# Far-infrared magnetotransmission of YBa2(ZnxCu1-x)3O7-δ thin films

## Abstract

Measurements of the far infrared magnetotransmission of YBa<sub>2</sub>(Zn<sub>x</sub>Cu<sub>1-x</sub>)<sub>3</sub>O<sub>7-δ</sub> thin film ($`x`$ 0.025) deposited on a wedged MgO substrate are reported. The application of magnetic field perpendicular to the $`ab`$ plane produces at low temperature a linear increase of transmission for frequencies below $``$ 30 cm<sup>-1</sup>. We present a model of high frequency vortex dynamics which qualitatively explains these results.

There is a widespread agreement that high frequency conductivity is influenced by a vortex dynamics. It is estimated that the main characteristic frequencies of the vortex system are in the far infrared (FIR) region. It makes FIR magneto-optics a suitable tool to study vortex dynamics. In spite of its importance only a few experimental data can be found in the literature (see e.g. ). Here, the results of the FIR transmission measurements made on a Zn doped YBaCuO thin film in magnetic fields up to 5.4 T are reported and explained by a new vortex dynamics model.

The measurements were performed at several frequencies from 13.5 to 142.9 $`\mathrm{cm}^1`$ on the high quality thin film YBa<sub>2</sub>(Zn<sub>x</sub>Cu<sub>1-x</sub>)<sub>3</sub>O<sub>7-δ</sub> prepared by the laser ablation deposition on a wedged MgO substrate. From the critical temperature $`T_\mathrm{c}=64.3\mathrm{K}`$ the parameter $`x`$ was estimated as $`x0.025`$. The dependence of the far-infrared transmission on the magnetic field apllied perpendicularly to the $`ab`$ plane was acquired on our laser based spectrophotometer FIRM described in details earlier . The radiation transmitted through the sample kept at temperature 3 K is measured by a silicon bolometer; stability of the laser line is monitored by a pyroelectric detector. Measurement of a wire mesh proved that bolometer is not influenced by a stray magnetic field. The field was swept slowly at a rate of 1 T/min. Equilibrium conditions were preserved as evidenced by the coincidence of the relative transmittance monitored with increasing and decreasing magnetic field - see Fig. 1.

The frequency dependence of the transmission slope $`\frac{Tr(B)Tr(0)}{BTr(0)}`$ is displayed in Fig. 2. For frequencies below $`30\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}^1`$ it is positive, at frequency of $`85\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}^1`$ it is negative, whereas at $`143\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}^1`$ hardly any field dependence was observed.

This behaviour can qualitatively be explained by our model of vortex dynamics . At low temperatures the influence of normal state fluid may be neglected, so that the electrodynamic responce is determined by vortices and superconducting fluid. Equations of motion of these two mutually interacting subsytems may be written as

$$m\dot{𝐯}_\mathrm{s}=e𝐄\omega _\mathrm{c}(𝐯_\mathrm{s}𝐯_\mathrm{L})\times 𝐳,$$
(1)   
$$m\dot{𝐯}_\mathrm{L}=\alpha ^2𝐫_\mathrm{L}\frac{1}{\tau _\mathrm{L}}𝐯_\mathrm{L}+\mathrm{\Omega }(𝐯_\mathrm{s}𝐯_\mathrm{L})\times 𝐳,$$
(2)   
where $`𝐫_\mathrm{L}`$ and $`𝐯_\mathrm{L}`$ are the position and velocity of the vortex lattice, while $`𝐯_\mathrm{s}`$ is velocity of the superconducting fluid. The interaction of superconducting fluid and the vortex lattice is mediated by the Magnus force with $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ and $`\omega _\mathrm{c}`$ being angular frequency of the circular vortex motion and cyclotron frequency of the superconducting fluid. Pinning force and vortex damping are characterised by pinning frequency $`\alpha `$ and vortex relaxation time $`\tau _\mathrm{v}`$.

Solving these two equations for the right (+) and left (-) hand polarized mode and using the expression for the current $`𝐣=n_\mathrm{s}e𝐯_\mathrm{s}=\sigma 𝐄`$ the conductivity $`\sigma ^\pm `$ may be expressed as

$$\sigma ^\pm =ϵ_0\omega _p^2\frac{\pm \omega /\tau _v\mathrm{i}(\alpha ^2\omega ^2\pm \mathrm{\Omega }\omega )}{(\pm \omega \omega _\mathrm{c})(\alpha ^2\omega ^2\pm \mathrm{i}\omega /\tau _\mathrm{v})+\mathrm{\Omega }\omega ^2}$$
(3)   
where $`\omega _\mathrm{p}`$ is plasma frequency. For linearly polarized light used in the experiment the transmission coefficient may be expressed as $`Tr=|\frac{1}{2}(t^++t^{})|^2`$ where $`t^\pm `$ are the transmission amplitudes given by $`t^\pm =\frac{n+1}{Z_0d\sigma ^\pm +n+1}`$. Here $`d=150`$ nm is the film thickness, $`n=4`$ is refractive index of the substrate and $`Z_0=377\mathrm{o}\mathrm{h}\mathrm{m}`$ is impedance of the free space. Using parameters displayed as insert in Fig. 2, the experimental and calculated data are in good agreement.

###### Acknowledgements.

The authors thank to M.Jelinek for the sample preparation. This work was supported by MŠMT program ”KONTAKT ME 160 (1998)”.