Normal-superconducting transition induced by high current densities in YBa2Cu3O7-d melt-textured samples and thin films: Similarities and differences

Current-voltage characteristics of top seeded melt-textured YBa2Cu3O7-d are presented. The samples were cut out of centimetric monoliths. Films characteristics were also measured on microbridges patterned on thin films grown by dc sputtering. For both types of samples, a quasi-discontinuity or quenching was observed for a current density J* several times the critical current density Jc. Though films and bulks much differ in their magnitude of both Jc and J*, a proposal is made as to a common intrinsic origin of the quenching phenomenon. The unique temperature dependence observed for the ratio J*/Jc, as well as the explanation of the pre-quenching regime in terms of a single dissipation model lend support to our proposal.