Slow Vortex Creep Induced by Strong Grain Boundary Pinning in Advanced Ba122 Superconducting Tapes*

Abstract

We report the temperature, magnetic field and time dependences of magnetization in advanced Ba122 superconducting tapes. The sample exhibits peculiar vortex creep behavior. Below 10 K, the normalized magnetization relaxation rate S = dln(−M)/dln(t) shows a temperature-insensitive plateau with a value comparable to that of low-temperature superconductors, which can be explained within the framework of collective creep theory. It then enters into a second collective creep regime when the temperature increases. Interestingly, the relaxation rate below 20K tends to reach saturation with increasing the field. However, it changes to a power law dependence on the field at a higher temperature. A vortex phase diagram composed of the collective and the plastic creep regions is shown. Benefiting from the strong grain boundary pinning, the advanced Ba122 superconducting tape has potential to be applied not only in liquid helium but also in liquid hydrogen or at temperatures accessible with cryocoolers.