Symmetry-induced giant vortex state in a superconducting film with a Penrose array of magnetic pinning centers

R. B. G. Kramer; A. V. Silhanek; J. Van de Vondel; B. Raes; V. V. Moshchalkov

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.103.067007

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arXiv · 0904.1102

Symmetry-induced giant vortex state in a superconducting film with a Penrose array of magnetic pinning centers

R. B. G. Kramer·A. V. Silhanek·J. Van de Vondel·B. Raes·V. V. Moshchalkov

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Abstract

A direct visualization of the flux distribution in a Pb film covering a five-fold Penrose array of Co dots is obtained by mapping the local field distribution with a scanning Hall probe microscope. We demonstrate that stable vortex configurations can be found for fields H~0.8H_1, H_1 and 1.6H_1, where H_1 corresponds to one flux quantum per pinning site. The vortex pattern at 0.8H_1 corresponds to one vacancy in one of the vertices of the thin tiles whereas at 1.6H_1 the vortex structure can be associated with one interstitial vortex inside each thick tile. Strikingly, for H=1.6H_1 interstitial and pinned vortices arrange themselves in ring-like structures ("vortex corrals") which favor the formation of a giant vortex state at their center.

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R. B. G. Kramer, A. V. Silhanek, J. Van de Vondel, B. Raes, V. V. Moshchalkov. 2009-04-07. Symmetry-induced giant vortex state in a superconducting film with a Penrose array of magnetic pinning centers. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.103.067007

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