33 research outputs found
Vortex microavalanches in superconducting Pb thin films
Local magnetization measurements on 100 nm type-II superconducting Pb thin
films show that flux penetration changes qualitatively with temperature. Small
flux jumps at the lowest temperatures gradually increase in size, then
disappear near T = 0.7Tc. Comparison with other experiments suggests that the
avalanches correspond to dendritic flux protrusions. Reproducibility of the
first flux jumps in a decreasing magnetic field indicates a role for defect
structure in determining avalanches. We also find a temperature-independent
final magnetization after flux jumps, analogous to the angle of repose of a
sandpile.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure