LOGARITHMIC RELAXATION IN THE LEVITATION FORCE IN A MAGNET-HIGH TC-SUPERCONDUCTOR SYSTEM

The dynamic response of the levitation force between a permanent magnet and a bulk YBCO superconductor when subjected to a sudden motion-induced step in the magnetic field has been measured. It is found that the levitation force relaxes logarithmically with time. Assuming that force and magnetization behave similarly, the rate of decay can be interpreted in terms of a thermally activated flux creep with a depinning activation energy of U0 = 0.20 eV. A replot of previously published results for melt-quenched YBCO also demonstrates that also in this material the force relaxation is characterized by a logarithmic decay.