Analysis of magnetization relaxation in MgB2 bulk samples obtained by electric-field assisted sintering

Abstract The relaxation of the irreversible magnetization of MgB2 bulk samples obtained by electric-field assisted sintering was investigated using the SQUID magnetometry for a magnetic field H up to 50 kOe applied in zero-field-cooling conditions. We observed a crossover plastic creep at high temperatures T-elastic creep at low T, described by H ∝ T−2 in the low T range, which appears to be caused by the macroscopic currents induced in the sample during magnetization measurements. By decreasing T below this line the determined creep exponent rapidly overcomes the widely accepted theoretical values for elastic (collective) pinning. This behaviour can easily be explained through the occurren…