Flux quantum tunneling effect and its influence on the experimental critical current density

By using magnetic sweeping method, the temperature and magnetic field dependencies of the experimental current density and the normalized relaxation rate have been obtained. The true critical current density corresponding to the zero activation energy has been carried out based on the collective-pinning and the thermally-activated flux motion models, and therefore the influences of the quantum tunneling effect and the thermal activation effect on the experimental critical current density are distinguished. It is found that, with temperature lower than 10 K, the relaxation rate will not drop to zero when T approaches zero K because of the occurrence of the flux quantum tunneling. This additional flux motion further reduces the experimental critical current density j making it saturated with lowering temperature.