Correlation of Intermediate Ion Energy Induced Extended Defect Continuity to Enhanced Pinning Potential in Tl-2212 Films

ABSTRACTLattice defects are introduced into the structure to suppress the motion of magnetic vortices and enhance the critical current density in high temperature superconductors. Point defects are not very effective pinning sites for the cuprate superconductors; however, extended defects, such as linear tracks, have been shown to be strong pinning sites. We study the superconducting cuprate TI-2212 (the numbers designate Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu stoichiometry). Large enhancements of vortex pinning potential were observed in TI-2212 after high-intermediate energy heavy-ion irradiations where non-continuous extended defects were induced at dE/dx of 9 to 15.2 keV/nm (60 MeV Au, 60 MeV Cu, and 30 MeV Au) and continuous linear defects were induced at 19.5keV/nm (88MeV Au). Our research addresses the question of pinning in highly anisotropic materials like Tl-2212 where the vortices are “pancakes” rather than “rods” and suitable defect structures may be discontinuous extended damage domains. The defect microstructure and the effectiveness of the pinning potential in TI-2212 after irradiation by intermediate energy Au at lower dE/dx of 5–15 keV/nm, where recoils are more significant, is studied using high resolution transmission electron microscopy digital imaging and a SQUID magnetometer. The nature of the ion irradiation damage at these intermediate dE/dx will be correlated to the average vortex pinning potential and the TRIMRC calculations for recoils.