Observation of the flux-antiflux boundary propagation during magnetization reversal in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ with single vortex resolution -: art. no. 012507

Snapshots of the flux distribution during magnetization reversal of a high-temperature superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta single crystal in the presence of artificial columnar defects were recorded using magnetic force microscopy. Thereby, the flux-antiflux boundary width and its displacement by annihilation of individual vortex-antivortex pairs could be visualized. In general the flux density follows Bean's model. However, step dislocations with a strongly anisotropic pinning behavior lead locally to a nonmonotonous flux distribution and result in a delay of the boundary propagation. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.