Influence of the shielding currents lengthscale and anisotropy effects on the magnetic flux profiles of high-temperature superconductors

The so-called "magnetic flux profile" AC inductive technique is a powerful method for determining the critical current density Jc of bulk superconductors. In this work we aim at reporting analytical expressions for magnetic flux profiles of superconducting rectangular samples exhibiting a critical current density anisotropy. The results are used for examining the error resulting from approximating a rectangular cross-section by an "infinite cylinder" or "infinite slab" geometry. It is found that such approximations can lead to an artificial curvature of the flux profiles and errors of 10%–20% in the determination of Jc. Next, the effects of how planar defects (cracks, platelet boundaries,...) affect the magnetic flux profile signal are discussed. It is found that the magnetic flux profiles are much sensitive to the lengthscale of shielding currents, thereby providing means of investigation of the typical size of induced current loops in bulk superconductors. Finally some illustrative flux profile data measured on a bulk, large grain melt-processed YBCO single domain exhibiting Jc anisotropy are presented and discussed in relation with theoretical predictions.