Unusual dc electric fields induced by a high frequency alternating current in superconducting Nb films under a perpendicular magnetic field

We report a systematic study of dc electric fields produced by sinusoidal high frequency ac currents in Nb superconducting films subject to a constant magnetic field perpendicular to the film plane. At frequencies in the 100 kHz to MHz range appears a new rectification effect which has not been previously observed at lower frequencies. We have observed the dc electric field generated in this regime in films without intentionally created anisotropic pinning centres, i.e. plain films, both in strip geometry as in crossshape geometry, and also in films with symmetric periodic pinning centres. The electric field appears in both directions along and transverse to the alternating current and is essentially different at opposite film sides. It depends strongly on the intensity of the magnetic field and may exceed by nearly an order of magnitude the rectified electric fields recently reported at lower frequencies (few kHz) in systems with artificially induced anisotropic vortex pinning. The effect has a non-monotonic dependence on the drive current frequency, being maximum around a few 100 kHz to MHz, and shows a complicated temperature dependence. It is found to be different in long strips and cross shape samples. In the case of films with symmetric periodic pinning centres the rectified voltage 3 Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed. New Journal of Physics 11 (2009) 063033 1367-2630/09/063033+19$30.00 © IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft