Design of magneto-optical system for imaging of magnetic flux created during a conductor–superconductor phase transition

Abstract

According to the Kibble-Zurek model, flux lines are spontaneously created during a fast conductor-superconductor phase transition. The model predicts both the spatial density and the correlations of the flux array. We present the design of a magneto-optical system with a projected single-flux-line resolution. Such a system can allow detailed measurements of the distribution of flux created spontaneously during a conductorsuperconductor phase transition.

Super-horizon cosmic string correlations

“…Although this is a widely used approach, its validity in the zero-temperature case is uncertain, because the whole effect originates in vacuum fluctuations are is therefore fully quantum mechanical. Interestingly, the predictions can also be tested in superconductor experiments [44], which are obviously fully quantum mechanical and therefore avoid this potential pitfall completely.…”

“…For example, the two-particle irreducible effective action formalism [34], which is a promising tool for perturbative non-equilibrium processes, fails to incorporate topological defects [35]. Interestingly, it is possible to test these effects experimentally in condensed matter systems which as superfluids and superconductors [36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44], which are, of course, fully quantum mechanical. So far, the emphasis has been on determining the number of strings, and the tests of spatial correlations have so far been limited to short-distance effects [15,45,46].…”

Introduction. Cosmology meets condensed matter

“…This is particularly important in distinguishing the two defect formation mechanisms, which predict very different correlation patterns. But at this meeting, Polturak (Golubchik et al 2008) described a novel magneto-optical detection system, based on the Kerr effect in EuSe, that should allow this problem to be resolved. The results of experiments with this system are eagerly awaited.…”