Mathematical model of flux relaxation phenomenon

The investigations on the flux relaxation phenomenon of a type-II superconductor are important because they provide the information about the flux pinning ability and current-carrying ability of the superconductor. However, a unified theory of flux relaxation is currently unavailable. Here, I present a general mathematical model of the flux relaxation. In this model, I proposed a series expansion to the activation energy and derived a general formula for the current decay behavior. In the light of these formulas, I can analyze the experimental data on the current decay behavior and then calculate the activation energy of a vortex system without subjecting to any special conditions. The results are accurate for the current decay measurements from a Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x superconductor. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3481025]