Stitching of fluxoids parallel to the superconducting sheet in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ

Abstract In the two-dimensional superconductor Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+ δ , the fluxoids parallel to the superconducting plane can move freely along the plane, but when on an incline in relation to the plane their movement is impeded by pinned pancake vortices. This behavior was studied in detail in the present study based on rf susceptibility measurements. The relaxation time for depinning was evaluated as a function of temperature and field by swinging crystals in a magnetic field in the proximity of the plane. The contribution of vortex–antivortex annihilation to the liberation of fluxoids is also discussed.