Vortex Configurations, Matching, and Domain Structure in Large Arrays of Artificial Pinning Centers

S. B. Field; S. S. James; J. Barentine; V. Metlushko; G. Crabtree; H. Shtrikman; B. Ilic; S. R. J. Brueck

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.067003

Vortex Configurations, Matching, and Domain Structure in Large Arrays of Artificial Pinning Centers

S. B. Field, S. S. James, J. Barentine, V. Metlushko, G. Crabtree, H. Shtrikman, B. Ilic, and S. R. J. Brueck

Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 067003 – Published 28 January 2002

Abstract

High-resolution scanning Hall probe microscopy has been used to image vortex configurations in very large periodic arrays of artificial pinning sites. Strong matching effects are seen at fields where either one or two vortices can sit at a site; with three vortices per site, however, no clear matching is observed. Matching effects have also been observed at several fractional multiples of the matching field, including 1/5, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 3/4. These fractional values are characterized by striking domain structure and grain boundaries.

Received 7 February 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.067003

Authors & Affiliations

S. B. Field¹, S. S. James^1,*, J. Barentine¹, V. Metlushko^2,†, G. Crabtree², H. Shtrikman³, B. Ilic⁴, and S. R. J. Brueck⁴

¹Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
²MSD, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439-4845
³Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
⁴Center for High Technology Materials, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131

^*Present address: IRC in Superconductivity, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
^†Present address: Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607-0024.