Flux-flow induced Nernst effect in superconducting YBaCuO films

The thermal force due to a temperature gradient results in a flux motion from the hot to the cold end of a superconductor and in the generation of the Nernst voltage VN perpendicular to the direction of the temperature gradient and magnetic field. Measurements of VN are expected to contribute significantly to the understanding of the physics of flux flow and flux pinning. We report on the first observation of the flux-flow induced Nernst effect in a high- Tc superconductor, using polycrystalline YBaCuO films.