Vortex-creep activation energy in YBa2Cu3O7/PrBa2Cu3O7 superlattices

YBa2Cu3O7/PrBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO/PBCO) superlattices with a different ratio of the superconducting and insulating layer thicknesses were prepared by high pressure dc sputtering. The vortex-creep activation energy U0 was determined by analyzing the in-plane resistive transition of 200 μm wide bridges with the external magnetic field B oriented along the c axis. It was found that U0 is proportional to the thickness of the YBCO layers, and does only weakly depend on the PBCO layer thickness, when the latter exceeds two unit cells. We observed a change in the variation of U0 with the current I in the specimen: U0 exhibits a plateau in the low-I region, then decreases significantly with increasing I. This behaviour is explained in terms of a crossover plastic vortex creep - elastic (collective) creep induced by the transport current.