Vortex properties of mesoscopic superconducting samples

Abstract

In this work we investigated theoretically the vortex properties of mesoscopic samples of different geometries, submitted to an external magnetic field. We use both London and Ginzburg-Landau theories and also solve the non-linear Time Dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations to obtain vortex configurations, equilibrium states and the spatial distribution of the superconducting electron density in a mesoscopic superconducting triangle and long prisms with square cross-section. For a mesoscopic triangle with the magnetic field applied perpendicularly to sample plane the vortex configurations were obtained by using Langevin dynamics simulations. In most of the configurations the vortices sit close to the corners, presenting twofold or three-fold symmetry. A study of different meta-stable configurations with same number of vortices is also presented. Next, by taking into account de Gennes boundary conditions via the extrapolation length, b, we study the properties of a mesoscopic superconducting square surrounded by different metallic materials and in the presence of an external magnetic field applied perpendicularly to the square surface. It is determined the b-limit for the occurrence of a single vortex in a mesoscopic square of area d2, for 4ξ(0)≤d≤10ξ(0). © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.