Vortex breaking and cutting in type II superconductors

In technological superconductors, the Lorentz force on the flux vortices is opposed by inhomogeneous pinning and so the critical current may be controlled by a combination of vortex entanglement, cutting, and cross-joining. To understand the roles of these processes we report measurements of structures in which a weak pinning layer is sandwiched between two strongly pinning leads. Quantitative modeling of the results demonstrates that in such systems the critical current is limited by the deformation of individual vortices and not by subsequent cross-joining processes.     

Collapse of static magnetization of type II anisotropic superconductors

The effect of suppression of static magnetization (magnetization collapse) of an anisotropic hard superconductor by an alternating magnetic field is studied experimentally and theoretically. The measurements are performed in constant and alternating magnetic fields H and h(t) which are parallel to the sample surface and are mutually orthogonal. Superconducting samples of the Y-123 system are cut from a grain-oriented piece in such a way that the c axis lies in the plane of the plate. It has been established that the amplitude of the alternating field for which the complete suppression of the magnetization occurs significantly depends on the field orientation relative to the crystallographic axes of the sample. The dynamics of the magnetization collapse is studied, and it is established that, in some cases, the magnetic moment varies nonmonotonically with the growth in amplitude h₀ of the alternating field. A peculiar effect of transition (induced by field h(t)) of the superconductor from the paramagnetic into the diamagnetic state is discovered. The results of observations are explained in the framework of the model of critical state generalized to the anisotropic case.     

Magnetic hysteresis in type II superconductors

The theories governing the magnetic behavior of Type II superconductors assume reversible magnetization curves. However, due to imperfections and inhomogeneities, many superconductors possess hysteretic curves. A theory is proposed which allows a ‘reversible’ curve to be found from the two irreversible curves. The ‘reversible’ curve is an approximation to the exact Abrikosov reversible curve for H_c1 ≤ H ≤ H_c2. The theory agrees closely with experimental results.     

Vortex states in mesoscopic superconductors

The results of theoretical investigations of the electronic structure and transport properties of vortex states in mesoscopic superconductors with sizes of several coherence lengths are reviewed. The features of the electronic spectra of multiquantum vortices and vortex molecules, as well as mechanisms of thermal transport along vortex lines, are considered by taking into account boundary effects.     

Vortex entanglement in disordered superconductors

Vortex entanglement and pinning in multiply connected disordered superconductors are studied. It is shown that the winding of vortices around repulsive obstacles is greatly enhanced by quenched columnar disorder and suppressed by point disorder, compared to the clean case. This leads to an additional contribution to the effective pinning force acting on vortices, which, unlike the conventional mechanisms of pinning, grows with temperature.     

Vortex nanoliquid in high-temperature superconductors

Using a differential magneto-optical technique to visualize the flow of transport currents, we reveal a new delocalization line within the reversible vortex liquid region in the presence of a low density of columnar defects. This line separates a homogeneous vortex liquid, in which all the vortices are delocalized, from a heterogeneous "nanoliquid" phase, in which interconnected nanodroplets of vortex liquid are caged in the pores of a solid skeleton formed by vortices pinned on columnar defects. The nanoliquid phase displays high correlation along the columnar defects but no transverse critical current.     

Vortex charges in high-temperature superconductors

Based on a model Hamiltonian with competing antiferromagnetic (AF) and d-wave superconductivity interactions, the vortex charge is investigated by solving the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations. We found that the vortex charge is negative when a sufficient strength of AF order is induced inside the vortex core; otherwise, it is positive. By tuning the on-site Coulomb repulsion U or the doping parameter delta, a transition between the positive and negative vortex charges may occur. The vortex charge at optimal doping has also been studied as a function of magnetic field. Recent NMR and Hall effect experiments may be understood in terms of the present results.     

Vortex structure in ferromagnetic superconductors

It is shown that in ferromagnetic superconductors the polarization of the local spins induced by the persistent current in a vortex is quantized along with the magnetic field due to the current. Because of the polarization the vortex structure strongly depends on temperature. Near the ferromagnetic transition temperatures T_M all the superconductors become type I even if they are extremely of type II far above T_M.     

Ac loss minimum in type II superconductors

Theoretical predictions with respect to a minimum in the ac losses in type II superconductors are compared with experimental results on Nb-50% Ti and Nb-10% Mo. Extensions of the theory are suggested to explain the deviations.     

Low-field peak effect in type II superconductors

The combined effect of a surface (edge) barrier and volume pinning on the dependence of critical current I _c on the magnetic field (I⊥H ₀) in bulk type II superconductors is investigated. In low magnetic fields, there is a portion of the curve I _c(H ₀) where I _c grows with H ₀, causing a nontrivial peak effect in this field range. Such behavior is explained by the combined effect of a surface (edge) barrier and volume pinning, the latter being rather sensitive to the transport current density distribution in a superconductor.     

Force free fields in type II superconductors

It seems possible that, under certain field and current conditions, the critical current of a type II superconductor is not determined simply by application of a Bean-London model, but by the joint use of the latter and a second equation.     

Tunable full band gap in two-dimensional anisotropic photonic crystals infiltrated with liquid crystals

We analyze the tunability of full band gap in two-dimensional photonic crystals created by square and triangular lattices of anisotropic tellurium rods in air background, considering that the rods are infiltrated with liquid crystal. Using the plane-wave expansion method, we study the variation of full band gap by changing the optical axis orientation of liquid crystal.     

Muonic study of type II superconductors

A theory of μSR method is developed for uniaxial anisotropic high-T _c superconductors. In two extreme cases ofH _ext‖c andH _ext⊥c analytical formulas are obtained which makes it possible to determine from the position of van Hove singularities in the Fourier-spectrum of muonium polarization, the type and parameters of the vortex lattice, such as λ _ab (λ _c ). In caseH _ext≲H _c2 we obtained the shape of the Fourier-spectrum in analytical form and the simple method of determining the Ginsburg-Landau parameter κ. Convenient expressions for numerical calculations are obtained for the arbitrary orientation of the external field, and an algorithm is provided to compute the mean fieldB, the vortex lattice parameters and the bulk field distribution in anisotropic superconductor. The Fourier spectrum of polarization based on these calculations can be used to independently check the validity of the high-T _c parameters determination for “appropriate” orientations.     

Stimulation effect in anisotropic superconductors

The stimulation of superconductivity in anisotropic superconductors by electromagnetic and acoustic pumping as well as by the injection of a tunnel current at temperatures close to the superconducting transition temperature is studied. The features distinguishing the stimulation effect from the isotropic case are indicated. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 2134–2146 (June 1997)     

Vortex state in double transition superconductors

The novel vortex phase and nature of the double transition field are investigated by two-component Ginzburg-Landau theory in a situation where fourfold-twofold symmetric superconducting double transition occurs. The deformation from 60 degrees triangular vortex lattice and a possibility of the vortex sheet structure are discussed. In the presence of the gradient coupling, the transition changes to a crossover at finite field. These characters are important to identify the multiple superconducting phase in PrOs4Sb12.