Flux flow properties of niobium thin films in clean and dirty superconducting limits

Abstract

Flux flow properties for clean and dirty superconducting limits in strong pinning niobium films are studied. Measurements of electric field vs current density characteristics at high $J$ values $(J\ensuremath{\simeq}{10}^{6}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{A}∕{\mathrm{cm}}^{2})$ are successfully compared to theoretical models of flux flow and of flux flow instability in a large range of temperatures and magnetic fields. The nonlinear regime at high dissipation is analysed in the frame of a modified Larkin Ovchinnikov model that takes into account a quasiparticles heating effect. This model elaborated by Bezuglyj and Shklovskij (BS) defines a transition magnetic field ${B}_{t}$ above which the quasiparticles distribution became nonuniform due to a finite heat removal from the substrate. From the BS model, we can deduce values of the nonequilibrium lifetime of quasiparticles ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathrm{qp}}$, which are 10 to 100 times shorter in the dirty sample compared to the clean one and whose temperature dependance is specific to the electronic nature of the Nb film. The study of the nonlinear regime provides also a quantitative determination of the thermal transparency of the film-substrate interface.