Flux pinning properties and magnetic relaxation of superconducting SmFe _0.9Co _0.1AsO

Magnetic Co ion doped SmFeAsO polycrystal was synthesized via solid-state reaction. Resistivity, SEM and magnetic hysteresis loops (MHLs) were measured to investigate magnetic properties of the sample. Critical current densities as well as the flux pinning forces densities were estimated from MHLs. This paper reports for the first time the research of superconducting MHLs as well as magnetic relaxation properties of SmFe _0.9Co _0.1AsO. Results suggest that: (i) A tail effect in the resistivity measurement together with the rapid decrease in critical current densities at low fields shows the evidence for granularity of the sample; (ii) The asymmetry of the MHLs may be caused by the BeanLivingstone (BL) surface pinning or granular nature, and none of theoretical models are suitable to the scaling behaviors of flux pinning forces densities; (iii) The anomalous tendency of the temperature dependence of magnetic relaxation rate as well as the effective pinning energy were observed, which may be attributed to the competition between the bulk pinning and the BL surface pinning.