Sequential vortex hopping in an array of artificial pinning centers
We use low-temperature magnetic force microscopy (MFM) to study the hopping motion of vortices in an array of artificial pinning centers (APCs). The array consists of nanoscale holes etched in a niobium thin film by Ar-ion sputtering through an anodic aluminum-oxide template. Variable-temperature magnetometry shows a transition temperature of 7.1 K and an enhancement of the magnetization up to the third matching field at 5 K. Using MFM with attractive and repulsive tip-vortex interaction, we measure the vortex-pinning strength and investigate the motion of individual vortices in the APC array. The depinning force for individual vortices at low field ranged from 0.7 to 1.2 pN. The motion of individual vortices was found to be reproducible and consistent with movement between adjacent holes in the film. The movements are repeatable but the sequence of hops depends on the scan direction. This asymmetry in the motion indicates nonuniform local pinning, a consequence of array disorder and hole-size variation.
- Research Organization:
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76SF00515
- OSTI ID:
- 972668
- Report Number(s):
- SLAC-REPRINT-2010-023
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review B, Journal Name: Physical Review B Journal Issue: 16 Vol. 80; ISSN 1098-0121
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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