Towards universal magnetization curves in the superconducting state of RuSr2GdCu2O8

Abstract

Whereas resistivity and ac susceptibility measurements on the magnetic (Tm ~ 130 K) superconductor (Tc,onset ~ 50 K) RuSr2GdCu2O8 (Ru-1212Gd) reported by different research groups reveal a universal behavior in its superconducting state, this is not the case with the superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetization measurements. The reported SQUID measurements in the superconducting state of Ru-1212Gd reveal a variety of behaviors, leaving the question of bulk superconductivity for this compound open. We review several of the reported behaviors by presenting measurements done on our samples belonging to the same batch. Based on the observed sensitivity of Ru-1212Gd to magnetic field inhomogeneities when it is moved in the superconducting magnet of the SQUID magnetometer during the measurements, we suggest that the reported different behaviors can be the result of different field profiles in the superconducting magnet and not of different superconducting properties. In order to avoid the artifacts arising from moving the sample in an inhomogeneous field, we did measurements on a stationary Ru-1212Gd sample employing a home made SQUID magnetometer. The measured curves showed none of the suspicious ``symptoms'' present in the curves measured with a magnetometer employing sample movement (e.g. no reversal of the features observed in the superconducting state of Ru-1212Gd by a field reversal) and if verified by measurements on stationary samples by other groups a universal behavior in the superconducting state of Ru-1212Gd can be revealed by the SQUID measurements too. Our considerations support the existence of bulk superconductivity for Ru-1212Gd.

21 pages, 9 figures

References in corpus (8)

• Coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity in the hybrid ruthenate-cuprate compound RuSr_2GdCu_2O_8 studied by muon spin rotation (μSR) and DC-magnetization
• Spin Glass Behavior in RuSr2Gd1.5Ce0.5Cu2O10
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• Superconducting properties of RuSr2GdCu2O8 studied by SQUID magnetometry

Cited by in corpus (3)

• The Ruthenocuprates - Natural Superconductor-Ferromagnet Multilayers
• Critical fields and spontaneous vortex state in the weak-ferromagnetic superconductor RuSr2GdCu2O8
• On the dc Magnetization, Spontaneous Vortex State and Specific Heat in the superconducting state of the weakly ferromagnetic superconductor RuSr${}_2$GdCu${}_2$O${}_8$