Amplitude and frequency dependence of hysteresis loss in a magnet-superconductor levitation system

Using an electromagnetically controlled mechanical pendulum, we measured the energy loss for different amplitudes in a magnetic levitation system that contained high temperature superconductors (HTSs). Two procedures were followed to measure losses at 77 K for frequencies of 93.8 mHz to 80 Hz. In the first procedure, the distance between the permanent magnet and the HTS levitator was the same as that during (field) cooling. In the second procedure, the magnet was lowered (after cooling) closer to the HTS levitator before the measurements were performed. The experimental data show that these two procedures give essentially the same results at the same distance despite different cooling (and magnetization) histories for melt-textured YBaCuO levitators, and the frequency-independent energy loss is a power-law function of amplitude. We attribute the energy loss to magnetic hysteresis in the superconductor. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics