Interrelation between persistent photoconductivity and oxygen order in GdBa2Cu3Ox thin films

Abstract

We study the metastable states induced by photoexcitation, oxygen disorder, and both effects combined, in superconducting GdBa2Cu3Ox thin films. The states are identified by the temperature dependence of the resistivity. The relaxation dynamics is characterized through the time evolution of the conductivity. The results show that photoexcitation and oxygen disorder behave as noninteracting and do not cancel each other out. However, in both cases the relaxation dynamics is related to oxygen movement.