Vortex Dynamics

in Type II
Superconductors
Yuri V. Artemov

Ph.D. Student in Physics

Mentor:

Brian B. Schwartz
Professor of Physics

CUNY Fall 1998

Overview
Properties of
superconductors
Two types of
superconductors
Theories of
superconductivity
Vortices in type II
superconductors
Interaction between
vortices
Interaction with defects
Vortex dynamics
Proposed research
Vortices and computers
Summary

Properties of
Superconductors
Perfect conductor
Meissner effect
0
I
dI dt

B0

105 yrs

Magnetic field
destroys s/c

T Tc

T Tc

Electric current
destroys s/c

H Hc

H Hc

Ic

Bc
0

Two Types of
Superconductors
Type I

Type II

Magnetization
-4M

-4M

Hc

Hc1

Hc2

Magnetic Field
B

Hc

Hc

Hc1

Critical Field
Hc
Normal Metal

Hc2

Normal Metal
Mixed State

Superconductor
T
Tc

Superconductor
Tc

Theories of
Superconductivity
London Equation

1 2
H2
F F0 mv n s d r
dr
2
8


kinetic energy of
permanent current

energy of
magnetic field

He

F 0 H 2 H 0

BCS Theory
Normal Metal

Tc M 1/ 2 isotope effect
Electrons can attract
via phonons
Attraction leads to
energy gap 1.76Tc

Superconductor
2

EF

EF

Ginzburg-Landau Theory
2
4 1
2e
H2
F Fn
i A
2
2m
c
8
T Tc
T 0
Tc
2

1/ 2

4 T
T

, Hc

1
2e
2
A 0
2m i
c

i e *
c
4e 2 2
*
js
B

A
4
m
mc
2

2m T

1/ 2

1/ 2

mc 2
T

2
4 2e T
GL parameter

1 2 type I
1 2 type II

Vortices in Type II
Superconductors

hc
H 2 H z 0 2 r , 0
flux quantum
2e
0

H
ln
, r
0
r
2 2 r
H
K0
2 2
0
r /

H
e , r
2
2 2 r

Magnetic Field

Current

Order Parameter

Interaction between
Vortices
B

J
FL

FL
J

Lorenz type force

0
J
c

FL

Repulsion
FL

2
H H z 0 2 r r1 2 r r2

H r H1 r H 2 r

2
F
H

H
1
2
1
2 d1 d 2

8


2
U12
H

H
d

H
1
2
2
2
1 d1
8

r1 r2
0 H12
0

U12
, H12
K 0
2

4
2

0
1
J h n s vs
c
2

Triangular lattice

Interaction with
Defects
B

Flux Creep
J
FL

FL

0
J
c

Activation
energy behavior

Pinning
Vacancies, voids,
inhomogeneities, where
superconductivity is weak
Pinning decreases energy
losses caused by flux
creep

Vortex Dynamics
Collective behavior
Vortices interact strongly

Effects of disorder
Interaction with pinning centers

Many degrees of freedom

1012 vortices in a sample

Threshold dynamics
Can be driven to marginally
stable state

Proposed Research
Study the dynamics of
vortices in type II
superconductors
Given a superconductor with a
certain pinning landscape, how do
vortices move inside it?
How do microscopic pinning
parameters affect measured
macroscopic quantities?
How do vortices start moving when
slowly driven towards the threshold
of instability?
How to characterize dynamical
instabilities in a superconductor?

Vortices and
Computers
Vortices can be studied using
computer simulations
A powerful theoretical tool to
answer questions raised above
Allows to study phenomena hard to
observe experimentally

Vortices can be effectively

visualized using modern 3D
design software
Making them more understandable
to non-physics audience

Tools to be used
Powerful workstations at the CUNY
New Media Lab
Softimage 3D software
DirectX technology with Visual C++
and Visual Basic
Matlab, Mathematica
Java & WWW

Summary
General properties of
superconductors
Type I and type II
superconductors
Theories of
superconductivity
Vortices in type II
superconductors
Vortex interactions and
dynamics
Proposed research
Using computers to study
and visualize vortices