263 research outputs found
Probing Disordered Substrates by Imaging the Adsorbate in its Fluid Phase
Several recent imaging experiments access the equilibrium density profiles of
interacting particles confined to a two-dimensional substrate. When these
particles are in a fluid phase, we show that such data yields precise
information regarding substrate disorder as reflected in one-point functions
and two-point correlations of the fluid. Using Monte Carlo simulations and
replica generalizations of liquid state theories, we extract unusual two-point
correlations of time-averaged density inhomogeneities induced by disorder.
Distribution functions such as these have not hitherto been measured but should
be experimentally accessible.Comment: 10 pages revtex 4 figure
Static and Dynamic Phases for Vortex Matter with Attractive Interactions
Exotic vortex states with long range attraction and short range repulsion
have recently been proposed to arise in superconducting hybrid structures and
multi-band superconductors. Using large scale simulations we examine the static
and dynamic properties of such vortex states interacting with random and
periodic pinning. In the absence of pinning this system does not form patterns
but instead completely phase separates. When pinning is present there is a
transition from inhomogeneous to homogeneous vortex configurations similar to a
wetting phenomenon. Under an applied drive, a dynamical dewetting process can
occur from a strongly pinned homogeneous state into pattern forming states. We
show that a signature of the exotic vortex interactions under transport
measurements is a robust double peak feature in the differential conductivity
curves.Comment: 5 pages, 4 postscript figure
Onset of dendritic flux avalanches in superconducting films
We report a detailed comparison of experimental data and theoretical
predictions for the dendritic flux instability, believed to be a generic
behavior of type-II superconducting films. It is shown that a thermo-magnetic
model published very recently [Phys. Rev. B 73, 014512 (2006)] gives an
excellent quantitative description of key features like the instability onset
(first dendrite appearance) magnetic field, and how the onset field depends on
both temperature and sample size. The measurements were made using
magneto-optical imaging on a series of different strip-shaped samples of MgB2.
Excellent agreement is also obtained by reanalyzing data previously published
for Nb.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
STM Imaging of Flux Line Arrangements in the Peak Effect Regime
We present the results of a study of vortex arrangements in the peak-effect
regime of 2H-NbSe_2 by scanning tunneling microscopy. By slowly increasing the
temperature in a constant magnetic field, we observed a sharp transition from
collective vortex motion to positional fluctuations of individual vortices at
the temperature which coincides with the onset of the peak effect in
ac-susceptibility. We conclude that the peak effect is a disorder driven
transition, with the pinning energy winning from the elastic energy.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures included Manuscript has been submitte
Interaction between superconducting vortices and Bloch wall in ferrite garnet film
Interaction between a Bloch wall in a ferrite-garnet film and a vortex in a
superconductor is analyzed in the London approximation. Equilibrium
distribution of vortices formed around the Bloch wall is calculated. The
results agree quantitatively with magneto-optical experiment where an in-plane
magnetized ferrite-garnet film placed on top of NbSe2 superconductor allows
observation of individual vortices. In particular, our model can reproduce a
counter-intuitive attraction observed between vortices and a Bloch wall having
the opposite polarity. It is explained by magnetic charges appearing due to
discontinuity of the in-plane magnetization across the wall.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Dendritic flux patterns in MgB2 films
Magneto-opitcal studies of a c-oriented epitaxial MgB2 film with critical
current density 10^7 A/cm^2 demonstrate a breakdown of the critical state at
temperatures below 10 K [cond-mat/0104113]. Instead of conventional uniform and
gradual flux penetration in an applied magnetic field, we observe an abrupt
invasion of complex dendritic structures. When the applied field subsequently
decreases, similar dendritic structures of the return flux penetrate the film.
The static and dynamic properties of the dendrites are discussed.Comment: Accepted to Supercond. Sci. Techno
Hydrodynamic Instability of the Flux-antiflux Interface in Type-II Superconductors
The macroturbulence instability observed in fluxline systems during
remagnetization of superconductors is explained. It is shown that when a region
with flux is invaded by antiflux the interface can become unstable if there is
a relative tangential flux motion. This condition occurs at the interface when
the viscosity is anisotropic, e.g., due to flux guiding by twin boundaries in
crystals. The phenomenon is similar to the instability of the tangential
discontinuity in classical hydrodynamics. The obtained results are supported by
magneto-optical observations of flux distribution on the surface of a YBCO
single crystal with twins.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letter
Local threshold field for dendritic instability in superconducting MgB2 films
Using magneto-optical imaging the phenomenon of dendritic flux penetration in
superconducting films was studied. Flux dendrites were abruptly formed in a 300
nm thick film of MgB2 by applying a perpendicular magnetic field. Detailed
measurements of flux density distributions show that there exists a local
threshold field controlling the nucleation and termination of the dendritic
growth. At 4 K the local threshold field is close to 12 mT in this sample,
where the critical current density is 10^7 A/cm^2. The dendritic instability in
thin films is believed to be of thermo-magnetic origin, but the existence of a
local threshold field, and its small value are features that distinctly
contrast the thermo-magnetic instability (flux jumps) in bulk superconductors.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Experiments in vortex avalanches
Avalanche dynamics is found in many phenomena spanning from earthquakes to
the evolution of species. It can be also found in vortex matter when a type II
superconductor is externally driven, for example, by increasing the magnetic
field. Vortex avalanches associated with thermal instabilities can be an
undesirable effect for applications, but "dynamically driven" avalanches
emerging from the competition between intervortex interactions and quenched
disorder constitute an interesting scenario to test theoretical ideas related
with non-equilibrium dynamics. However, differently from the equilibrium phases
of vortex matter in type II superconductors, the study of the corresponding
dynamical phases - in which avalanches can play a role - is still in its
infancy. In this paper we critically review relevant experiments performed in
the last decade or so, emphasizing the ability of different experimental
techniques to establish the nature and statistical properties of the observed
avalanche behavior.Comment: To be published in Reviews of Modern Physics April 2004. 17 page
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