Spontaneous fluxoid formation in superconducting loops

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.80.180501· OSTI ID:21287103

Monaco, R; Mygind, J; Rivers, R J; Koshelets, V P ^[1]

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1. Istituto di Cibernetica del CNR, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy and Unita INFM Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Salerno, 84081 Baronissi (Italy)

We report on the experimental verification of the Zurek-Kibble scenario in an isolated superconducting ring over a wide parameter range. The probability of creating a single flux quantum spontaneously during the fast normal-superconducting phase transition of a wide Nb loop clearly follows a scaling relation on the quenching time {tau}{sub Q}, as one would expect if the transition took place as fast as causality permits. However, the observed Zurek-Kibble scaling exponent {sigma}=0.62{+-}0.15 is two times larger than anticipated for large loops. Assuming Gaussian winding number densities we show that this doubling is well founded for small annuli.

• OSTI ID: 21287103
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 80, Issue 18; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.80.180501; (c) 2009 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CAUSALITY
CRYSTAL LATTICES
FLUCTUATIONS
NIOBIUM
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PROXIMITY EFFECT
QUENCHING
RINGS
SCALING
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
SUPERCONDUCTORS
THIN FILMS
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
VERIFICATION