Modulated microwave absorption in single crystal Bi–Sr–Ca–Cu–O

Modulated microwave absorption measurements at 9.3 GHz were made on the low field absorption observed in the superconducting phase of Bi–Sr–Ca–Cu–O. The line intensity observed with a low modulation amplitude of 50 mOe showed a maximum between 70 K and 80 K and dropped to zero near 95 K. With a modulation amplitude of 10 Oe, an additional broad line absorption was observed above 88 K, peaking in intensity near 95 K, and disappearing above 100 K. Hysteresis, associated with flux trapping, occurred when the maximum field Hmax in a sweep cycle exceeded a critical value H*(T), which varied from about 7 Oe at 59 K to 1 Oe at 82 K. For Hmax > H*, the hysteresis splitting at first varied linearly with (Hmax – H*), later saturating at a value δHmax(T). Above 70 K, the relationship δHmax = b(T0 – T) was obeyed with T0 = 92.3 K and b· = −0.3 Oe/K for H perpendicular and b· = −0.23 Oe/K for H parallel to the c-axis.