Characterizing Type II Superconducting Thin Films through Magnetic Moment Measurements*

Superconductors are materials that, when cooled below a certain critical temperature Tc, conduct electricity without resistance. The use of zero resistance materials in fields like computer engineering, transportation, and medical technology would revolutionize current possibilities. However, the warmest Tcs are currently hundreds of degrees below freezing, making their integration into everyday life impractical. To approach this problem, labs across the globe are working to characterize superconductors and their behaviors. 

Type II superconducting thin films are of special interest to researchers due to their relatively high Tc values and susceptibility to property tuning. The Bean Kim model is a widely accepted theory explaining the magnetization of type II superconductors.  However, it fails to explain the development of the magnetic moments in these thin films after zero-field cooling below critical temperatures.

To better understand this divergence, our team is working to characterize a series of type II superconducting thin films with varying coherence lengths and penetration depths. Studying a diverse range of materials will help reveal possible correlations between a film’s parameters and its response to magnetic field changes after zero field cooling.