Giant magnetic flux jumps in single crystals of Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2

Giant magnetic flux jumps are observed in magnetic hysteresis loops of Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2 single crystals. The size of the flux jumps, which appear only at low temperatures (T<4 >K), is so large that it can transform the whole superconducting state into the normal state. The recovery rate to the superconducting state is rather slow, although the superconducting state is almost fully recovered. We show that theoretical predictions based on the adiabatic approach with nonlocal electrodynamics give a good explanation of the flux jumps observed in the single crystals of Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2.