We study stochastic transport of fluxons in superconductors by alternating
current (AC) rectification. Our simulated system provides a fluxon pump,
"lens", or fluxon "rectifier" because the applied electrical AC is transformed
into a net DC motion of fluxons. Thermal fluctuations and the asymmetry of the
ratchet channel walls induce this "diode" effect, which can have important
applications in devices, like SQUID magnetometers, and for fluxon optics,
including convex and concave fluxon lenses. Certain features are unique to this
novel two-dimensional (2D) geometric pump, and different from the previously
studied 1D ratchets.Comment: Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, in press (1999); 4 pages, 5 .gif figures;
figures also available at http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~nori/ratche