Dynamics of Vortex Nucleation in Nanomagnets with Broken Symmetry

We investigate fundamental processes that govern dynamics of vortex nucleation in sub-100 nm mesoscopic magnets. We focus on a structure with broken symmetry - Pacman-like nanomagnet shape - in which we study micromagnetic behavior both by means of a simple model and numerically. We show that it is possible to establish desired vortex chirality and polarity by applying only quasi-static in-plane magnetic field along specific directions. We identify the modes of vortex nucleation that are very robust against external magnetic field noise. These vortex nucleation modes are common among wide range of sub-100 nm magnets with broken rotational symmetry.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Evidence of Vortex Jamming in Abrikosov Vortex Flux Flow Regime

We report on dynamics of non-local Abrikosov vortex flow in mesoscopic superconducting Nb channels. Magnetic field dependence of the non-local voltage induced by the flux flow shows that vortices form ordered vortex chains. Voltage asymmetry (rectification) with respect to the direction of vortex flow is evidence that vortex jamming strongly moderates vortex dynamics in mesoscopic geometries. The findings can be applied to superconducting devices exploiting vortex dynamics and vortex manipulation, including superconducting wires with engineered pinning centers.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Transverse instabilities of multiple vortex chains in superconductor-ferromagnet bilayers

Using scanning tunneling microscopy and Ginzburg-Landau simulations we explore vortex configurations in magnetically coupled NbSe$_2$-Permalloy superconductor-ferromagnet bilayer. The Permalloy film with stripe domain structure induces periodic local magnetic induction in the superconductor creating a series of pinning-antipinning channels for externally added magnetic flux quanta. Such laterally confined Abrikosov vortices form quasi-1D arrays (chains). The transitions between multichain states occur through propagation of kinks at the intermediate fields. At high fields we show that the system becomes non-linear due to a change in both the number of vortices and the confining potential. The longitudinal instabilities of the resulting vortex structures lead to vortices `levitating' in the anti-pinning channels.Comment: accepted in PRB-Rapid

Self-assembly routes towards creating superconducting and magnetic arrays

Using self-assembly from colloidal suspensions of polystyrene latex spheres we prepared well-ordered templates. By electrochemical deposition of magnetic and superconducting metals in the pores of such templates highly ordered magnetic and superconducting anti-dot nano-structures with 3D architectures were created. Further developments of this template preparation method allow us to obtain dot arrays and even more complicated structures. In magnetic anti-dot arrays we observe a large increase in coercive field produced by nanoscale (50–1000nm) holes. We also find the coercive field to demonstrate an oscillatory dependence on film thickness. In magnetic dot arrays we have explored the genesis of 3D magnetic vortices and determined the critical dot size. Superconducting Pb anti-dot arrays show pronounced Little-Parks oscillations in Tc and matching effects in magnetization and magnetic susceptibility. The spherical shape of the holes results in significantly reduced pinning strength as compared to standard lithographic samples. Our results demonstrate that self-assembly template methods are emerging as a viable, low cost route to prepare sub-micron structures

The chiral phase transition in charge ordered 1T-TiSe2

It was recently discovered that the low temperature, charge ordered phase of 1T-TiSe2 has a chiral character. This unexpected chirality in a system described by a scalar order parameter could be explained in a model where the emergence of relative phase shifts between three charge density wave components breaks the inversion symmetry of the lattice. Here, we present experimental evidence for the sequence of phase transitions predicted by that theory, going from disorder to non-chiral and finally to chiral charge order. Employing X-ray diffraction, specific heat, and electrical transport measurements, we find that a novel phase transition occurs ~7 K below the main charge ordering transition in TiSe2, in agreement with the predicted hierarchy of charge ordered phases.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures; includes additional experimental and theoretical results; fixed typo