Vortex Entry and Nucleation of Antivortices in a Mesoscopic Superconducting Triangle

The nucleation of superconductivity in mesoscopic equilateral triangles is investigated by using the linearized Ginzburg-Landau equation (LGLE). The trigonal symmetry of the sample has a profound effect on the superconducting state in the presence of a magnetic field $H$ leading, in particular, to the formation of antivortices in symmetry-consistent states. For the same given irreducible representation, vortices enter always by three via the middle of the edges, approach the center, and then are dispatched towards the corners of the triangle. The measured superconducting phase boundary $T_c\left(H\right)$ is in good agreement with the $T_c\left(H\right)$ line found from the LGLE.