Novel Phases of Vortices in Superconductors

Doussal, Pierre Le

doi:10.1142/s0217979210056384

Cited by 32 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 157 publications

(165 reference statements)

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“…Disclinations are known as orientational defects since their presence into the 2D hexagonal lattice breaks the sixfold rotational symmetry. BKTHNY theory of the 2D melting took advantage of the renormalization group technique which allowed describing order-disorder transitions in the 2D xy model [265,266].…”

Section: Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Imaging superconducting vortex cores and lattices with a scanning tunneling microscope

Suderow¹,

Guillamón²,

Rodrigo³

et al. 2014

Supercond. Sci. Technol.

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Abstract. The observation of vortices in superconductors was a major breakthrough in developing the conceptual background for superconducting applications. Each vortex carries a flux quantum, and the magnetic field radially decreases from the center. Techniques used to make magnetic field maps, such as magnetic decoration, give vortex lattice images in a variety of systems. However, strong type II superconductors allow penetration of the magnetic field over large distances, of order of the magnetic penetration depth λ. Superconductivity survives up to magnetic fields where, for imaging purposes, there is no magnetic contrast at all. Static and dynamic properties of vortices are largely unknown at such high magnetic fields. Reciprocal space studies using neutron scattering have been employed to obtain insight into the collective behavior. But the microscopic details of vortex arrangements and their motion remain difficult to obtain. Direct real space visualization can be made using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/S). Instead of using magnetic contrast, the electronic density of states describes spatial variations of the quasiparticle and pair wavefunction properties. These are of order of the superconducting coherence length ξ, which is much smaller than λ. In principle, individual vortices can be imaged using STM up to the upper critical field where vortex cores, of size ξ, overlap. In this review, we describe recent advances in vortex imaging made with scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. We introduce the technique and discuss vortex images which reveal the influence of the Fermi surface distribution of the superconducting gap on the internal structure of vortices, the collective behavior of the lattice in different materials and conditions, and the observation of vortex lattice melting. We consider challenging lines of work, which include imaging vortices in nanostructures, multiband and heavy fermion superconductors, single layers and van-der-Waals crystals, studying current driven dynamics and the liquid vortex phases.

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Section: Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Imaging superconducting vortex cores and lattices with a scanning tunneling microscope

Suderow¹,

Guillamón²,

Rodrigo³

et al. 2014

Supercond. Sci. Technol.

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“…Point patterns formed by vortex matter nucleated in type-II superconductors have been a paradigmatic soft condensed matter system for studying basic questions on statistical physics, such as the statics and dynamics of elastic manifolds in random media and glassy phases in general. This system has also been a playground to understand the rich interplay between elasticity, quenched disorder, thermal fluctuations, driving forces, anisotropic and finite-size effects, either at equilibrium or out of it [4]. Since the mean vortex density can be easily controlled by changing the applied field H, vortex matter systems are particularly suitable for studying ordering and density fluctuations at microscopic scales, in different equilibrium or non-equilibrium liquid, solid, or glassy phases.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hyperuniform vortex patterns at the surface of type-II superconductors

Rumi

Sánchez

Elías

et al. 2019

Phys. Rev. Research

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A many-particle system must posses long-range interactions in order to be hyperuniform at thermal equilibrium. Hydrodynamic arguments and numerical simulations show, nevertheless, that a three-dimensional elastic-line array with short-ranged repulsive interactions, such as vortex matter in a type-II superconductor, forms at equilibrium a class-II hyperuniform two-dimensional point pattern for any constant-z cross section. In this case, density fluctuations vanish isotropically as ∼ q α at small wave-vectors q, with α = 1. This prediction includes the solid and liquid vortex phases in the ideal clean case, and the liquid in presence of weak uncorrelated disorder. We also show that the three-dimensional Bragg glass phase is marginally hyperuniform, while the Bose glass and the liquid phase with correlated disorder are expected to be non-hyperuniform at equilibrium. Furthermore, we compare these predictions with experimental results on the large-wavelength vortex density fluctuations of magnetically decorated vortex structures nucleated in pristine, electron-irradiated and heavy-ion irradiated superconducting Bi2Sr2CaCu2O 8+δ samples in the mixed state. For most cases we find hyperuniform two-dimensional point patterns at the superconductor surface with an effective exponent α eff ≈ 1. We interpret these results in terms of a large-scale memory of the high-temperature line-liquid phase retained in the glassy dynamics when field-cooling the vortex structures into the solid phase. We also discuss the crossovers expected from the dispersivity of the elastic constants at intermediate length-scales, and the lack of hyperuniformity in the xy plane for lengths q −1 larger than the sample thickness due to finite-size effects in the z-direction. We argue these predictions may be observable and propose further imaging experiments to test them independently.arXiv:1907.00394v1 [cond-mat.dis-nn]

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“…In addition, the presence of a finite H facilitates the formation of the vortices along the field direction and suppresses the vortices in the opposite direction. As H is increased, the density of vortices increases and the BKT physics becomes less relevant [16]. Vortices are pinned as soon as they are formed and a critical force (current) is needed to depin them.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As H increases, vortex-antivortex pairs break and Hinduced free vortices proliferate, leading to novel phases of the vortex matter [15,16]. Indeed, in the same underdoped LSCO films, two quantum critical points have been found to associate with boundaries of different vortex phases [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, in the same underdoped LSCO films, two quantum critical points have been found to associate with boundaries of different vortex phases [17]. In general, both the BKT physics and the physics of vortex matter have been subjects of intensive studies, but they have been mostly treated as two separate topics [4,15,16]. Some efforts have been put forward to treat the BKT physics in a magnetic field and vortex matter physics on the same footing [18,19], though much remains to be understood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Current-Voltage Characteristics and Vortex Dynamics in Highly Underdoped La2−x Sr x CuO4

Shi

Baity

Popović

2015

J Supercond Nov Magn

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The temperature dependence of the nonlinear current-voltage (I -V ) characteristics in highly underdoped La 2−x Sr x CuO 4 (x = 0.07 and 0.08) thick films has been studied in both zero and perpendicular magnetic fields H . Power-law behavior of V (I ) is found for both H = 0 and H = 0. The critical current I c was extracted, and its temperature and magnetic field dependences were studied in detail. The Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless physics dominates the nonlinear I -V near the superconducting transition at H = 0, and it continues to contribute up to a characteristic temperature T x (H ). Nonlinear I -V persists up to an even higher temperature T h (H ) due to the depinning of vortices.

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Novel Phases of Vortices in Superconductors

Cited by 32 publications

References 157 publications

Imaging superconducting vortex cores and lattices with a scanning tunneling microscope

Imaging superconducting vortex cores and lattices with a scanning tunneling microscope

Hyperuniform vortex patterns at the surface of type-II superconductors

Current-Voltage Characteristics and Vortex Dynamics in Highly Underdoped La2−x Sr x CuO4

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