DOE OSTI2019
We study the correlation between chemical composition and vortex dynamics in Ni-doped CaK(Fe 1–x Ni x ) 4 As 4 (x = 0, 0.015, 0.025, 0.03, and 0.05) single crystals by performing measurements of the critical current densities J c and the flux creep rates S . The magnetic relaxation of all the crystals is well described by the collective creep theory. The samples display a glassy exponent μ within the predictions for vortex bundles in a weak pinning scenario and relatively small characteristic pinning energy ( U 0 < 100K). The undoped crystals display modest J c values at low temperatures and high magnetic fields applied along the c axis. J c ( T ) dependences at high fields display an unusual peak. The enhancement in J c ( T ) matches with an increase in U 0 and the appearance of a second peak in the magnetization. As Ni doping increases, whereas there is a monotonic decrease in T c there is a nonmonotonic change in J c . Initially J c increases, reaching a maximum value for x = 0.015, and then J c decreases for x ≥ 0.025. This change in J c ( x ) is coincident with the onset of antiferromagnetic order. The magnetic field dependence of J c ( H ) also manifests a change in behavior between these x values. The analysis of the vortex dynamics for small and intermediate magnetic fields shows a gradual evolution in the glassy exponent μ with Ni content, x . As a result, this implies that there is no appreciable change in the mechanism that determines the vortex relaxation.
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗