Oscillations of a single Abrikosov vortex in hard type-II superconductors

Abstract

During the last decade, detection and manipulation of single vortex lines in bulk superconductors have been achieved experimentally. Electrodynamic response of pinned vortices in the high-frequency range is instrumental in studying specific aspects of their behavior. The present paper reviews the state of the art in studies of the oscillations of a single Abrikosov vortex in type II superconductors. The equations for free and forced oscillations of a single elastic vortex line are analyzed taking into account different forces affecting its motion: pinning, elasticity, viscosity and the Lorenz force. The equations also account for the inertial properties of a vortex due to various mechanisms of massiveness. The nature and magnitude of the vortex effective mass caused by some of the mechanisms are discussed in the paper. The roles of each force and inertia in the free oscillation spectrum are thoroughly analyzed. For the De Gennes and Matricon mode (at about a megahertz) with parabolic dispersion and the pinning force taken into account, there is an activation threshold. Taking into account the effective vortex mass in the equation of motion leads to the occurrence of a high-frequency mode (at about a terahertz) in the oscillation spectrum which is also of the activation nature. Estimations of the characteristic frequencies for these modes are given for two common superconductors, NbTi and anisotropic YBaCuO. The paper also presents the features of the resonant behavior of an elastic massive vortex line arising under an external uniform harmonic driving force that decays into the bulk of the sample, taking into account all the above forces. The frequency and temperature dependences of the energy absorption by a vortex line are analyzed. Maximum absorption in the low-frequency mode corresponds to the threshold frequency, while that in the high-frequency mode corresponds to the vortex cyclotron frequency. Vortex manipulation experiments and vortex dynamics simulation are discussed.

Multi-Steps Magnetic Flux Entrance/Exit at Thermomagnetic Avalanches in the Plates of Hard Superconductors

“…These results indicate that the study of the dynamic properties of magnetic flux helps to uncover unknown properties of the superconducting state. However, limited attention only was paid to the effective mass of Abrikosov’s vortex [ 33 , 34 , 35 ], which can manifest itself, for example, in the experiments with circular dichroism of far-infrared light [ 36 ].…”