Publications Repository - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

The performance of iron-based superconductors in high magnetic fields plays an important role for their practical application. In this work, we measured the magnetostriction and magnetization of BaFe_1.908Ni_0.092As₂ single crystals using pulsed magnetic fields up to 60 T and static magnetic fields up to 33 T, respectively. A huge longitudinal magnetostriction (of the order of 10^–4) was observed in the direction of twin boundaries. The magnetization measurements evidence a high critical-current density due to strong bulk pinning. By using magnetization data with an exponential flux-pinning model, we can reproduce the magnetostriction curves qualitatively. This result shows that the magnetostriction of BaFe_1.908Ni_0.092As₂ can be well explained by a flux-pinning-induced mechanism.