Imaging the effect of drive on the low-field vortex melting phenomenon in Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2 single crystal

Self-field imaging of current distribution in Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2 superconductor is used to study the effect of drive on the low-field vortex solid to liquid melting phase transformation. At low fields, the current induced drive on the vortices aids in thermally destabilizing the vortex state thereby shifting the low field melting phase boundary. We show that the current induced drive shifts solid-liquid boundaries and prepones the vortex melting phenomenon compared to the equilibrium situation. The analysis shows that for currents above 50 mA, Joule heating effects shift the melting line while below 50 mA, an effective temperature concept for driven system viz., a drive dependent shaking temperature, explains the shift. The observation of a transformation from inhomogeneous to homogeneous current flow in the sample at low fields as a function of the driving force is reconciled via an inverse dependence of the shaking temperature on vortex velocity, which is incorporated in our analysis.

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