Kinematic vortices and phase slip lines in the dynamics of the resistive state of narrow superconductive thin film channels

Andronov, A. A.; Gordion, I.M.; Kurin, V. V.; Nefedov, I. M.; Shereshevsky, I. A.

doi:10.1016/0921-4534(93)90777-n

Cited by 93 publications

(106 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…The Lorentz force drives the nucleated vortex towards the outer corner of the sample where it leaves the sample (panel 2), but this motion is slow and weakly dissipative. The nucleation rate of vortices in the inner corner increases with further increasing the applied current, and at sufficiently large current (labeled j cd ) the system transits to a higher dissipative state with a larger voltage jump, characterized by fast-moving (kinematic) vortices (see panel 3) [13,20]. We point out that the critical current j c decreases considerably with increasing width of the sample, while j cd only moderately decreases (see dashed curve in Fig.…”

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confidence: 92%

Spatially dependent sensitivity of superconducting meanders as single-photon detectors

Berdiyorov

Miloševıć

Peeters

2012

Applied Physics Letters

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The photo-response of a thin current-carrying superconducting stripe with a 90-degree turn is studied within the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory. We show that the photon acting near the inner corner (where the current density is maximal due to the current crowding [J. R. Clem and K. K. Berggren, Phys. Rev. B 84, 174510 (2011)]) triggers the nucleation of superconducting vortices at currents much smaller than the expected critical one, but does not bring the system to a higher resistive state and thus remains undetected. The transition to the resistive state occurs only when the photon hits the stripe away from the corner due to there uniform current distribution across the sample, and dissipation is due to the nucleation of a kinematic vortex-antivortex pair near the photon incidence. We propose strategies to account for this problem in the measurements.PACS numbers: 74.78. Na, 74.25.Fy Superconducting current-carrying thin-film stripes have recently received a revival of interest due to their promising application for single-photon detection [1] with a high maximum count rate, broadband sensitivity, fast response time and low dark counts [2][3][4]. The singlephoton absorption event leads to the formation of a nonequilibrium "hotspot" with suppressed superconductivity, the area of which grows in time, forming a normal belt across the strip [5]. The latter leads to redistribution of the current between the now resistive superconductor and a parallel shunt resistor, where a voltage pulse is detected, before a hotspot region cools down (on a timescale of few hundred picoseconds [6]) and the system returns to its initial superconducting state. Although the hotspot mechanism nicely explains the photon detection in the visible and near UV range, the detection mechanism in the near-infrared range is still debated (see e.g. Ref. [7] and references therein). Superconducting fluctuations, e.g., excitation of superconducting vortices [8][9][10][11][12], have been put forward as an explanation. Dissipative crossing of such vortices, which hop over the edge barrier, or are created due to the unbinding of thermally activated vortex-antivortex pairs, provides a good description of the experiment [10]. This vortex-based mechanism was also shown to be the dominating origin for dark counts [11,12,14], which leads to decoherence in the photon detection process.To increase the efficiency of the photon counting, detectors are usually fabricated as a meandering superconducting wire [3]. However, these structures are vulnerable to edge imperfections [3], which significantly reduce the photon counting rate. Moreover, the critical current in these systems is mostly determined by sharp inner corners where the supercurrent density is maximal due to current crowding [15,16]. While the appearance of edge imperfections can be reduced by present day technology [3], the effect of current crowding in such meandering geometries still demands further investigations.In this work we therefore study the effect of the turns of a meandering s...

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confidence: 92%

Spatially dependent sensitivity of superconducting meanders as single-photon detectors

Berdiyorov

Miloševıć

Peeters

2012

Applied Physics Letters

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“…These deformed vortices represent the so-called kinematic vortices. 22,24 In the current interval J 1 < J < J 2 , a well defined channel of depleted order parameter (blue stripe in panel J 2 ) is formed by the continuous passing of kinematic vortices. Note that along this channel the order parameter is not fully suppressed, as evidenced by the non uniformity in the color intensity.…”

Section: Multi-step V (I) Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It was shown that the LO instability should be preceded by dynamically driven reorganizations of the vortex lattice which manifest themselves as a series of kinks in the current-voltage characteristics V (I). These reorganization transitions are followed by the development of channels of depleted order parameter populated by kinematic vortices 22 or phase-slip lines 17,23,24 which coexist with slow-moving Abrikosov vortices. The formation of channels of kinematic vortices is associated with a sudden increase of voltage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Onset, evolution, and magnetic braking of vortex lattice instabilities in nanostructured superconducting films

et al. 2015

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In 1976 Larkin and Ovchinnikov [Sov. Phys. JETP 41, 960 (1976)] predicted that vortex matter in superconductors driven by an electrical current can undergo an abrupt dynamic transition from a flux-flow regime to a more dissipative state at sufficiently high vortex velocities. Typically this transition manifests itself as a large voltage jump at a particular current density, so-called instability current density J * , which is smaller than the depairing current. By tuning the effective pinning strength in Al films, using an artificial periodic pinning array of triangular holes, we show that a unique and well defined instability current density exists if the pinning is strong, whereas a series of multiple voltage transitions appear in the relatively weaker pinning regime. This behavior is consistent with time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau simulations, where the multiple-step transition can be unambiguously attributed to the progressive development of vortex chains and subsequently phase-slip lines. In addition, we explore experimentally the magnetic braking effects, caused by a thick Cu layer deposited on top of the superconductor, on the instabilities and the vortex ratchet effect.

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“…The oscillations of the order parameter connected by these two singularities are usually called kinematic vortices and it was proposed in Ref. 21 and experimentally observed by Sivakov et al 22 In this last reference it was estimated that a kinematic vortex can achieve a velocity v kv Ϸ 10 5 m / s which is two orders of magnitude higher than the velocity of an Abrikosov vortex v Av Ϸ 10 3 m / s. On the other hand, the velocity of a kinematic vortex is two orders of magnitude smaller than that of a Josephson vortex v Jv Ϸ 10 7 m / s. For the sample S 1 , the window during which the antivortex remains visible is ⌬t = 0.5517t 0 and the distance it travels is ⌬y = 2.875 ͑0͒; inserting T c = 3.72 K and ͑0͒ = 230 nm ͑the relevant parameters for Sn, which were used by Sivakov et al 22 ͒, the average velocity is v AV = 1.5ϫ 10 5 m / s. On the other hand, for the vortex exiting the antidot we obtain ⌬t = 0.2135t 0 and ⌬y = 1.625 ͑0͒; which gives v Vs = 2.2ϫ 10 5 m / s. Thus, the velocities involved in the annihilation process are very similar to those of kinematic vortices. It is worth noticing that the large velocities anticipated for the V-AV pair along the collision process, are similar to those developed during the early stage of a vortex avalanche, as observed by the authors of Ref.…”

Section: ͑2͒mentioning

confidence: 99%

Vortex-antivortex annihilation dynamics in a square mesoscopic superconducting cylinder

et al. 2009

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The dynamics of the annihilation of a vortex-antivortex pair is investigated. The pair is activated magnetically during the run of a simulated hysteresis loop on a square mesoscopic superconducting cylinder with an antidot inserted at its center. We study the nucleation of vortices and antivortices by first increasing the magnetic field, applied parallel to the axis of the sample, from zero until the first vortex is created. A further increase in the field pulls the vortex in, until it reaches the antidot. As the polarity of the field is reversed, an antivortex enters the scene, travels toward the center of the sample, and eventually the pair is annihilated. Depending on the sample size, its temperature, and Ginzburg-Landau parameter, the vortex-antivortex encounter takes place at the antidot or at the superconducting sea around it. The position and velocity of the vortex and antivortex singularities were evaluated as a function of time. The current density, magnetization, and orderparameter topology were also calculated. Achieving a deep understanding of the nucleation and propagation of vortices in real superconductors is a truly complex task, since these entities interact with almost everything: first, with the surface of the specimen, to surpass it; upon entrance, with other vortices that might have already penetrated, and also with defects, which might attract them and even act as pinning centers. Additional difficulties to emulate the problem arise from the fact that vortices generate heat while propagating, what can be harmful to the robustness of the superconducting properties, if not catastrophic, as is the case of vortex avalanches observed in some superconducting films. [1][2][3][4][5][6] It is quite common, however, that the existence of pinning potentials represent a beneficial feature, since vortices can thus be prevented from undergoing dissipative motion. An interesting approach to the problem, which enables one to address most specificities without excessive complexity, is to work in the small universe of mesoscopic samples. In such an ambient, one can accommodate the essential ingredients: relatively important surface-tovolume ratio, only a few vortices on scene, and a number of defects-the so-called antidots-usually arranged in a regular pattern. Furthermore, one can study the interaction of an individual vortex-antivortex ͑V-AV͒ pair and, eventually, witness their mutual annihilation.Recently, there have been many studies about V-AV configurations in mesoscopic superconductors ͑see for instance Refs. 7-11͒. The authors of these references have found that vortices and antivortices may coexist in equilibrium in configurations which look like a V-AV molecule. A somewhat common approach is to assume an a priori configuration and minimize the free energy in terms of some relevant parameter for which the V-AV molecule is a stable configuration. Here, we will focus in a rather different approach concerning more with the dynamics of a V-AV encounter. The aim of the present work is to elucidate the de...

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Kinematic vortices and phase slip lines in the dynamics of the resistive state of narrow superconductive thin film channels

Cited by 93 publications

References 3 publications

Spatially dependent sensitivity of superconducting meanders as single-photon detectors

Spatially dependent sensitivity of superconducting meanders as single-photon detectors

Onset, evolution, and magnetic braking of vortex lattice instabilities in nanostructured superconducting films

Vortex-antivortex annihilation dynamics in a square mesoscopic superconducting cylinder

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