Vortex-Antivortex annihilation dynamics in a square mesoscopic superconducting cylinder

The dynamics of the annihilation of a vortex-antivortex pair is investigated. The pair is activated magnetically during the run of a simulated hysteresis loop on a square mesoscopic superconducting cylinder with an antidot inserted at its center. We study the nucleation of vortices and antivortices by first increasing the magnetic field, applied parallel to the axis of the sample, from zero until the first vortex is created. A further increase of the field pulls the vortex in, until it reaches the antidot. As the polarity of the field is reversed, an antivortex enters the scene, travels toward the center of the sample and eventually the pair is annihilated. Depending on the sample size, its temperature, and Ginzburg-Landau parameter, the vortex-antivortex encounter takes place at the antidot or at the superconducting sea around it. The position and velocity of the vortex and antivortex singularities were evaluated as a function of time. The current density, magnetization and order parameter topology were also calculated.Comment: One REVTeX file and 5 EPS figure

Ferramentas alternativas para monitoramento e mapeamento automatizado do conhecimento

A análise da informação é uma excelente estratégia para monitoramento, pesquisa e desenvolvimento em todos os ramos do conhecimento. O objetivo primordial deste trabalho foi consolidar um método alternativo empregando ferramentas eletrônicas na realização do monitoramento automatizado da informação e em sua análise bibliométrica. O trabalho foi desenvolvido tendo como suporte a base Web of Science, do Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), e o uso de softwar como Word, Excel, Reference Manager e Origin. A título de exemplo, aplicamos o método à área de desenvolvimento de produtos, obtendo como resultados uma lista de descritores, a relação dos periódicos mais importantes da área, os autores mais produtivos e uma indicação das parcerias mais freqüentes entre eles

Superconducting properties and electron scattering mechanisms in a Nb film with a single weak-link excavated by focused ion beam

Granularity is one of the main features restricting the maximum current which a superconductor can carry without losses, persisting as an important research topic when applications are concerned. To directly observe its effects on a typical thin superconducting specimen, we have modeled the simplest possible granular system by fabricating a single artificial weak-link in the center of a high-quality Nb film using the focused ion beam technique. Then, its microstructural, magnetic, and electric properties in both normal and superconducting states were studied. AC susceptibility, DC magnetization, and magneto-transport measurements reveal well-known granularity signatures and how they negatively affect superconductivity. Moreover, we also investigate the normal state electron scattering mechanisms in the Boltzmann theory framework. The results clearly demonstrate the effect of the milling technique, giving rise to an additional quadratic-in-temperature contribution to the usual cubic-in-temperature sd band scattering for the Nb film. Finally, by analyzing samples with varying density of incorporated defects, the emergence of the additional contribution is correlated to a decrease in their critical temperature, in agreement with recent theoretical results

Enhancing the effective critical current density in a Nb superconducting thin film by cooling in an inhomogeneous magnetic field

Quantitative magneto-optical imaging of a type-II superconductor thin film cooled under zero, homogeneous, and inhomogeneous applied magnetic fields indicates that the latter procedure leads to an enhancement of the screening capacity. Such an observation is corroborated by both B-independent and B-dependent critical state model analyses. Furthermore, repulsive (attractive) vortex–(anti)vortex interactions were found to have a decisive role in the shielding ability, with initial states prepared with vortices resulting in a shorter magnetic flux front penetration depth than those prepared with antivortices. The proposed strategy could be implemented to boost the performance of thin superconducting devices

Ferramentas alternativas para monitoramento e mapeamento automatizado do conhecimento

A análise da informação é uma excelente estratégia para monitoramento, pesquisa e desenvolvimento em todos os ramos do conhecimento. O objetivo primordial deste trabalho foi consolidar um método alternativo empregando ferramentas eletrônicas na realização do monitoramento automatizado da informação e em sua análise bibliométrica. O trabalho foi desenvolvido tendo como suporte a base Web of Science, do Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), e o uso de softwar como Word, Excel, Reference Manager e Origin. A título de exemplo, aplicamos o método à área de desenvolvimento de produtos, obtendo como resultados uma lista de descritores, a relação dos periódicos mais importantes da área, os autores mais produtivos e uma indicação das parcerias mais freqüentes entre eles

Anisotropic thermomagnetic avalanche activity in field-cooled superconducting films

The electrodynamic behavior of isotropic superconducting Nb films cooled below their critical temperature in the presence of in-plane applied magnetic fields is investigated using magneto-optical imaging. A specially designed local flux injector is used to show that the frozen-in in-plane vortices strongly guide and enhance the penetration of perpendicular vortices, whereas their penetration across the array of in-plane vortices is essentially unchanged. This result provides the key to understanding why field-cooled square superconducting films show anisotropic nucleation of flux avalanches (jumps) along the four edges. The explanation is based on an analytical model for thermomagnetic avalanche nucleation in type-II superconducting films, and allows one to understand the entire scenario of different flux dynamics observed experimentally

Cascade dynamics of thermomagnetic avalanches in superconducting films with holes

The submicrosecond dynamics of thermomagnetic avalanches in superconducting films with nonconducting holes (antidots) is considered.When such an avalanche reaches a hole, it is quickly filled with magnetic flux, and often its rim becomes unstable and a second avalanche is nucleated. In this work the time- and space-resolved behavior of such cascading avalanche behavior is determined using numerical simulations. Results are presented for films with holes of different shape. It is found that holes with sharp corners are those that most frequently create secondary avalanches, and they tend to nucleate in corners.Magneto-optical imaging of Nb films patterned with the same set of holes strongly supports the numerical results

Limiting thermomagnetic avalanches in superconducting films by stop-holes

It is demonstrated that circular holes in superconducting films of Nb can arrest the propagation of thermomagnetic avalanches. The effect was found over a range of temperatures where the material is susceptible to this instability. For other hole shapes, like square and triangular, the sharp corners provoke secondary avalanches, thus extending the breakdown. Making use of circular stop-holes can become a practical way to limit thermomagnetic breakdown in superconducting films

Anisotropic thermomagnetic avalanche activity in field-cooled superconducting films

The electrodynamic behavior of isotropic superconducting Nb films cooled below their critical temperature in the presence of in-plane applied magnetic fields is investigated using magneto-optical imaging. A specially designed local flux injector is used to show that the frozen-in in-plane vortices strongly guide and enhance the penetration of perpendicular vortices, whereas their penetration across the array of in-plane vortices is essentially unchanged. This result provides the key to understanding why field-cooled square superconducting films show anisotropic nucleation of flux avalanches (jumps) along the four edges. The explanation is based on an analytical model for thermomagnetic avalanche nucleation in type-II superconducting films, and allows one to understand the entire scenario of different flux dynamics observed experimentally

Temperature-dependent vortex motion in a square mesoscopic superconducting cylinder: Ginzburg-Landau calculations

In this work we investigate the dynamics of vortices in a square mesoscopic superconductor. As time evolves we show how the vortices are nucleated into the sample to form a multivortex, single vortex, and giant vortex states. We illustrate how the vortices move around at the transition fields before they accommodate into an equilibrium configuration. We also calculate the magnetization and the free energy as functions of the applied magnetic field for several values of temperature. In addition, we evaluate the upper critical field