V characteristics in borocarbide superconductor YNi(2)B(2)C

Area of Science:

• Condensed matter physics
• Superconductivity research
• Materials science

Background:

• Borocarbide superconductors like YNi(2)B(2)C exhibit complex vortex matter phases.
• Understanding the nature of the vortex-glass irreversible line is crucial for applications in superconducting devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the angular dependence of current-voltage (I-V) characteristics in YNi(2)B(2)C single crystals.
• To determine critical exponents and transition temperatures near the vortex-glass irreversible line.
• To differentiate between vortex-glass and Bose-glass transition models.

Main Methods:

• Angular-dependent current-voltage (I-V) measurements were performed on YNi(2)B(2)C single crystals.
• External magnetic fields were applied at various angles relative to the c-axis.
• Scaling analysis was employed to analyze nonlinear I-V curves near the transition.

Main Results:

• Nonlinear I-V curves exhibited clear scaling behavior near the transition.
• Critical exponents and vortex transition temperatures were successfully determined for all measured orientations.
• The experimental data demonstrated excellent agreement with the predictions of the vortex-glass (VG) model.

Conclusions:

• The study confirms the applicability of the vortex-glass model to YNi(2)B(2)C single crystals.
• No evidence supporting a Bose-glass (BG) type of transition was observed in the studied angular regimes.
• The results provide valuable insights into the vortex dynamics and phase transitions in borocarbide superconductors.