Real Space Images of the Vortex Lattice Structure in a Type II Superconductor during Creep over a Barrier

Journal Article · Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1997 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.79.1369· OSTI ID:538606

Pardo, F; de la Cruz, F ^[1]; Gammel, P L; Bucher, E; Ogelsby, C; Bishop, D J ^[2]

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1. Centro Atomico Bariloche and Instituto Balseiro, Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, 8400 S. C. de Bariloche, R. N. (Argentina)
2. Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974 (United States)

We report on Bitter decoration studies of the magnetic flux line lattice in the type II superconductor NbSe{sub 2} during flux creep experiments over barriers, a surface step. We find that these steps can act as {open_quotes}vortex diodes.{close_quotes} By imaging the real space structures of the vortex lattices as they flow over these steps and measuring the change in vortex density, we are able to measure the energetic height of the barrier as well as the elastic correlation length of the vortices along their length. At low fields, we find that the vortices are correlated over distances of roughly 5 {mu}m . {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 538606
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 79; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
66 PHYSICS
CORRELATION FUNCTIONS
ELASTICITY
IMAGES
MAGNETIC FLUX
NIOBIUM SELENIDES
TYPE-II SUPERCONDUCTORS
VORTICES