Flux cloning in Josephson transmission lines

We describe a novel effect related to the controlled birth of a single Josephson vortex. In this phenomenon, the vortex is created in a Josephson transmission line at a T-shaped junction. The "baby" vortex arises at the moment when a "mother" vortex propagating in the adjacent transmission line passes the T-shaped junction. In order to give birth to a new vortex, the mother vortex must have enough kinetic energy. Its motion can also be supported by an externally applied driving current. We determine the critical velocity and the critical driving current for the creation of the baby vortices and briefly discuss the potential applications of the found effect.     

Magnetic vortex gyration mediated by point-contact position

Micromagnetic simulation is employed to study the gyration motion of magnetic vortices in distinct permalloy nanodisks driven by a spin-polarized current. The critical current density for magnetic vortex gyration, eigenfrequency, trajectory, velocity and the time for a magnetic vortex to obtain the steady gyration are analyzed. Simulation results reveal that the magnetic vortices in larger and thinner nanodisks can achieve a lower-frequency gyration at a lower current density in a shorter time. However, the magnetic vortices in thicker nanodisks need a higher current density and longer time to attain steady gyration but with a higher eigenfrequency. We also find that the point-contact position exerts different influences on these parameters in different nanodisks, which contributes to the control of the magnetic vortex gyration. The conclusions of this paper can serve as a theoretical basis for designing nano-oscillators and microwave frequency modulators.     

Vortex collisions: crossing or recombination?

We investigate the collision of two vortex lines moving with viscous dynamics and driven towards each other by an applied current. Using London theory in the approach phase we observe a nontrivial vortex conformation producing antiparallel segments; their attractive interaction triggers a violent collision. The collision region is analyzed using the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation. While we find that vortices will always recombine through the exchange of segments, a crossing channel appears naturally through a double collision process.     

Phase fluctuations and pseudogap phenomena

This article reviews the current status of precursor superconducting phase fluctuations as a possible mechanism for pseudogap formation in high-temperature superconductors. In particular we compare this approach which relies on the two-dimensional nature of the superconductivity to the often used T-matrix approach. Starting from simple pairing Hamiltonians we present a broad pedagogical introduction to the BCS–Bose crossover problem. The finite temperature extension of these models naturally leads to a discussion of the Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless superconducting transition and the related phase diagram including the effects of quantum phase fluctuations and impurities. We stress the differences between simple Bose–BCS crossover theories and the current approach where one can have a large pseudogap region even at high carrier density where the Fermi surface is well-defined. Green's function and its associated spectral function, which explicitly show non-Fermi liquid behavior, is constructed in the presence of vortices. Finally different mechanisms including quasi-particle–vortex and vortex–vortex interactions for the filling of the gap above T_c are considered.     

Jamming and diode effects for vortices in nanostructured superconductors

We examine jamming and ratchet effects for vortex matter in superconductors with asymmetric funnel geometries. We show that the vortex–vortex interactions can induce a clogging or jamming effect where it becomes increasingly difficult for the vortices to move through the system. We also find that commensurability effects can arise when certain vortex configurations form highly symmetrical structures in the funnel plaquettes. Due to the asymmetry, the critical currents are different for driving in different directions, leading to a diode effect. We also discuss other possible geometries and approaches that could be used to explore jamming in vortex matter, such as an analog to a granular hopper and a single driven vortex probe moving through an array of other vortices.     

Critical dynamics associated with dynamic disordering near the depinning transition in different vortex phases

We study a depinning transition based on transient dynamics of vortices driven by a suddenly applied dc current, focusing on whether a difference in the equilibrium vortex phase that can lead to a different vortex flow will change the critical behavior. After preparing an ordered initial vortex configuration, we measure the time evolution of voltage associated with dynamic disordering in three magnetic fields, corresponding to the ordered phase (OP), disordered phase (DP), and coexistence phase. The critical behavior of the depinning transition is commonly observed in these phases, pointing to the universality of the transition. However, the critical behavior is most marked in the coexistence phase, while the suppression of the critical region and that of dynamic disordering are observed in OP and DP, respectively, whose origin is attributed to the different flow states among these phases.     

Rectified vortex motion in an Nb film with a spacing-graded array of holes

Superconducting Nb thin films with a spacing-graded array of holes were prepared by electron beam lithography. Two films with different hole gradients were fabricated. The ac-driven vortices were investigated in Nb superconductors with a spacing-graded array of holes. The measurements revealed pronounced rectified voltage when the vortex lattice is driven by an ac injected current. The rectified voltage is mainly caused by the strength of the vortex–vortex interaction. The rectified motion of a vortex is affected by the pinning potential of the spacing-graded array and the applied magnetic field. The vortex–vortex interaction strength changes the effective pinning landscape of the vortices and an asymmetric potential is formed. Vortices depin easily from high concentration to low concentration of pinning sites. In both samples, the ac-driven vortices exhibit a variety of dynamical responses and the rectified voltage is tunable with the applied magnetic field.     

Preturbulent regimes in graphene flow

We provide numerical evidence that electronic preturbulent phenomena in graphene could be observed, under current experimental conditions, through current fluctuations, echoing the detachment of vortices past localized micron-sized impurities. Vortex generation, due to micron-sized constriction, is also explored with special focus on the effects of relativistic corrections to the normal Navier-Stokes equations. These corrections are found to cause a delay in the stability breakout of the fluid as well as a small shift in the vortex shedding frequency.     

Vortex deformation and breaking in superconductors: a microscopic description

Vortex breaking has traditionally been studied for non-uniform critical current densities, although it may also appear due to non-uniform pinning force distributions. In this article we study the case of a high-pinning/low-pinning/high-pinning layered structure. We have developed an elastic model for describing the deformation of a vortex in these systems in the presence of a uniform transport current density J for any arbitrary orientation of the transport current and the magnetic field. If J is above a certain critical value, J_c , the vortex breaks and a finite effective resistance appears. Our model can be applied to some experimental configurations where vortex breaking naturally exists. This is the case for YBa₂Cu₃O_7?δ (YBCO) low-angle grain boundaries and films on vicinal substrates, where the breaking is experienced by Abrikosov–Josephson vortices (AJV) and Josephson string vortices (SV), respectively. With our model, we have experimentally extracted some intrinsic parameters of the AJV and SV, such as the line tension ? _l and compared it to existing predictions based on the vortex structure.     

高温超导体磁通钉扎和磁通动力学研究简介

ψ=ψ0eiφ行为用统一的波函数进行描述,其相位φ在宏观尺度上是相同的.当磁场低于一定值的时候,在超Φ0=h/2e保证最大的界面面积,降低系统能量.该最小的磁通束被称为磁通量子,其磁通量是(h为普朗克超导态是一个宏观量子相干态,其载流子是库珀对.在没有外加磁场和电流的时候,这些库珀对的运动导体的边界处穿透深度内会出现一...     

Application of nano-scale Josephson junction as phase sensitive detector for analysis of vortex states in mesoscopic superconductors

We study phase shifts in a Josephson junction induced by vortices in superconducting mesoscopic electrodes. The position of the vortices are controlled by suitable geometry of a nano-scale Nb–Pt_1−xNi_x–Nb junction of the overlap type made by Focused Ion Beam (FIB) sculpturing. The vortex is kept outside the junction, parallel to the junction plane. From the measured Fraunhofer characteristics the entrance and exit of vortices are detected. By changing the bias current through the junction at constant magnetic field the vortices can be manipulated and the system can be switched between two consecutive vortex states which are characterized by different critical currents of the junction. A mesoscopic superconductor thus acts as a non-volatile memory cell in which the junction is used both for reading and writing information (vortex). Furthermore, we observe that the critical current density of Nb–Pt_1−xNi_x–Nb junctions decreases non-monotonously with increasing Ni concentration. It exhibits a minimum at ∼40 at.% Ni, which is an indication of switching into the π state.     

Switching of vortex polarization in 2D easy-plane magnets by magnetic fields

We investigate the dynamics of out-of-plane (OP) vortices, in a 2-dimensional (2D) classical Heisenberg magnet with a weak anisotropy in the coupling of z-components of spins (easy plane anisotropy), on square lattices, under the influence of a rotating in-plane (IP) magnetic field. Switching of the z-component of magnetization of the vortex is studied in computer simulations as a function of the magnetic field's amplitude and frequency. The effects of the size and the anisotropy of the system on the switching process are shown. An approximate dynamical equivalence of the system, in the bulk limit, to another system with both IP and OP static fields in the rotating reference frame is demonstrated, and qualitatively the same switching and critical behavior is obtained in computer simulations for both systems. We briefly discuss the interplay between finite size effects (image vortices) and the applied field in the dynamics of OP vortices. In the framework of a discrete reduced model of the vortex core we propose a mechanism for switching the vortex polarization, which can account qualitatively for all our results. A coupling between the IP movement (trajectories) of the vortex center and the OP core structure oscillations, due to the discreteness of the underlying lattice, is shown. A connection between this coupling and our reduced model is made clear, through an analogy with a generalized Thiele equation. Received 6 June 2002 / Received in final form 4 November 2002 Published online 6 March 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: juan.zagorodny@uni-bayreuth.de     

Intrinsic and extrinsic vortex nucleation mechanisms in the flow

We propose very general vortex nucleation mechanisms[1] analogous to a hydrodynamic instability and calculate associated critical velocity in agreement with experiments. The creation of vortices via extrinsic mechanism is driven by a formation of the surface vorticity sheet created by the flow, which reaches a critical size. Such a sheet screens an attraction of a half-vortex ring to the wall, the barrier for the vortex nucleation disappears and the vortex nucleation is started. In the intrinsic mechanism the creation of a big vortex ring, which transforms into the vortex, is driven by a fluctuative generation of small vortex rings.     

Commensurability effects in the critical forces of a superconducting film with Kagomé pinning array at submatching fields

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we find the commensurability force peaks in a two-dimensional superconducting thin-film with a Kagomé pinning array. A transport force is applied in two mutually perpendicular directions, and the magnetic field is increased up to the first matching field. Usually the condition to have pronounced force peaks in systems with periodic pinning is associated to the rate between the applied magnetic field and the first matching field, it must be an integer or a rational fraction. Here, we show that another condition must be satisfied, the vortex ground state must be ordered. Our calculations show that the pinning size and strength may dramatically change the vortex ground state. Small pinning radius and high values of pinning strength may lead to disordered vortex configurations, which fade the critical force peaks. The critical forces show anisotropic behavior, but the same dependence on pinning strength and radius is observed for both driven force directions. Different to cases where the applied magnetic field is higher than the first matching field, here the depinning process begins with vortices weakly trapped on top of a pinning site and not with interstitial vortices. Our results are in good agreement with recent experimental results.     

Intrinsic and extrinsic vortex nucleation mechanisms in the flow

We propose very general vortex nucleation mechanisms[1] analogous to a hydrodynamic instability and calculate associated critical velocity in agreement with experiments. The creation of vortices via extrinsic mechanism is driven by a formation of the surface vorticity sheet created by the flow, which reaches a critical size. Such a sheet screens an attraction of a half-vortex ring to the wall, the barrier for the vortex nucleation disappears and the vortex nucleation is started. In the intrinsic mechanism the creation of a big vortex ring, which transforms into the vortex, is driven by a fluctuative generation of small vortex rings. Work supported by NORDITA and Landau Institute     

Dynamic vortex-antivortex interaction in a single cross-tie wall

A fascinating property of micromagnetism comes from the possibility to control the domain and vortex configuration through the sample shape and size. For instance, in a rectangular platelet a configuration containing a stable combination of vortices and an antivortex can be created. Such a single cross-tie wall can be understood as being a coupled micromagnetic system with three static solitons. Here we report on its magnetization dynamics including the vortex-antivortex interactions. The spectrum of eigenmodes is investigated as well as the effect of different vortex core orientations. We show that the vortex dynamics can be used to identify the core configuration, which is not directly accessible to x-ray microscopy because of its limited spatial resolution.     

Astigmatic telescopic transformation of a high-order optical vortex

Properties of an optical vortex light beam formed after the astigmatic telescopic transformation of a circular Laguerre-Gaussian mode are considered both theoretically and experimentally. The beam evolution is found to be in conformity with the general notions on the high-order optical vortex symmetry breakdown. Upon propagation, the asymmetric beam shows a sort of rotation of its transverse profile in accord with the energy circulation in the original circular mode; this process is described on the base of the beam intensity moments and the vortex and asymmetry components of its orbital angular momentum. An l-charged optical vortex converts into |l| secondary first-order vortices positioned on a straight line crossing the beam axis. Orientation of this straight line in the beam cross section and spatial separation of the secondary vortex cores depend on the propagation distance. Morphology (orientation and anisotropy) of all the secondary vortices is the same and depends on the propagation distance; the anisotropy can be characterized by the vortex component of the beam angular momentum. At certain distance, relative separation of secondary vortices with respect to the beam transverse size reaches its maximum that corresponds to the minimum anisotropy of the vortices. The results can be useful in the context of current research of the optical vortex arrays.     

Pair interactions of heavy vortices in quantum fluids

The dynamics of quantum vortex pairs carrying heavy doping matter trapped inside their cores is studied. The nonlinear classical matter field formalism is used to build a universal mathematical model of a heavy vortex applicable to different types of quantum mixtures. It is shown how the usual vortex dynamics typical for undoped pairs qualitatively changes when heavy dopants are used: heavy vortices with opposite topological charges (chiralities) attract each other, while vortices with the same charge are repelled. The force responsible for such behavior appears as a result of superposition of vortices velocity fields in the presence of doping substance and can be considered as a special realization of the Magnus effect. The force is evaluated quantitatively and its inverse proportionality to the distance is demonstrated. The mechanism described in this paper gives an example of how a light nonlinear classical field may realize repulsive and attractive interactions between embedded heavy impurities.     

Driving an individual vortex in the presence of a periodic pinning array

Recently it has been demonstrated experimentally that it is possible to manipulate an individual vortex in a type-II superconductor using a magnetic force microscope tip. Using numerical simulations, we investigate the dynamics of a single driven vortex in the presence of a periodic pinning array and other vortices. Remarkably, we find that the effective drag on the driven vortex is reduced at the matching fields, which is opposite from the behavior of the critical current when all the vortices are driven. We discuss this effect in the context of the type of dynamics that occur at matching and nonmatching fields.     

Percolation transition in the heterogeneous vortex state of NbSe2

A percolation transition in the vortex state of a superconducting 2H-NbSe2 crystal is observed in the regime where vortices form a heterogeneous phase consisting of ordered and disordered domains. The transition is signaled by a sharp increase in critical current that occurs when the volume fraction of disordered domains reaches the value P(c) = 0.26 +/- 0.04. Measurements on different vortex states show that, while the temperature of the transition depends on history and measurement speed, the value of P(c) and the critical exponent characterizing the approach to it, r = 1.97 +/- 0.66, are universal.