Intrinsic and extrinsic pinning in NdFeAs(O,F): vortex trapping and lock-in by the layered structure

Fe-based superconductors (FBS) present a large variety of compounds whose properties are affected to different extents by their crystal structures. Amongst them, the REFeAs(O,F) (RE1111, RE being a rare-earth element) is the family with the highest critical temperature T_c but also with a large anisotropy and Josephson vortices as demonstrated in the flux-flow regime in Sm1111 (T_c ∼ 55 K). Here we focus on the pinning properties of the lower-T_c Nd1111 in the flux-creep regime. We demonstrate that for H//c critical current density J_c at high temperatures is dominated by point-defect pinning centres, whereas at low temperatures surface pinning by planar defects parallel to the c-axis and vortex shearing prevail. When the field approaches the ab-planes, two different regimes are observed at low temperatures as a consequence of the transition between 3D Abrikosov and 2D Josephson vortices: one is determined by the formation of a vortex-staircase structure and one by lock-in of vortices parallel to the layers. This is the first study on FBS showing this behaviour in the full temperature, field, and angular range and demonstrating that, despite the lower T_c and anisotropy of Nd1111 with respect to Sm1111, this compound is substantially affected by intrinsic pinning generating a strong ab-peak in J_c.