The second peak effect and vortex pinning mechanisms in Ba(Fe,Ni)2As2 superconductors

Vortex pinning mechanisms have been studied systematically in BaFe1.9Ni0.1As2 single crystal as a function of temperature and magnetic field. The obtained shielding current density, Js, showed a second peak in the intermediate magnetic field range at high temperatures. The temperature dependence of the shielding current density, Js(T), was analysed within the collective pinning model at different magnetic fields. It was found that the second peak reflects the coexistence of both δl pinning, reflecting spatial variation in the mean free path (l), and δTc pinning, reflecting spatial variation in the superconducting critical temperature (Tc) at low temperature and low magnetic fields in BaFe1.9Ni0.1As2 single crystal. The results clearly show that pinning mechanism effects are strongly temperature and magnetic field dependent, and the second peak effect is more powerful at higher temperatures and magnetic fields. It was also found that the magnetic field mainly controls the pinning mechanism effect.