CURRENT-VOLTAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF LONG BI2SR2CA2CU3O10 AG MULTIFILAMENTARY TAPES AT DIFFERENT BENDING STRAINS/

The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of long Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10/Ag ( Bi:2223) multifilamentary tapes with different bending strains were me asured in a large range of dissipation (10(-12)-10(-3) V/cm). The expe rimental data were successfully interpreted in terms of current-induce d unbinding of the thermally-created vortex-antivortex pairs by taking into account the size limitation of vortex fluctuations. It was found that the shape of the I-V curves can be explained by the contribution s to the dissipation of superconducting intergrain contacts having dif ferent qualities (i.e. different critical currents) and by the appeara nce of micro-cracks during the bending process. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scie nce B.V.